When did you stop swaddling baby?

Seema - posted on 04/08/2013

My daughter is 1month old and doesn't sleep at night. So, I swaddle her to make her sleep throught out the night. Is it safe to swaddle at night

Becky - posted on 01/19/2010

Neither of my boys have been big fans of the swaddle. My oldest, I think we swaddled for a couple of weeks, and then we started cosleeping because he wouldn't sleep in his crib no matter how we put him in, so he didn't need to be swaddled. Zach, who is 4 1/2 months old, was able to kick the swaddling off, right from the start, so we quit when he was a couple of days old. Sometimes I do use the sleep sack, just to keep him a little warmer. but he sleeps pretty much the same with or without it.

Like others have said though, do what's right for you. I've heard of people who still swaddle at a year.

Jennifer - posted on 01/19/2010

My Emma is four months old and can't sleep at night without the swaddle blanket. I'm a working mom and need my sleep, too! I have been slightly concerned about this but feel so much better after reading all these posts. So I won't worry so much about it. Everyone is right - they'll let us know when they don't want it anymore. Until then, sweet dreams for everyone in the house!

Stacey - posted on 01/18/2010

I have a 5yo, 3yo,1yo and a 4 month old. All except the 1 year old loved being swaddled the 1 year old just didn't want it. They are all developmentally fantastic and healthy. I say swaddle until they want it. You are doing a fantastic job.

JULIE - posted on 01/18/2010

my son will be 4 months old next week and he still gets swaddled.. its the only way he will go to sleep. by the time he gets up he is completely out of it but it works to put him to sleep. I worried about it being a bad habit too but hey! i need sleep!! LOL!!

Donna - posted on 01/18/2010

some babies like it it gives them the feeling that mum is still there, i wouldnt worry about it to much she will grow out of it when she is ready to

Jana - posted on 01/18/2010

my little boy is 4 months old and still being wrapped. We are also trying to get him used to no wrap, but he doesnt sleep very well and keeps waking up. So im just doing one nap during the day with one arm out.. then when he is settled with that wel try more naps then both arms out, i say just take it slowly, and i read by about 6 months most babies will let you know they dont want to be wrapped anymore.



oh and that last post from Chany... you are one of the rare few parents who have babies that young sleeping through that long at night! lucky you! dont think its routine... more just thats what your baby does! dont lose heart everyone else whose baby is not doing that! has nothing to do with wrapping or not wrapping.

Chany - posted on 01/17/2010

my son has always been put to bed awake, he is 4 months old and from the age of 3 weeks has been sleeping from 7pm - 7.30 am, just rountine u need to get her into

Athena - posted on 01/17/2010

at about 3months, he was just too strong and would get his arms out!lol, now i tuck his blankets over him tightly to feel secure but with his arms on top.

Skye-Lee - posted on 01/16/2010

my daughter is nearly 4months old and still loves to be swaddled. the only thing that isnt wrapped is her legs she hates her legs being wrapped and she even kicks the blanket off during the night. she sleeps better when is wrapped. i'm going to keep doing it until she doesn't want to

Bec - posted on 01/16/2010

My son is 4 months old today and if he wasn't wrapped no one in our house would be sleeping. I am trying to wean him off by alternating arms so he has one out. Wrapping is also a critical part of our bedtime routine. Maurie is wrapped (with one arm out), propped up on his pillow, looks out the window with his favourite music on and within a few minutes he is deeply relaxed if not asleep. With his arms out it is a disaster. It's not even worth putting him down if he isn't wrapped as he seems to get more and more agitated as he can't get to sleep ... seems to defeat the purpose of putting him down at all! I say if it works, keep doing it.... I'd rather be wrapping him than rocking him..... he is still putting himself to sleep which I think is a better habit for him to learn than to try and sleep without being wrapped. Wrapping is a cue for sleep for my son.



Do what feels right for u and ur bub.



If I could find one of those bags so their arms stay in I would give it a go but the other problem is that it is summer here so no good at the moment anyway... hopefully by winter he won't need the wrapping.

Krystal - posted on 01/16/2010

My son was wrapped up till about 8 or so months. He had bad eczema and would rip his sin till he bled so i had to keep him wrapped. I know in South Australia at our sleep clinic they wrap babies till 12mths old. Its not a bad habit - bubs will grow out of it themselves and if she's sleeping i say leave her! x

Gail - posted on 01/16/2010

I have never swaddled any of my 3 boys but my youngest Dylan is 4 months old i what i found with him is he sleeps better in a baby sleeping bag. Its a bit like swaddleing but he can still move around a little. He was always kicking his blankets off but he can't did that in his sleeping bag and you don't have to worry when they start to roll over as there arms are free. He has his bath then ready for bed and as soon as he gose in his sleeping bag he will take his bottle and then go to bed. Hope this gives you another option to use at bed time if you want to try it.

Bernadette - posted on 01/16/2010

My son is 4 months old. I swaddle him but with his arms out. That's the way our hospital said to do it. He does kick himself out of it by the morning, but he does still need it to sleep. I definitely don't think it's a bad habit. Babies decide when they no longer want that feeling of confinement and would rather have the wiggle room.

Andrea - posted on 01/16/2010

My daughter loved to be swaddled from the beginning. My Dr said to wean her off and stop by 4 months bc once she turns over it can be dangerous without her arms. I stopped and she is now swaddle free but she also stopped sleeping through the night. The Dr said its because she is now 4 mths old and more alert but seems awfully coincidental. So if you do break the swaddle habit- just know his/her sleep patterns may change!

Tamara - posted on 01/16/2010

Emma is almost 4 months old and she likes to be swaddled at night. Not all the time, but enough that I will keep swaddling her as long as she likes. She usually likes one hand free, so thats what we do. I think you should do whatever helps your baby sleep best. We dont get enough sleep as it is!

Stephanie - posted on 01/16/2010

My daughter will be 4 months next week and she still likes to be swaddled at night. I read the article on cutting back on swaddling that someone posted, and it didn't say NOT to swaddle after a month. It pretty much said not to do it as much when they are awake so they are able to experience movement and interact with their environment. I don't think I have swaddled her during the day (aside from naps), since she was a few weeks old. I personally will continue to swaddle her at night and for naps until she gives me the signal that she's not interested anymore. It's at this point part of her bedtime/nap routine. She goes to sleep almost right away after being wrapped up and cuddled. She will wiggle out of it while she's sleeping, and I don't wrap her as tightly as when she was tiny, but that comfort level is still there I guess.

Tae - posted on 01/15/2010

My baby slept better in a swaddle me pouch until she out grew at 10 weeks. She is still wrapped in the swaddle me but arms free. She wants to be able to spread out her arms or get her hand in the mouth at will.

Noreen - posted on 01/15/2010

This is what I honestly think. You should do what is best for YOU and follow your own instints as a mother. If it says swaddle your baby because it makes your baby happy, then do it! That's my input!

Noreen - posted on 01/15/2010

My son, Noah who is now 3.5yrs old had to be swaddled to sleep until he was about 10 months or so. I don't think you started a bad habit. I think it's fine. She'll outgrow it.

Melissa - posted on 01/15/2010

My son hated swaddling right from the hospital, when he was in the NICU ward for a week everytime they would swaddle him he would scream and kick himself out of it. Even now at almost 4 months he HATES being put in a snowsuit or anything constricting, even his carseat!

Stacy - posted on 01/15/2010

My 4mo old son sleeps best when swaddled, so I still do it. However he isn't rolling over yet, and I can see the concern that if he were to flip onto his face that not having arms to lift could be rough.

Casey - posted on 01/15/2010

my daughter didn't like to be swaddled she would always squirm out... so after a few weeks we stopped.

Liane - posted on 01/15/2010

NICOLA IS ONLY SWADDLED WHEN ASLEEP SHE IS FREE THE REST OF THE TIME , SHE IS DEVELOPING WELL AND REACHES OUT FOR TOYS AND TO BE LIFTED ETC

August - posted on 01/15/2010

Here I found this article that shows you just how bad it is for your baby after a month.


http://ezinearticles.com/?When-Should-I-...

August - posted on 01/15/2010

I personally didn't do it anymore after we left the hospital. I think it's a bad habit. It's like giving a baby a pacifier. They don't NEED it. It's just a comfort thing for them. My son doesn't do either and he's perfectly happy and healthy. Maybe you could try and ween her off of it. Don't swaddle her put keep her tucked in. Otherwise it's going to be a long process. Also, I've NEVER heard of a dr saying that you should keep swaddling your child. It seems pointless to me.

Shannon - posted on 01/15/2010

My son just turned 4 months and he loves to be swaddled. I try to put him down for his naps without swaddling but he doesn't sleep very well and he will wake up crying. He started to get out of the swaddle a couple months ago so I went to a baby specialty store and found a "wombie", it is like a sleeper pajama without the arms. It works so well because he can still move around but the startle reflex doesn't wake him up. Since getting this he has been sleeping thru the night, which is great!!! I have been worring about him rolling at night though and not being able to free his arms, I have been trying to think of a solution for that problem when it arises.

Steph - posted on 01/15/2010

i did read that once bubs can roll onto their front just be careful as they cant free their arms to push their face away from the matress. there is way to swaddled ur babies though so maybe leave one arm free, then both then no swaddle at all....if bubs doesnt mind lol

Nanette - posted on 01/14/2010

I wondered this too. My baby is almost four months and I think I will continue to swaddle all the way until she can get out!

Tricia - posted on 01/14/2010

Hubby and I went to classes about child raising because this is our first. The doctor and nurse said swaddling is great for babies and they usually ourgrow it by 3 months, but it could continue up to a year or more, depending on the baby. I don't think there is a right or wrong time to stop swaddling and it's definatly not a bad habit, as long as it works for your baby.



Luke stopped being swaddled around two months or so-he always squirmed out of it because he likes to sleep on his side and the swaddle woun't let him do that.

Liane - posted on 01/14/2010

my dollie is 16weeks and still likes to be wrapped up i will do it as long as she lets me !! i think itys more for me than her cos it keeps her a baby saying that she settles better if she`s wrapped up.