How to Swaddle a Baby With a Muslin Blanket (Step by Step)

The short answer: Lay the muslin flat as a diamond and fold the top corner down. Place your baby on their back with their shoulders just below the fold. Wrap one side across and tuck it under their back, fold the bottom up loosely, then wrap the other side across and tuck. Keep it snug around the arms and loose around the hips.

Step by step

1. Make a diamond. Spread the muslin on a flat surface in a diamond shape and fold the top corner down about 6 inches.
2. Position your baby. Lay your baby face-up with their shoulders just below the folded edge and their head above it.
3. First arm and wrap. Gently straighten one arm down by their side, pull the muslin on that side snugly across their body, and tuck the edge under their back on the opposite side.
4. Fold up the bottom. Bring the bottom corner up over their feet loosely, so their hips and legs can still bend up and out. Wrapping the legs straight and tight isn't good for developing hips.
5. Second arm and wrap. Straighten the other arm, pull the remaining side snugly across, and tuck it under their back. Snug, not tight.

Test it: you should be able to slip two or three fingers between the muslin and your baby's chest, and their hips should have room to move. The fabric should sit below the chin, never over the mouth, nose or face.

Swaddling safely

• Back to sleep, every time. Always place a swaddled baby on their back, never on their side or tummy.
• Stop at the first signs of rolling. Stop swaddling as soon as your baby shows signs of trying to roll over; for many babies that's around two months, sometimes earlier. A swaddled baby who rolls onto their tummy can't use their arms to push up. After that, switch to a wearable sleep sack with the arms free.
• Nothing loose in the crib. An unwrapped muslin is a loose blanket, and it doesn't belong in the crib.
• Don't over-bundle. A swaddle is a layer. Dress for the room, not the season, and check your baby's chest or the back of the neck.

Why muslin is easy to swaddle with

A muslin swaddle is large and lightweight, with a little give in the weave, so it wraps and tucks without bulk. Our mulmul muslin swaddle blankets come in a 3-pack: one fiber, never a blend.

For more, see what a muslin swaddle is, the NIH Safe to Sleep campaign and the American Academy of Pediatrics' HealthyChildren.org.

This is general information, not medical advice. Ask your pediatrician if you have questions about swaddling.