I have been reading with interest the recent posts on this subject . There is one aspect I have not seen addressed. It certainly has been shown that babies need some hand-to-mouth activity in preparation to nurse. Swaddling a baby just to keep it quite and go longer between feedings also seems inappropriate. HOWEVER: 1-Latching can sometimes be a challenge when the baby seems to want both its fists and mom's breast in the mouth at the same time! I think many babies have a "residual" of the action I've seen in kittens and puppies where they "knead" the "breasts" to help the MER. Unfortunately, this can often get in the way of mom getting baby latched. When she has someone to help her, that person can gently hold baby's hands away from the nipple area until s(he) gets latched. Then baby can rest hands on the breast without interfering with nursing. When mom is alone, she can get frustrated because she only has two hands. In this situation, it can be helpful to put baby in a "mummy wrap" (one side of the blanket over one arm and behind the back, the other side over the other arm and behind the back). This does not have to be a really tight wrap. Once baby is attached, it's OK if (s)he works the hands loose and lays them on mom's breast. As the baby becomes more of a "pro" at nursing, (s)he learns not to get the hands in the way of latching. 2-AFTER nursing, some babies are content laying "loose" wherever they sleep. Others seem more content when they are help more snugly. The fact that their small movements may cause larger body movements seems to overwhelm some. It's like they want to go back to the snug feeling they had inside mom. Of course if mom can hold baby or carry baby in a sling, that may make baby content, but not everyone is comfortable with that or may have other demands restricting her freedom to do so. Wrapping these babies snugly may help them sleep better (not necessarily longer). The point is that we can't make hard and fast "rules" that apply in every situation. In this case, while some uses of swaddling are not a good idea and can interfere with breastfeeding, other uses may be appropriate and in some cases (#1 above) may help the nursing. Winnie Mading RNC, IBCLC *********************************************** The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html