American mom living in Sweden was reprimanded for swaddling her newborn at the hospital
This is the complete opposite of what Americans are taught.

US mom living in Sweden scolded for swaddling baby
Americans collectively gasp reading that swaddling is frowned upon in Sweden. In the United States, one of the first things the hospital does after a birth is to swaddle the newborn nice and snug in a receiving blanket, completing the look with a tiny hat. New moms practice swaddling on unsuspecting cats or teddy bears in preparation for the baby's arrival.
Imagine the surprise of an American mom who gave birth in Sweden in 2023 being told to never swaddle her baby again. Surely the midwife must've been mistaken, assuming something else was going on. Miranda Hudgens recently posted a reenactment of her experience giving birth at a Swedish hospital on TikTok where it went viral.
In the video, Hudgens is holding her swaddled baby (a teddy bear for the reenactment) when the midwife comes in and asks what she's doing while looking disgusted. The mom explains she's swaddling the baby. Shortly after the midwife leaves, Hudgens' husband tells her that the midwife said "not to do that to the baby anymore."
When the new mom inquires why she isn't allowed to swaddle the baby, her husband responds, "She said it could kill the baby. Yeah, she said we don't do that to babies in this country."
This is the complete opposite of what Americans are taught. Swaddling is seen as a means to help the baby feel secure and calm, but in Sweden it's viewed as a dangerous practice. In the comments one mom gave insight into the reason swaddling is discouraged in the Nordic country.
"I was reprimanded for it here in Sweden. She said that swaddling = too deep sleep = increased risk for SIDS," the commenter reveals.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is an area that is continually being researched and while there are factors that increase the chances of SIDS, there is currently no definitive cause. When it comes to swaddling, the increase of SIDS and suffocation increase if the swaddled baby is placed on its stomach to sleep according to Children's Hospital Los Angeles (The Saban Research Institute).
In another study published by the National Library of Medicine points out that the previous study stating swaddling increases the risk of SIDS was not peer reviewed and did not provide information on if the swaddled babies were placed on their stomachs or backs for sleep.
@mirandapandz And this is how I found out the Swaddling is super frowned up in Sweden #swedenvsusa #americanlivinginsweden #newmom #deliveryroomstories #swaddlingbaby #swaddling #firsttimemom
In the end, Hudgens decided not to swaddle. "For those wondering I decided not to swaddle after leaving the hospital and doing more research. The midwife could of been nicer though."
Every parent has to do what they think is best with the information they have. Child birthing and child rearing practices can vary widely from country to country. While in Sweden they frown upon swaddling, co-sleeping with babies until they're school age is commonly practiced. But in America co-sleeping is strongly discouraged while swaddling is commonly practiced.
It's also normal for people in Scandinavian countries to leave their babies outside in freezing temperatures, whereas in America that would be considered neglect. So, while it can be shocking to find out what people do in other countries and cultures, it's important to remember not to compare. Everybody's just doing the best that they can with their children who inevitably going to grow into toddlers who eat lint-covered snacks they found under the couch. Now that's a universal parenting experience.
This article originally appeared two years ago.
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- Scandinavian babies nap outside, even in the cold. Maybe they're on to something. ›
- Tired mom asks parents if they really 'miss the newborn phase' - Upworthy ›
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."