Need help breaking out of the Swaddle!

Kristin - posted on 04/28/2010

I just stopped swaddling a week ago and it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. She does wake up more often but I turn her music on and she usually goes back to sleep. I use a sleep sack now and it seems to work pretty nice. Unfortunately she moves a lot when she's sleeping and without her legs held tight she starts kicking and she kicks her music box and wakes herself up =) I think I am going to drop her mattress so she can't reach it with her feet anymore. For us the arms are not an issue she sleeps with them behind her head so I never wrapped them.

Sharon - posted on 04/28/2010

We had a few dramas at first - Mia started waking herself up by rubbing her face but it stopped after a couple of days. We put her in a suit that has mittens and that helped a lot too. She still rubs her face, but falls back to sleep.
Mia still has a night feed and wakes up usually between 12 and 3 am, she's back to bed within half an hour. Apart from that, we put her to bed at around 6:30pm and she's up at about 7:30 am - hope this helps :)

Angel - posted on 04/28/2010

Hi! There is no reason you need to stop swaddling him, especially if this is how he sleeps comfortably. My son was swaddle until 7 months old, and friends have swaddle their children until 1 year! I would not be concerned at all..he will learn to sleep with his arms our sooner or later, but for the mean time, follow his lead with it and keep doing it until you find he pops out naturally.
A great previous post suggested a bed sheet if the swaddle is too small now. Hope this helps, your not doing anything wrong by making your baby comfortable and secure when he sleeps. :)

Izza - posted on 04/28/2010

my son is almost 5 months and we still swaddle him. he wakes up (cries) every time his hand escapes the swaddle and then goes back to sleep as soon as i place his hands inside the swaddle again. i don't know how to transition him too.... :(

Megan - posted on 04/28/2010

I swaddle my daughter too and am getting ready to transition her out of it. What you do is gradually unswaddle her. for 2-3 days in a row you swaddle her, but leave one arm out. Then for the next 2-3 days you swaddle her and leave the other arm out. You go back and forth for about 2 weeks doing this. Once they are use to the one arm you introduce having both arms out. My sister did this with her daughter and said it worked great.

Sara - posted on 04/28/2010

Oh yes, my oldest son was swaddled until almost 6 months. I had to buy large receiving blankets. Babies have a "startle reflex" when born, and some babies just keep it longer. She will grow out of it eventually. For you sanity, keep her swaddled. My second son was swaddled until about 5 months, and our newest edition, well, she was getting mad when she was swaddled. So for about the past month we've not been swaddling her. Just depends on the baby.

Mary - posted on 04/27/2010

Diana McElroy, that's exactly what our Ped said too.

Nicole - posted on 04/27/2010

We are still very much using the swaddle as well for our 4mo old. In fact I just saw the doctor the other day & inquired if I was 'abusing' the swaddle b/c we enjoy our sleep. She in fact said its perfectly fine to continue to utilize the swaddle, but only for bedtime (which is the only time we use it anyway). She said that around 6mos we can try to get him used to sleeping unswaddled but that we are fine until then. Hope this helps b/c as new parents you need as much sleep as you can get for as long as you can get, and my doctor couldn't agree more

Nicole - posted on 04/27/2010

Thanks for all of the feedback!!!

Diana - posted on 04/27/2010

We are in the exact same boat! Garrett is over 4 months now and we still swaddle him for a good night's sleep. I asked the pediatrician and she said swaddle him until he won't let you anymore. She wasn't concerned.

Mary - posted on 04/27/2010

get a miracle blanket. its better than the kiddapotamus. it's made so they are literally unable to break out of it. it holds their arms down but you can leave their legs out. I dont swaddle my sons legs anymore bc im afraid of hip dysplasia.



my son is 4 months old and he is the same as your daughter. he goes to sleep at 9pm and wakes up at 7:30 am.

i'm going to keep swaddling him for as long as he needs it.

but when we're ready to stop im going to alternate arms. one arm out the 1st night, then the other the next night, back to the 1st arm, then the other, etc. back and forth for a week or so. then im going to swaddle with both arms out. it's pointless but he'll still feel the swaddle around his middle and it will be a cue that it's time to sleep. eventually he'll be able to go down without it.

i know ppl who still swaddle their 7 month olds. it's fine if they want it.

Sarah - posted on 04/27/2010

We swaddled our daughter with receiving blankets until she was about 3 months old. At that point she started getting too big for the blankets, so we decided it was time to transition. We started with her naps when she would only sleep for an hour or two anyway, and then moved on to all night. She is and has always been a good sleeper, so it only took a day or two before she was just fine without the extra blanket. Lately, though, she has been waking up around 5am looking for her soother, but once she has that again she's good for another couple hours.

Danielle - posted on 04/26/2010

I am just curiouse to know why you want to break her of that habbit? if shes too big for the sack get a flat sheet and use that maybe??

Angie - posted on 04/26/2010

I'm having the same problem.. Hopefully you will get some good suggestions through the replies.. Good luck!!!

Darlene - posted on 04/26/2010

I thought we were going to. Tyler was also breaking out of the swaddle so I decided it was time for a sleep sack, preparing myself for the worst. It didn't change his sleep habits at all! Which for him is still waking up a couple of time a night looking for his binkie! :(!

One thing is I never swaddled him for naps. Maybe slowly start unwrapping her for naps and progressing to overnight?