to swaddle or not to swaddle

Tracey - posted on 01/20/2010

i know this is late, but my understanding of to swaddle or not is when they look to be starting to do the whole roll and when the startle (Moro reflex) has stopped and thats about 4mths any way i tried to unswaddle my boy who has just gone 12 1/2 weeks and its not working that well so i'll keep swaddling him and try again later, he is however in the cot during the day and sleeping well as he normally does. I did that with nothing to stimulate him (e.g. no mobiles and a blanket over the rails so he can't see through them. That seems to be working. Good Luck with whatever you decide to do though

Maysa - posted on 01/20/2010

Thumbs up for swaddling, but i think u should stop at 3 months ( i stopped at 2 months because i felt my baby was ready)..
As for the crib, why don't u put him in it during the day (with his toys)- he'll get used to it until he can sleep in..
If you don't have a heater in his bedroom, iv seen those mini-plug-in-heaters around, but i don't know a specific brand..

Vanessa - posted on 01/19/2010

Well my son is 3mths and his developing good, i still swaddel him @ night and day and their is sometimes where he sleeps on his own with being swaddel. But he has learn how to take his arms out on his own. I have no problem with his development wat so ever. Everyone is different

Lindsey - posted on 01/18/2010

My oldest son is 25 months old now...he crawled at 5 1/2 months and walked at 8 1/2 months....and he was swaddled until he was almost 5 months old.

My pediatrician explained to me that the most important thing for development is an adequate amount of sleep...and if a babies arms being free wake him, then swaddling is a GOOD thing because it allows them to get the necessary deep sleep they need for brain development.

We only swaddled Chase at naps and bedtime...never during the day while he was awake and playing and he developed just fine. Everyone has their own ideas...but do what YOU think is best for your baby!

Nadine - posted on 01/18/2010

well if you swaddle the baby every time he sleeps or even when he is awake ... he cant discover himself... he needs to discover his hands & legs and play with them
i only swaddle my baby the first 2weeks & so far he's 15weeks& he's doin great
he is even doin all his nights without waking up @ night... & he sleeps in his room, in his bed alone

i believ it is very important for his growth not to be swaddle all the time & actually it depends on each baby and how they get use too... it is very hard to change a habbit 4 a baby but it only takes abt 2-3 days and he get use to the new thing,..

It depends on each mother & on each baby how he feels more comfortable & secure

PS: our mothers didnt have circle of moms & no help & here we r ... we'r jst FINE :)

Kristin - posted on 01/17/2010

For those looking for swaddling blankets big enough Aden + Anais make wonderful ones that regulate a babies temperature. They are large enough to swaddle a 3 yr old and are strechy and machine washable. I got mine at a steal price from babysteals.com. where every day at 9am they have a new 'steal' at an amazing price. check it out!

April - posted on 01/17/2010

alison hansel My son is 3 1/2 months old and he has fine motor skills he is has always been two months head of his ages and he is still swaddled just beucase you swaddle your child at night doesnt decrease them fine motor skills. I was told alot of people swaddle there kids untill they have control over there arms. Its is one of the reason my son is still swaddled if i put him in his bed not swaddle. He sleeps like crap makes me sleep like crap and he is always flopping his arms and it will wake him up after just putting him down for 5 minutes did you know that swadding a baby helps prevent SIDS. I bet you didnt know that did you. I haven't read anwhere where swadding is bad. there is even a book called the happiest baby on the block and it talks about swadding your baby is good for you baby. They have people who kids are almost a year and they still swaddle there kids.

Bianca - posted on 01/17/2010

my son turned 3 months on fri..i was lucky enough that he liked to be swaddled in the hospital and for like maybe a couple days after we came home..but he put a stop to that immediately LOL..he doesn't like his hands covered at all..i'll cover him up and next thing you know, his hands are all up in the air..my son was 8lbs 11oz so he was pretty much too big for his bassinet come a month and a half..i switched him to his crib around the same time and he was ok with it...but doesn't really like to sleep in there because he loves his swing...he is always wanted to be held/rock etc..so it's hard when i need to put him down for naps etc. :/

Crystal - posted on 01/17/2010

i ment its best if you stop swaddling after the 1st or 2end month!!

Crystal - posted on 01/17/2010

well i stoppd swaddling my lil one about a month n ahalf its best not to swaddle i was told when they start kicking they say youll no when they r ready to not be swaddled my lil one is also 3 months now hes the best1

Zara - posted on 01/16/2010

We are in the same boat. I have swaddled my boy since day 1 and we are trying to phase it out. Best way to stop swaddling is when you move him into a new bed stop doing it. There is no paticular way to transition them into a cot but maybe try and use a bedding or a blanket with his scent on it so he isn't going down into totally new bedding. Or alternatively start leaving one arm out then we he is comfy leave the other one out and so forth. Regards the cold room, an oil heater can be good as they heat the room well and are inexpensive to win or put a hot water bottle in his bed before he goes down. Leave the door open during the day and shut the curtains in there just before the sun goes down to keep in the heat.

Lauren - posted on 01/16/2010

My son (3 months) has always been swaddled at night. We quit swadddling during the day when he was a few days old. Being able to explore their own movements during the daytime provides plenty of opportunity for development I think. My boy is lifting his head 90 degrees, pushing up off of his chest. He has rolled from tummy to back a few times, and can roll from his back to his side. So, although I'm no doctor, swaddling up to 3 mos. has not seemed to hinder his development. He had been sleeping through the night (8 or 9 hours)- I know, amazing- with the swaddle. We attempted to put him to bed without swaddling last night and he went for a respectable 5 hours before waking himself up. He is never swaddled for naps, and we also used a sleep positioner to help him feel a little more secure. I think that this helped his transition. We'll see how it goes. Hopefully we'll be back to 8 hours soon. My advice would be to do what makes your baby comfortable. I think that when they're ready to not be swaddled anymore, they'll show you. I wouldn't stress too much over any timeline. Someone else suggested swaddling with hands/arms free- we did that with our son and it worked well too (he always clawed them out of our tightest swaddles anyway).

Tracy - posted on 01/16/2010

My daughter is three months old and is swaddled for her 3 daily naps and at night, when she sleeps 8-10 hours at a time. She is also performing age-appropriate motor skills including reaching for toys and bringing her fist to her mouth. Swaddling does not impair or retard motor development. Those skills are developed during waketime when babies are interactive and can practice hand-eye coordination activities. Furthermore, even when sleeping in a swaddle, babies continue to contract their muscles isometrically, which leads to increased strength.

Crystal - posted on 01/15/2010

My son Noah is almost 4 months, sleeping in his own room for a while now. I put him to bed around 9 or 10pm and he'll sleep untill about 4am eat then go back to bed untill about 8am I have the same problem with heating his room. a safe and small space heater can help but know that a child's room being cool helps relax them. As far as swaddling him it is really up to him. Noah has a habbit of waking himself up through out the night so what I have done is lay him on a blanket and tightly wrap it across his arms and tuck it under him. That way his legs can move but his arms don't get to his face and wake himself up. The best way I found getting him to go to his room is when he takes his naps but him in his own bed and the first few nights put his bassinet in his room so he becomes comfortable with the feel and lighting of his room. Any more questions or need to talk hit me up.

Crystal

Gretchen - posted on 01/15/2010

I've swaddled my daughter (born October 29) since birth and will continue to do so as long as possible. I also swaddled her older brother (now 16 months old) until he started to roll over by himself (about 4 months old). And that stage swaddling can become dangerous because they could roll over and then be stuck.

I know it helped them sleep better and longer. Nicholas didn't sleep well until I started swaddling him, then he immediately started sleeping several hours at a time. Linnea takes three solid naps per day and sleeps up to 8-10 hours in a row at night. When she manages to get herself out of the swaddle, she immediately wakes up. But that rarely happens!

Good luck!

Renee - posted on 01/15/2010

I haven't swaddled my son at all, he didn't like it. My daughter who is 18 months now was swaddled until she was 7 months about. I just dress him warm at night since he is already sleeping in his crib.

Erica - posted on 01/15/2010

We swaddled our first daughter (now 3 years) for almost 5 months, but only at night. She would smile every night when I put her down on her blanket because she knew it was bedtime! We NEVER did it during the day. Not even at nap times. She is very advanced for her age (then and now) and has been writing her name since she was 2. Our 2 1/2 month old is still being swaddled and she is starting to smile when I put her on her blanket. Then in the morning, she does a big stretch with another smile and we are off for the day!

Summah - posted on 01/15/2010

my son ( now 3 months) hated being swaddled from the minuet we left the hospital was a struggle to wrap him up he would just scream and scream till he was free ! im thinking that as long as he isnt to hot or to cold then that is fine... but also think that if your baby likes you still doing this then you should keep doing it as long as they like it. the crib debate im interested in as well as im having the same problem not sure when is the correct time to move them to a cot ?

Selena - posted on 01/14/2010

My son is almost 3 months and I intend to keep swaddling him if he still likes it. I'd like to see the research that says it's bad, if a baby is sleeping, why would it matter if they are swaddled? My baby plays all day and has plenty of time to develop his skills.
My sister swaddled her baby til she was almost 1 and she has developed fine!
As for warming the room, I'd try a heater during the day, but not at night as you don't want them to overheat.

Amanda - posted on 01/13/2010

My son is 3 months, I usually only swaddle him when gets fussy and tries to fight sleep, but I usually leave his arms out that way he can still move around yet still feel like he's being cuddled = )

Hayley - posted on 01/13/2010

My boy is 3 months and for the last few weeks we have been in the process of SLOWLY unswaddling him. i leave one arm out and swaddle looser untill there is no point of its use

Hayley - posted on 01/13/2010

Quoting Kara:

Im so glad someone made a post about swaddling, my daughter is 3 months old and loves to be swaddled, my Dr said she needs to learn to sleep on her own, but I attempted it for several nights in a row and she continued to wake up atleast twice an hour. I feel you should use your own instincts in regards to swaddling, when your baby starts to pull out their arms then you know they are ready to sleep on their own....lets not rush our babies into growing up so fast, they are only 3 months old

I agree, they are only babies for such a short period, why rush it, take it in and savour it. !!!

Liz - posted on 01/11/2010

I completely agree with Lacey. We only swaddle our son when its his "bed time" and he sleeps wonderfully. We dont swaddle him during the day, and he doesnt sleep as well, but he still sleeps, plus it gives him the chance to use his arms and hands and get use to not being swaddled. What's good for one baby isnt for another, no two babies are the same, so how can they say swaddling is bad for every single baby? Oh and Lacey, we couldnt find a blanket big enough to swaddle our baby in either, or one that he couldnt get out of, so we bought a Kiddopotomus swaddle me blanket at walmart they are awesome!

Sharon - posted on 01/11/2010

We only swaddled for the first couple of weeks as he hates anything wround his legs, so now he sleeps with nothing on him (10wks).
We are in the middle of moving him into the cot at too. He goes into the cot at around 7pm, then he's fed at 8.30pm, back into the cot, then fed at 11.30pm, then into the bassinet in our room. During the day I try to get him to sleep in the cot, depending on how tired he is depends on if he'll sleep or not. Sometimes it's just 10mins, other times it's an hour. If he won't sleep in there during the day then I'll pop him in the bassinet.
In the next couple of nights we will try him in the cot after his last feed. We started him with his 9-11.30pm sleep in the cot first as that's his deepest nap of the entire day, and that was around the start of the year.

Sorry, I have no ideas for warming up the room. I have the opposite issue, his room gets the afternoon sun and it's summer here and very hot.

Megan - posted on 01/11/2010

My son is 3 months old and we still have to swaddle at night. We have tried not swaddling but his arms go crazy and he wont fall asleep or he will wake himself up frequently. We can sometimes get away with keeping one arm out, I guess we have to transition from being completely swaddled to no swaddle.

Kara - posted on 01/11/2010

Im so glad someone made a post about swaddling, my daughter is 3 months old and loves to be swaddled, my Dr said she needs to learn to sleep on her own, but I attempted it for several nights in a row and she continued to wake up atleast twice an hour. I feel you should use your own instincts in regards to swaddling, when your baby starts to pull out their arms then you know they are ready to sleep on their own....lets not rush our babies into growing up so fast, they are only 3 months old

Jessica - posted on 01/11/2010

my son dislikes the swaddle! always wants hes feet out and his arms above his head . . . as for the bassinet, i moved the whole thing into the other room and let him get used to sleeping in it over there first then started putting him in his crib for naps until he was ok with that. now im putting him in the crib at night, and it seems to be going ok (only 3 nights soo far) he gets up a few times when his soother comes out that he didnt do in his bassinet, but i can already see that becoming less.
As for the temperature, we heat with wood stove in the far end of the basment. Our house is usually around 19 but his room is always about 16, he is sleeping fine in it, seems to sleep better in there then when he was sleeping in the warmer room.

Lacey - posted on 01/11/2010

I think every one and every doctor has a theory about swaddling so there is no reason to get rude with other mothers on here! When I was in the hospital they said do it for the first four months! Lilian is 3 months today and I swaddle her at night only! During the day when she naps she isn't swaddled and the transition is going well :) our only problem is we can't find blankets big enough to swaddle her in at night :)

Arianne - posted on 01/10/2010

swaddling IS bad for your child past the first month because they can't use their hands to learn. But this is intended for mom's who swaddle their babies all day, instead of just at night. My son didn't mind being swaddled, but never wanted his hands in the blanket. Try just swaddling their body instead. Mitten's are also bad, because they can't touch to learn. It's one of the first things a baby can do to learn, besides watching, so why take that away from them?

Jac - posted on 01/10/2010

I believe swaddleing works as it did when my daughter was born but its now too hot here so shes only in a nappy and singlet most nights and stopping it didnt fuss her at all.

Ellasyn - posted on 01/10/2010

we used moved out son into his own room and he sleeps alot better now. i didnt realize how our sleeping habits affected him and now he wakes up once if at all at night. Erin, i would try it and you might end up feeding less. i breastfeed too. but our sons room is right next to ours so its super easy and i totally understand your reasoning. it is so hard to drag myself out of bed in the middle of the night sometimes. thanks for saying shes still swaddled and developing too. damien wakes himself up too. i know you shouldnt swaddle them when they are older but i never heard it could be bad for them now. thanks for helping me not worry!

Erin - posted on 01/10/2010

My daughter just turned 3 months and she is still swaddled. She also wakes herself up if her hands are free. She is developing just fine and I have never heard of it being bad for them. She is also still in our room in a bassinet because her room is upstairs and I still am feeding in the night (breastfeeding) so I like her close to me.

Ellasyn - posted on 01/09/2010

our son is almost 3 months old and we still swaddle him. he likes it. he fights when hes over tired. his eyes will start to close and then he will start waving and kicking around to keep himself asleep. when we wrap him he passes right out. the restriction doesnt bother him he likes it. and this is the first time ive even heard of it being bad for him.

Vicky - posted on 01/09/2010

Thanks michelle i have not had any problem with my gro egg but will keep an eye on it incase.

Kelly-Jo - posted on 01/09/2010

Both my last baby, and this one I have had to swaddle to help them sleep. I stopped swaddling Temperance about 2 weeks ago. She now sleeps in her sleeping bag, and still sleeps through. She went to bed about half hour ago, and will sleep til about 8am.
Both previous children were in the own rooms around the 4 month mark. Temperance may be a bit later than that, as she will be sharing a room. I have a wooden swinging cradle, which is just like a minature cot, so never had any probs with the transition.
I have had friends have probs with baby going from moses basket to cot. If you do, you can always put the moses basket in the cot to help them get used to it!

Michelle - posted on 01/09/2010

I had a Gro Egg and had to take it back. It didn't pick up the right temp. I've heard a lot of people have had this problem.

Nicole - posted on 01/09/2010

thank you ladies! I will have to look for a gro egg and I may start to try a few nights without the swaddle and see how he does!

Vicky - posted on 01/09/2010

hey, i have never swaddled so cant help with that, but i was worried about the transition from her moses to her cot in her own room, so for about 2 weeks now when she naps during the day i put her in her cot and only use the moses at night. She will be sleeping in there all the time as soon as i get some monitors, as she sleeps through the night now. I have a heater in that room turned on by day, but its always best that they are colder than to hot. invest in a gro egg thermometer they are brill!

Alison - posted on 01/09/2010

I have read that swaddling past the first month can cause your baby to not develop their motor skills as fast. But I bet it is hard to stop something that makes your baby feel so secure. My son has always hated being swaddled! So after I read about it, I felt comfortable taking the swaddling blanket away and dressing him warmer at night.