Swaddling

[caggimedicine]

Harry won't sleep very long at all unless he is swaddled, and for that reason, we are still putting him to bed at night swaddled. I know this can't go on forever though, but whenever we've put him in a sleeping bag, or just under sheets, he wakes himself up with this flailing arms! When should we stop swaddling altogether (or should we have stopped by now?) Also - has anyone had any experiences similar to this, and how did you get on "weaning" baby out of swaddling?

 

[babystar]

Elinor still gets swaddled. She will NOT sleep unless she is. But we dont wrap her as tightly as we used to etc so that she can wriggle free in her sleep

We even swaddle her in a lightweight blanket even though she has her wee sleepy bag. She just will not sleep at all unless she is put to bed like this. I will leave her to sleep like this as long as she wants too tbh I am not gonna wean her off it.

 

[alio]

we stopped when fin was about 3 and a half months. we had to go cold turkey and put him in a sleeping bag. first couple of nights he flailed and woke himself up loads, eventually he got used to it. i was dreading it because i was convinced he'd need to be swaddled until he left home.

 

[sam#3]

We swaddled Harry at first for about 8 weeks but hes always been a hot baby so we couldnt wrap him up too much. We just did the same as alio, put him in a sleeping bag and had to grin and bear it until he got used to it.
It only took him a couple of nights and he was sleeping back how he was when swaddled.... which was only 2 hours max at a time anyway!!!
Good luck x

 

[pinkmac85]

We still swaddle LeeAnne otherwise she wakes herself up with her little flailing arms although some nights if she is REALLY tired we can just lightly put a blanket around her!

 

[MoonMuffin]

we swaddled for 3 months, then she just started kicking out of it (and we have one with velcro!) so we started by getting her to take her naps without being swaddled (at first she took shorter naps, but now she'll sleep for 2 hours in the afternoon!) and then when she got used to that we started getting her to bed without it. It took some time, and some nights we still did it (if she was cranky or something), but it worked itself out.

 

[Vickie]

Hannah was swaddled until after she was 6 months old! She just slept better that way, than one day she stopped all on her own. Honestly I'd just go with it for now, he's still young

 

[caggimedicine]

Thanks everyone. I would like to get Harry out of the swaddling and into sleeping bags as it's such hard work keeping him swaddled... he's like a mini houdini! I guess i'm just going to have to go cold turkey with him. He sleeps ok during the day not being swaddled, although not for very long. We'll see how he goes... will start next weekend I think!

 

[icculcaz]

we still have to swaddle scarlett, and like harry, she's like houdini, i just found a bigger blanket and made her lie on the top lose end..... was wondering whats the difference between sleeping bags n swaddling... cheers ya cleared that 1 up! never had a bag thingy with eldest 2 but some1 gave us 1 a few weeks ago 4 scarlett, was gonna give it a go when shes a bit bigger.

 

[louise1302]

i have to swaddle archie he rubs his face and knocks his dummy out if i dont...he will sleep for 7 hours swaddled and 3 hours if not..i know which i prefer lol

am a bit worried its getting too warm for it though as hes such a sweaty little bugger although he only has his shawl swaddling him and 1 fleece blanket over him at night no heating and small window in bedrrom open he still manages to wake with a sweaty head

 

[lillysmum]

i think after 2 months they say you should half swaddle them (under the arms) but go with your instincts as some babies require different things than others and as the parents you know your baby better than anyone.

 

[caggimedicine]

we still have to swaddle scarlett, and like harry, she's like houdini, i just found a bigger blanket and made her lie on the top lose end..... was wondering whats the difference between sleeping bags n swaddling... cheers ya cleared that 1 up! never had a bag thingy with eldest 2 but some1 gave us 1 a few weeks ago 4 scarlett, was gonna give it a go when shes a bit bigger.

I tried the bigger blanket.... and the different types of blankets (e.g. fleece/stiffer cellular blanket/sheets), but Harry has worked out that if can just bend his arms at the elbows, he can at least get his hands up to his chin/mouth... which then wakes him up because he thinks his fingers are food! I've now taken to strapping his arms down with a single layer thin cotton sheet and putting him inside a newborn light tog grobag (which is the full length of him so no ability to wriggle down) and that tends to hold him in place until morning (for now!)

am a bit worried its getting too warm for it

Yeah I know what you mean. This is one of the other reasons I want to get him out of the swaddling thing, so that in the summer months, he can sleep with just thin blankets. At the moment we never have the heating on in his room, and it's generally the coolest room in the house - I have a thing that i'd rather him be cold than too hot.

 

[Tiff]

We only ever swaddled Claire under her arms, as she hated having her arms restrained. Once she started kicking out of the swaddled blanket we moved onto the sleep sack. So far she's been okay but she does wake herself up at times with it.

The half swaddle thing is a good idea that you could possibly try?

 

[tasha41]

I still swaddle Elyse! It seems to really soothe her/help calm her down. We're allowed to use blankets here, I think someone told me you guys are supposed to use those sleeping bags only? So I swaddle her in her flannel receiving blanket usually and put a blanket over her. I'm not very good at swaddling (or she's just good at kicking and flailing her arms around) and she can usually get free from it if she's really mad/hungry etc.

 

[Seraphim]

Interesting!

I was looking for recommendations on good swaddling blankets... I have a friend who was bought one which has flaps inside which overlap the arms and go under the back, which looked good.

I have several friends who I know swaddled up to 9 months plus... what's the argument for stopping swaddling sooner???

I also found these 'woombies' on ebay... they're a zip up cocoon which allows the baby to wriggle, but not fuss itself with his/her arms:

woombie

 

[lollylou1]

we are having the same problem with Annabelle.

she is still swaddled at night, last night she was screaming the house down before bed when i tried to swaddle her so i didnt and just used a sleeping bag, she normally sleeps through the night from 7 till 7 but she woke up at 2 and wouldnt go back to sleep properly kept waking every ten minutes

if i perservere do u think she will settle? i have swaddled her tonight and so far so good, i am just going to loosen the swaddle every couple of nights as most morning she has broken free anyway then hopefully she will get used to it

Lou
xxx

Lou
xxx