I do think the position of the baby being swaddled is the key.  Is
swaddling "punishment" as one poster implied? I certainly don't
think that's necessarily so.  Here's my take FWIW.

The baby in the uterus the last few weeks especially is, in a way,
swaddled.  Because of the increasingly "crowded" conditions, babies
are usually in a flexed position with arms crossed in front of them
and knees tucked up toward their chin - referred to as a fetal
position.  Adults and older children under great stress will
sometimes assume this position.  Therefore, there is something about
the position that is soothing.  Perhaps for some infants, being held
in a similar position by swaddling is like going back to a previous
state of comfort.  Sort of "regrouping" and starting over.  Other
than the crowded space, being in the womb was probably a lot less
streessful (assuming no complictions) than all the new things a
newborn has to adjust to and cope with, especially in the first days
and even weeks.

Winnie

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