heres the situation.. my daughter gets out of her swaddler (miracle blanket) every night no matter how tight we wrap it.. she turned 5months old about a week ago. Also since shes obviously gotten taller shes a little bit too big for it.. instead of it coming up to her shoulders its about an inch below that.. so a few nights ago we decided it was time to stop swaddling her.. She went from sleeping completely through the night, only waking up at around 430am for a bottle and going back to sleep til 730/8am, to waking up every 3hours, either wanting a bottle or just because she flailed around in her sleep and woke herself up. Also the past nights when she woke up again around 530/6am she absolutley refused to go back in the cradle, if you put her down it was constant screaming. Last night was definatley the worst and most amount of times she woke up through the night and she didnt take any naps today, she was cranky and beyond tired all day... so by 545pm she had fallen asleep in her bouncer. Clearly she was exhausted. I took her out, changed her, gave her a bottle with an extra ounce, like we do everynight because it lets her sleep longer, put her in her cradle. She fell right to sleep, however, within 10minutes of her falling asleep she was up babbling away kicking her feet and flailing her arms around. I let her tay there and it continued for about a half hour.
I feel like such a crappy mom for saying this but my fiance and i are both sick, and frankly from the past 5 nights of her waking up constantly are pretty damn tired(not to mention how exhausted our daughter has been the past 4 days). I got out of bed, got out the miracle blanket and wrapped her up, and wouldnt you know it she fell right to sleep and has been out like a light ever since. I really feel like she shouldnt be being swaddled anymore and by me wrapping her back up tonight is a step in the wrong direction. Her legs are very very strong but to me its like her arms are nowhere near where her legs are and that is another reason why i dont think i should be swaddling her anymore.. i feel like i might be hindering her.. Im not really sure what im looking for here, has anyone else had a difficult transition from swaddling to not?? .. i know i really just need to tough it out and she will get used to it, but my poor baby is just exhausted all the time.. im thinking that tomorrow night, or tonight if she happens to wake up at all that i will ditch the swaddler and use her stretchy thermal blanket and wrap her up and just leave her arms out.. hopefully that helps, maybe its will be an easier transition for her.. any advice would be great
--i asked my cousin whos son is a little over a month older than my daughter and she said the first night he woke up a few times and then was fine after that, so maybe because of hearing that my expectations of how this would go were a little off..
I swaddled my first until 7 months. I worried about his motor development, as well, but he was just fine. If it's still working, stick with it. She'll let you know when she's ready to be done with it.
my daughter needed swaddled for a long long time.. my son was happy to sleep anywhere anytime.. he was easy.
you have to do what you have to do.. to get your baby to sleep.. and to get you some sleep. you might need a bigger blanket to swaddler her longer.. it is nto going to hinder her development.. she can move her arms and legs plenty when she is awake.
This issue falls under the heading - if it is not broke, don't fix it. We swaddled our oldest until well after 8 months using large blankets. He slept better and thus so did we. Good luck.
If swaddling works, do it! For a while, our oldest slept in his infant car seat at night. He slept so much better in it and I soon discovered others had used this same strategy.
Just do what works for you!
No joke, but we used duct tape to keep her swaddling blanket on, but I don't remember when we stopped swaddling.
May you get some sleep tonight. Sweet dreams.
We swaddled my son till he was at least 8 months. And for the last few months we just swaddled his arms, his legs and feet usually stuck out. He loved it and is a very happy well adjusted boy who still to this day (at 6 yrs old) will go to bed on his own and falls asleep in minutes.
I would do whatever works to get your baby to sleep. There is no set time table to end swaddling. When swaddling didn't work any more we started using a halo sleep sack. Both of my daughters love them. If you want a bigger swaddling blanket I ordered a couple from buy buy baby. They are HUGE and very lightweight. Here's a link to show you what I'm talking about:
http://www.buybuybaby.com/product.asp?SKU=204618&
Here's a link to the sleep sack on amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/SleepSack-Micro-Fleece-Walker-Weara...
OK BrisMommy, I may be dating myself here, but why can't you swaddle her the old fashioned way in a larger blanky??? There are various sized blankets you can get in babies R Us or Home Goods. Why does it have to be in a precut swaddling blanket? Do you perhaps not know how to swaddle the old fashioned way with an actual blanket?
1. Lay it out diamond shaped on the bed.
2. Place baby in the middle.
3. Lift up the lower angle, up to her chest.
4. Lift over the angle on your right side.
5. Lift over the angle on your left side.
6. Fold in the corner of the left side into the slit created by the right side.
KindredSpiritS has a great idea with duct tape you can use if she is wiggling out. The belly sleep worked for me when swaddling was definitely over. Like Stephanie says, the startle reflex isn't there.
Good luck, I hope you get some sleep and rest.
Is she able to roll over on her own? If so, then she's at the point where you could let her sleep on her stomach. (At least, that was the general rule of thumb I was given.) They don't startle on their stomachs because their arms and legs don't have anywhere to go. :)
If not, there's certainly not any reason that you NEED to stop swaddling if it helps her (and you!) sleep. I'd try Angeles' blanket method. It was the only thing I have ever done (never bought a pre-made swaddler) and worked pretty well.
When my daughter was still sleeping happily in the swaddle at 6 months, I asked her doctor if I needed to wean her out of it. "Why?" The doctor asked me. I said I had heard it could be bad for motor development. My doctor responded that as long as my daughter was spending plenty of tummy time and awake-time out of the swaddle, and as long as I was not swaddling too tightly, there were no concerns. My daughter decided she was done with the swaddle at 7 and a half months, and is a very active and coordinated little girl.
Make sure your daughter is getting plenty of tummy-time when she's awake to strengthen those little arms, and then let her sleep the way that makes her comfortable. If she is kicking out of the miracle blanket, maybe it's time to buy the next size up. I am not familiar with that brand, but if they don't make another size up, kiddopatamus makes several sizes of swaddlers. Good luckl
Try having her sleep on her belly...no swaddling. Worked for my kids....I don't think movement disturbs them as much this way....no startle reflex.
Someone will hear your story ...
"Woke up a few times for a few days"...
And think "easy" as well.
So will a person hearing "a few times a night for a few weeks".
So don't worry about your expectations so much. It always sounds easy when its someone else!!!
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1) If she sleeps through the night, even though she kicks it off... Why worry? Let her kick it off and keep sleeping.
2) Swaddling is warm. If you're not dressing her warmer, it may be the chill waking her up. I go to sleep under 4 blankets. I can't GO to sleep cold. I usually wake up under 1. I can sleep cold just fine. I just canf GET to sleep that way. AND if I wake up... I'm piling them on top of me, again.
3) most babies/toddlers kick their feet as they're falling asleep. Its fun (and rhythmic, and relaxing... At at this point, novel). Lots of older kids do, as well. She'll get bored with it eventually. Its whether of not you can stand to wake up until "eventually. (Few days, few weeks). I wouldn't try while sick. Which loops me back around to #1.
