Rethinking Swaddle Culture: Why Normal Newborn Behaviors Don’t Need Fixing

Earlier this year, we had the privilege of meeting Amey Fields, registered nurse, international board-certified lactation consultant, and founder of AZ Breastfed Babies and Bump to Baby AZ. It was love at first phone call! From the start, it was clear that our missions to support moms and our shared enthusiasm for skin-to-skin contact (and breastfeeding!) were deeply aligned.

Amey and her team work tirelessly to bridge gaps in support and education for new moms. Sometimes, that means helping parents rethink common practices, like swaddling. While swaddling can be a helpful tool, it’s important to understand when and how to use it appropriately.

Amey shared her expert insight on swaddling, the concept of “swaddle culture,” and other tools parents can turn to. We’re so grateful to Amey for sharing her knowledge with us and our amazing Bonsie community.

Amey Fields, RN, IBCLC, founder of AZ Breastfed Babies and Bump to Baby AZ. 

One of the reasons I talk so much about "swaddle culture" is because swaddling has shifted from being a short-term tool to becoming a default way of managing normal newborn behavior.

Historically, babies have been swaddled in many cultures for centuries. In the past, swaddling was often used for warmth, protection, and practicality when mothers were working, traveling, or carrying infants. But historically, babies were also typically carried on caregivers, breastfed frequently, and had far more physical contact than many babies experience today.

Modern swaddling culture often looks very different. Parents are frequently told that if their baby startles, wakes often, wants to nurse frequently, or prefers to be held, the solution is to swaddle tighter, buy a different swaddle, or work toward longer stretches of sleep. The problem is that many normal newborn behaviors can start to be viewed as problems that need fixing.

The Moro (startle) reflex, for example, isn't a design flaw. It's a normal primitive reflex and an important part of neurological development. Frequent waking, frequent feeding, and seeking close contact are also biologically normal newborn behaviors.

One piece I think gets missed in this conversation is movement. The Moro reflex is supposed to be present in early infancy and then gradually integrate as a baby's nervous system matures. In many ways, babies need to "use it to lose it." They need opportunities to move, stretch, startle, bring their hands to their mouth, turn their head side to side, and learn where their body is in space.

That doesn't mean every swaddled baby will have retained reflexes or developmental challenges. But movement matters. Occupational therapists and physical therapists often talk about retained primitive reflexes in older children and how much easier it would be to support healthy movement patterns when those children were babies. Yet very few parents are ever told that free movement is important for development.

I also think the marketing around swaddling has changed dramatically. Even 5–10 years ago, most parents had a receiving blanket and maybe one Velcro swaddle. Today there are countless swaddles marketed as sleep solutions, zippered swaddles, transition swaddles, weighted products, arms-up swaddles, arms-down swaddles, and products designed to keep babies swaddled for months.

The message parents often receive is that longer sleep is always better and that normal newborn behaviors should be minimized. But newborns are biologically designed to wake, feed, move, and seek connection.

Research has shown that swaddled babies often sleep longer and have reduced arousal. While that may sound appealing to exhausted parents, arousal is also a normal protective mechanism. Frequent waking helps babies feed, supports breastfeeding and milk supply, and gives babies opportunities to reposition themselves throughout the night.

A new mom holds her baby.

This is one reason I'm also cautious about positional plagiocephaly and brachycephaly. We know that prolonged time on the back without enough repositioning and movement can contribute to flat spots on the head. I would not say swaddling directly causes plagiocephaly because the research doesn't support such a direct conclusion. However, if a baby is tightly swaddled, spends long periods flat on their back, moves less, and arouses less frequently, it seems reasonable that swaddling could be one contributing factor in some babies.

Another concern is that parents are often told to stop swaddling only once a baby starts rolling. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends discontinuing swaddling when babies show signs of attempting to roll. Dr. Rachel Moon, one of the AAP's leading safe sleep experts, has even expressed concern about babies remaining swaddled beyond about 8 weeks because rolling can happen earlier than many parents expect.

For me, this raises an important question: What comes first, the chicken or the egg?

If a baby has been swaddled for every sleep for three or four months, are we delaying opportunities for movement, strengthening, and practicing those developmental skills? Then suddenly parents find themselves with an older baby who has only ever slept swaddled and now must make a stressful transition at exactly the same time developmental milestones are accelerating.

This doesn't mean swaddling is inherently bad. I often tell families that swaddling can be a useful tool during the first few weeks after birth. Newborns are adjusting from the contained environment of the womb to a much bigger world, and a properly fitted swaddle can help some babies settle during this transition.

The concern is when swaddling becomes a lifestyle rather than a temporary tool.

So what should parents do instead?

First, I encourage parents to embrace the idea that newborns are supposed to need us. Instead of immediately reaching for a swaddle every time a baby fusses, consider whether the baby may need feeding, movement, skin-to-skin contact, a position change, or simply connection.

Skin-to-skin is one of the most powerful tools we have. Research shows it helps regulate temperature, heart rate, breathing, blood sugar, stress hormones, and feeding behaviors. Babies are biologically wired to be on their caregivers, not separated from them.

A new mom holds her baby skin to skin.

I also love hands-up sleep options, babywearing when caregivers are awake, responsive feeding, and allowing babies plenty of free movement during awake time. These approaches support regulation and development while still helping families meet their baby's needs.

As for why so many experts recommend swaddling, I think most recommendations come from a good place. Parents are exhausted, and healthcare providers want to offer practical solutions. Swaddling can absolutely help some babies settle and can be useful when used appropriately.

The issue isn't the tool itself, it's when the conversation stops there.

Parents deserve to know that frequent waking, frequent feeding, active sleep, movement, and contact seeking are normal newborn behaviors. If we only teach parents how to suppress those behaviors without understanding why they occur, we risk creating unrealistic expectations of what newborn life is supposed to look like.

My goal isn't to eliminate swaddling. It's to help parents understand that swaddling is one tool in a much larger toolbox, and that many of the behaviors we're trying to "fix" are actually signs of a healthy, biologically normal baby.

Nurses and lactation consultants like Amey are true heroes, and we are so proud to broadcast her message. Amey and her team help moms in Arizona and all over the country through in-person support, online appointments, and classes. To learn more about their work and connect, follow along @az.breastfedbabies.