Swaddling

My son loved being swaddled when he was first born. He is now 5 months. He eventually just started wiggeling out of the swaddle so I stopped doing it. You can always try the sleep sacks to, they worked nice for my son. Hope this helped a little.

I have been an avid swaddler with all three of my girls (ages 3 years, 18 months, and 6 months). I found that when my girls were ready to not be swaddled anymore, they would break free on their own and roll over or just start self-soothing. I have usually started out with naps to see how they do and if they just can't calm down or settle on their own, I swaddle. My oldest and youngest have fazed out of swaddling around the age of 6 months on their own. I have found swings are great too for the transition. OK, good luck!

My philosophy with very young babies is to "do it as long as it works". She will definitely let you know when she doesn't want to be swaddled anymore. In the meantime...enjoy.

No perfect advice here, but this is my experience. We swaddled our baby until he was about 2 months old too, but then he was just getting so big and we had upheaval as we were traveling a lot so we stopped. Now he is 4 months old and will only willingly fall asleep on the breast. When he gets really tired we still swaddle him to help him get to sleep.

As a way to transition perhaps you could start doing the same routine, just eliminate the swaddle, and see how it goes.

Good luck.

Our son also loved to be swaddled and I think around 3 month I started to wrap him with one arm out as a way to start tranisitioning. Then we moved to the sleepsacks and haven't looked back. Good luck!

I swaddled all three of my children probably until 3 months or so. It all depends on the size of the child for me.:-) Nevertheless they all slept in a swing too until I put them to bed, sometimes swaddled and othet times not. If they woke I would of course try to rock them in my arms gently and put them in the crib, if not you can just lay them down in the crib/bassinett and place a blanket over them sort of tucked in on the side to make them feel snuggley. I know kids can wiggle out of it but it is some security I believe. My 5 month old is sleeping without the swaddle and I am soooooooooo happy and in his crib. I also but the changing table pad in the crib so he cant roll over, so much easier than the wedge thing I think and also I did put the incline thing under the pad so he is proped a bit. When to stop is up to you, i did it when I got frustrated. ;-0 ok not true but sort of when they only woke once during the night. good luck.

The advice I can offer is from my own experience. Right around 3 months my daughter started to get out of the swaddle while she slept and that my sign to stop. She adjusted just fine. On the other hand I have had friends whose babies stayed in the swaddle till they were 5 months, so it can all depend on the baby. If she seems to be doing well and sleeping good being swaddled, go with it.
Enjoy your daughter,
L

We swaddled our daughter until she was 4 or 5 months old. We used the Miracle Blanket -- love that thing! -- and I think that let us go longer. Very hard to get out of :-)

I say swaddle as long as possible! I have a friend who still swaddles all other her kids (oldest is 4 years) and they are the best sleepers! I was having trouble with my dd taking naps at about 17 months so I started to swaddle her again with her arms out. All of a sudden she started sleeping better again and she'd get a full nap. At first she resisted, but after just a few days she was giggling whenever I'd do it. It was like a game to her and it was fun. We've kinda fallen out of the habit again, but I would do it again in a heart beat. I think the key is to let their arms go free when they are big enough to "not like it" anymore. Good luck.

I think swaddling is a God-send for young babies. I swaddled my first baby and plan to do so with the second. I must say, she never enjoyed being put into the swaddle, but once she was all wrapped up, she calmed down and slept so well. My friends (3 others with babies born around the same time) did the same thing with theirs and good results. I will say, all of our babies were young during the fall and winter months, so their was the concept of keeping them warm as well. Of course, in the warmer months, I'd probably swaddle a new baby with a lighter blanket and adjust what kind of PJ's they sleep in to keep them a good temperature.
I read that a baby doesn't really "need" to be swaddled for sleep after the 3rd month (since their startle reflex begins to wane), but my little girl was sleeping so well, I swaddled her until she was about 5 months old. I started weaning her from this by letting her have one hand out, then two, and then no blanket wrap at all. She transitioned just fine. My other friends stopped swaddling at about 4 months.
Good luck with your new baby!
S. (mother of 2 year old with another on the way)

We swaddled my daughter until about 3 or 4 months, when she really started wanting the freedom to move around a bit in her sleep and suck on her fingers. She transitioned fine from being wrapped to not. I would put a very small fuzzy blanket in there w/ her so she had some comfort item. Good luck!!
A.
PS: I second what Erin said :)

I just wanted to let you know that if your daughter does not fight it then keep swaddling her. We swaddle our daughter until she was about 6 months old (she's 10months now). Does she use her thumb as a pacifer? then maybe you should unswaddle. Our daugther needed to use a pacifer nor used her thumb... When you do decide to not swaddle her, be prepared for a transition period. She will wake herself up more frequently. A slight jerk motion would wake our daughter up. Good luck!

I fully swaddled my son until he was 6 months old. I would gradually swaddle only one arm for naps to see how that went. But now that he is 7 months and so he breaks through and plus rolls over so he's definitely now at night swaddled with only one arm. It will take some time for her to get adjusted to it due to reflexes. So you can try what I offered, one arm swaddled and see how that goes and then eventually take all the swaddle completely. Good luck!

Hi,
I am a big fan of swaddling. Your baby will let you know when you should stop. If she is content and sleeps well I would continue. When she is over it she will "bust out" of it. Up until about 3 months babies really don't have there own self-soothing mechanisms. Swaddling probably makes her feel safe and cozy.

We swaddled our little boy for bedtime until almost 6 months - he loved it. The only reason we stopped was because he kept squirming out of it while he slept. I had the same wonder that he wouldn't be able to sleep without it, but different changes in his sleep occurred at once, so it all worked out in the end. I'd say just go for it since it works now and see what happens.

We swaddled our baby up to 8 months. She really needed it (she is a crazy baby). We swaddled when she was having a bad night in her 8th month. now she is 11 months and is finally sleeping without being swaddled.

So swaddle your baby as long as you like.

P.

We swaddled our daughter with her arms free until she was 5 and a half months and only swaddled her at night. She loved it and slept well. Once she started wiggling out was when we stopped. She did not seem to miss it, I think she was ready. Hope this helps. Good luck.

I never really noticed when I stopped. I think baby will just naturally pull hands out and kick the blanket off. You pretty much can't do it anymore when the blankets made for it get too small. Ha ha! Doesn't hurt them, that's for sure.

Enjoy your "bundle"... literally. :-)

Hi V., We swaddled our son (now one) and I was really nervous about how he would react to going without. At 4 months we switched him over to a baby sleeping bag (like these http://www.littlebigfoot.com/) and he didn't even flinch. I think the coziness was still there without the tightness of swaddling and for me there was the peace of mind that he couldn't shuffle down under the covers. My son still sleeps in his sleeping bag and will until he transitions over to a big boy bed. Good luck and enjoy your little one. x D.

Dera V.,

You can swaddle your little girl for at least another two months if she likes it and is not trying to roll over.

We had some trouble finding blankets that were big enough to actually swaddle our son after the two month mark but someone had given us one called the swaddle me blanket. IT was great and I know you can buy them online from Nordstom.com. Our son like to be swaddled until he was just around four months and he has ended up being a great sleeper. I don't know if the swaddling had anything to do with it but I say anything that works, stick with it.

Hope this helps,

N.

Hey! If it works, why change it? Nothing bad is going to happen or her deveopment hurt by swaddling her. When she doesn't like it, she'll let you know.

V.,

Our twins were preemies, so we were taught to swaddle them with their arms bent and their hands sticking out of their blankets at the top. (This way, they could self-soothe themselves to sleep if they woke up). We swaddled them this way until they were 5 months old and gradually left one arm out, then after a week, we left both arms out and gradually took the blanket away altogether. They transitioned just fine...and at 21 months, they sleep through the night for 11-12 hours...most nights. = )

Good luck!

~ L.

They will let you know when they don't like it anymore. My first daughter, now 2 1/2 yrs old, liked it for almost 6 months. I would just slowly swaddle her loser and loser until she was sleeping without it. I would have to leave her arm out though because she sucked her thumb. My son, now 9 months, only liked it for a couple months. He would always try to bust out. But if you son is only 2 months and seems to like it and he sleeps well with it then by all means use it. He will not use it forever!

we swaddled our twins until 4 months, basically, when they were able to breakout an arm or two from the swaddle. We make any changes to sleep during naps first, before introducing at bedtime. When they were breaking out it made me anxious & I got up frequently during the night to check to make sure they didn't have the blanket covering their noses. An initial step was swaddling just the lower half, a really tight swaddle under the armpits. We then switched to sleepsacks which keeps them from getting legs stuck in slats or now that they are 10 mos, pulling themselves up to standing in the crib.

Hi V.,

I also swaddled my first son when he was a baby (my second one who just turned one yr. never cared for it.)But I stopped at about 2 months. I transitioned it with warm, feet covering,pajamas. But it's Spring time so I would suggest just a light pajama with a light blanket wrapped around the waist area, tucked under. That way she still feels like she is snug. I did this with the blanket and my son was just fine with it. Never had any problems with his sleeping afterwards.

Have you tried not swaddling her and how does she sleep?

It may just be that, being a first time parent, it's a fear that she may not sleep well. We seem to have bigger fears of taking away or changing something, more than it actually affects the child.( I was like this when it came time to take the pacifier away.) To my surprise it wasn't nearly as hard as I had expected it.

Good luck!

Swaddle her for as long as she will let you. She'll let you know by fussing or pulling the blankets off when she doesn't like it anymore. Obviously don't swaddle her once the weather gets hot unless inside with the air on. Enjoy your new baby!!

Hi V., Swaddling was a lifesaver for us with our daughter. We started swaddling her because it helped her sleep, but we stopped when it seemed like she was waking up because she wanted her amrs free, which was around 3 mos. I saw Dr. Harvey Karp speak (The Happiest Baby on the Block guy) and he said that some babies need to be swaddled up until a year. My 9 month old would hate it, but I guess if they need it. Anyway, your baby will give you cues when she is ready. Good Luck!!! S.

Hi V.,

My daughter is now 6 months, but I had the same dilemma when she was that age. I had always heard that they will let you know when they don't want to be swaddled, so I followed that lead. She was 4 months old when we stopped swaddling and we knew it was time because she was getting out of the swaddle every night.

As far as getting her to sleep without it, I think the fact that she was a little older and had developed a bit of a routine helped a lot. We started as soon as possible putting her down when she was still a little bit awake & letting her fall asleep on her own. I think that this helped as well. We never had to really change our routine when we stopped swaddling. She was just ready and continued to sleep well w/o the swaddle.

I hope that this helps. I know that all babies are different, but this is what happened with us.

Hi V.,

I have a 3 month old who loves to chew on her hands now and has since she was about 2 months old so she made swaddling really difficult. So I started just swaddling her with the blanket under her arms. All the books I have read say to swaddle as long as you want, but online I found info saying at least until 4 months old.

Good luck,
S.

V.,
We swaddled our son and it was great for about 4 months when he didn't want to be wrapped up anymore. Don't worry, your daughter will let you know when she is done being wrapped up like a burrito.
T.

You know with my first daughter I swaddled until she was about 6 or 7 months. She seemed fine with it. My second however is now 3 months and I stopped swaddling her after about 2 months. She is just very active and when she would be wrapped she would struggle to get out and when she did she would wake up. Now that I just let her sleep without the swaddling she sleeps about 8 hours during the night and two more after a feeding it is great. As you can see each child is different. My second hated being swaddled even a couple days after birth. My first loved it.

In the end it is up to you, but my son loved being swaddled and I had him swaddled up to 5 months. He slept through the night when swaddled and that was something we did not want to give up ! They say that really the time that you should stop swaddling is when they start being able to rock back and forth and roll over ( usually around 4 months ) because then it becomes a danger. However, if you watch their sleep habits and they do not roll over it can be okay. It is one of those things that you will experience for the rest of child raising but when you stop swaddling it will be painful for a few nights and then they should get back to their sleep schedules.
But when I went for birthing classes the teacher still swaddled her kids at two !! Swaddling is nice for the baby, their nerves are not developed yet so they like that close wrap to feel secure - let them have it.

I still swaddle my daughter and she just turned 4 months today. It really does help her get to sleep and sleep through the night. She actually is fully unwrapped in the morning so i'm sure she'll transition out of it herself.

I noticed that if i don't swaddle her she moves around so much she ends up at the very top of her crib all crammed into the corner.

I swaddled my three children until they were almost one. I stopped early with my first and then had trouble getting him to sleep. Someone suggested I go back to swaddling and it worked great. The bigger they got the bigger blankets I had to find but it was worth it. Your baby will let you know when they are done being swaddled. Trying to get out, crying when you start to swaddle. I would just enjoy it until then.

There is a wonderful product called the Miracle Blanket (I think the website is www.miracleblanket.com or something like that - try to Google it)! I used it for my 2nd child and it was amazing!!! However, I think that swaddling is not recommended after 3-4 months (though the Miracle Blanket is quite large and long and could be used for much longer). The great thing about it is that the baby does not come undone from the swaddling - it is pretty secure. If it will not work for this baby, maybe for the next or for a friend or family member with an upcoming arrival - good luck!!!

we swaddled out son until about 3 1/2 months old because it helped calm him to sleep and around 4 months he was calm on his own and did not seem to need the swaddle any more. Just watch your newborn for signs of not needing the swaddle- otherwise keep using it if it helps her sleep. I don't think there is any negative consequence to continued swaddling- my girlfriend still swaddles her 6 month old

I think she will tell you when she is ready to stop being swaddled. My son started busting out of his swaddle in the middle of the night - usually when he woke up for feedings - and the less and less tired he became, the more he resisted the swaddle. Eventually, we were only able to swaddle him at the start of his night sleep and after about 2.5 months, eliminated it all together and started using a halo sleep sack (wearable blanket) to keep him warm and cozy.

I have also been swaddling my son since he was born. We stopped swaddling him at 4 months and he started taking shorter naps and waking up at night. Our doctor told us keep swaddling him. So he is now 5 months and we still swaddle him for his naps and night time sleep. I am also worried about getting him to sleep with out it. Any advice would help me too!!!

I swaddled both of my boys until they were almost a year old. The last few months I would swaddle them with one arm out, but they slept SO much better that way. If I let them sleep unswaddled they would always wake themselves up with a startle or flinch. From my understanding, there is no harm in swaddling them as long as they like.

I swaddled my 22 month old until he was 7 months. He slept the best that way. I think if your daughter is sleeping well and not rolling all over then keep swaddling her.

In many cultures, swaddling continues until the child is a few years old. There is nothing wrong with it (in my opinion). My daughter was swaddled until she was about a year old and sometimes still seeks covers wrapped tightly around her (if she's overstimulated and very tired). We figured she was done with swaddling when she started kicking off the blankets. I hope this helps!

I am a mother to an 8yr old and a 3 month old. My 3 month old also loves to be swaddled (we've been doing it since we brought him home). I don't see anything wrong with swaddling them, especially if it helps them to sleep better. Eventually your daughter will grow to big to swaddle. My 3 month old is just now getting to the point where he will wake in the middle of the night wiggling around and when I un-swaddle him he stretches and goes right back to sleep. I'd say to let her decide when she doesn't like it anymore... if you have any doubts or questions you could ask your daughters pediatrition and they can tell you what they would recommend. Good Luck and Congrats on the baby girl!

Congrats on your new baby! I swaddled until 8 months or so. My pediatrician told me that my baby would let me know when he was ready to not be swaddled anymore. Eventually, my little guy started to break free all the time and that was my cue. I would leave his arms out and just swaddle his bottom half just under his little armpits. And then eventually after a month or so he didn't need to be swaddled. Babies love to be swaddled though (although not all need it) and as long as your daughter is content & comfortable, there's no need to stop yet (in my opinion). I also read Happiest Baby on the Block that another mom mentioned by Dr. Karp (he's a big fan of Swaddling) and here is what he says:

"To decide if your infant no longer needs to be wrapped, try this: After she reaches 2-3 months of age, swaddle her with one arm out. If she gets fussier, she's telling you to continue wrapping for a few more weeks. However, if she stays happy without the swaddling, she doesn't need it anymore. With few exceptions, babies are ready to be weaned off wrapping by 3-4 months of age, although some sleep better wrapped - even up to one year of age."

Hope that helps. And I really liked the Miracle Blanket - http://www.miracleblanket.com/ - for swaddling.

My little boy is nearly 3 months and we are still swaddling. It really calms him. I think he'll start to grow out of it (well, I'm hoping!). He has just started sucking his hands so I'm hoping that that'll soothe him instead of the swaddling.

No advice, I'm afraid, but wanted you to know that you're not the only one!

It is great to read everyone else's experiences with swaddling. I am happy to keep going until he is ready to sleep unwrapped :)
E.

Hi

I think babies in general like the security of being swaddled. We swaddled my son until he was about 5 months old. When he was fussy, we would swaddle him very tightly. After that time, we would go into his crib in the morning and see that he had gotten out of the swaddle. He has been sleeping through the night since he was 3 months old. I think your daughter will just get to a point where she pulls herself out of the swaddle and then it might be time to stop. My friends swaddled their daughter until she was 9 months old. I think it depends on the child. However, I don't think swaddling a small baby adversely effects them in any way.

why stop- if she isn't agitated, leave it alone- mine melts when she is swaddled and she is 4 1/2 mo old. I have a friend who swaddles at 9 mo. I think in time you can let arms get loose to wean her, but personally I think why fix it if it isn't broken (my little one has pretty much been sleeeping for 12-13 hrs at night since 6 weeks and I know swaddeling is part of it).

GOod luck-
M.

I stopped swaddling around 4 months. It is recommended to stop by this time so they can practice rolling over skills.

HI V.,

I swaddled both my kids and I've heard its good for them.
I would say swaddle till they resist it, or they can open it themselves. I would say around 4 months.
My son used to love swaddling and would not like it when I stopped swaddling him, so I bought one of those blanket sleepers. You know where you can zip it up - and its like both your legs can get in and it has sleeves. He loved that but he could still move.

hth!

I know this may sound weird, but my daughter now 11 was the same way.
I put her to sleep in her stroller. I would wheel it around the house for her to sleep. It was a tighter feeling for her. She had a bassinet also, but the stroller did the trick for a little while longer. After about 3.5 months the bassinet was just fine.
Good luck.
B.

V.,
we loved swaddling and used it for naps and night time until our son could break out of it on his own. At that point he was 7 months old. I was worried that he would have trouble sleeping without it, but that never was the case. Many moms who I spoke to also continued to swaddle for extended periods and even went to great lengths to insure that their child would stay swaddled through the night. My opinion is that when they are strong enough to wiggle out it is time to move on. good luck!

Hi V.,
I have a 4mo old, and we had tried not swaddling several times. (it gets old, having to do it if he is already asleep in your arms... sometimes waking him to swaddle...) Just a few weeks ago we started putting him in a sleep sack that has arms (for warmth) and he sleeps fine it that at night. During the day we still swaddle his upper body for naps. And our little one has started sleeping longer at night since we did this-- I don't know if it had any correlation or not, but he is also in another room b/c he would wake us up all the time breaking lose from the swaddle. Hope this helps!
And we used the 'swaddle me' wrap with velcro. But he still could get out of it! Now we use a longer blanket during the day.

We swaddled our daughter until she was 3.5 months old. We stopped because it began to hinder her sleep more than help. When she would wake up, she would try to get out of the swaddle and wake herself up entirely. I have friends who swaddled until 5 months. I think it all depends on the child. If she is still sleeping well, then don't mess with it! When we noticed that the swaddle was not working, we started to swaddle with one arm out, then two ect... The transition was pretty smooth. I have to say that she is a great sleeper and I think it has to do with the swaddle technique. The book, The Happiest Baby on the Block, explains in diagrams the different swaddles and also explains the theory behind it.
Hope this helps- Good Luck!

Hi V.-
Babies have a tendency to jolt while passing from one sleep cycle to the next which can cause short naps & bad sleep habbits. If your baby likes to be swaddled, then I think it is beneficial to keep swaddling until 7 or 9 months. My son didn't like to be swaddled & started kicking himself out of it by 3 weeks. Now we are dealing with short naps because he can't get back to sleep after the 'jolt'.
So, IMO keep swaddling!
HTH.

If you agree with the "4th Trimester" theory that Dr. Harvey Karp talks about in his book "Happiest Baby on the Block" then don't stop swaddling your 2 month old-- unless of course she seems to not care either way. Babies that young tend to still like the secure feeling of being wrapped up tight through their 3rd month & some even longer! If yours doesn't seem to care either way then sure, leave it be. But please don't let her cry through it; she's just way too small for that.

Sounds like you've already been given good advice. Let your baby tell you how long she wants to be swaddled. I guarantee that it becomes obviouse when she's done with it. I have two boys who both let me know when they were done with it, and now a two month old little girl who is still swaddled through the night only. She hates it during the day, but at night it helps her sleep. So trust in her and your own isntinct on this one. Have fun with your first baby!

Hi V.,
I swaddled my son until he was 6 months old...I would't stop swaddling her now because she is getting her much needed sleep. She will let you know when she is ready to not be wrapped up, her little arms will get free.
Jen A.

Okay, my son is 7 months and we are STILL swaddling his to sleep. Our room is right next to his and we have a moniter, so we make sure he doesn't roll over (never has rooled over swaddled) but that is the main danger I know about. I also know you don't want to leave them swaddled a lot during the day so they can move about.
I actually know we should stop swaddling him at night but I am dreading it as it is the only way he sleeps well!!

Hi there! We swaddled both our boys until the blankets didn't fit anymore (maybe 6-8 months?) Once they grow out of it, it gets easier to help them to sleep by holding their arms. Good luck!

My daughter is going on 6 months, and when she's really upset, I still swaddle her. I don't think it's something you ever have to stop unless you really want to. It isn't something that is unsafe and if it helps her sleep then why not stick with it? Swaddling just reminds them of being in the womb and is always a comfort. I'd say until she decides she doesn't like it anymore, just keep swaddling her - whatever will keep her happy.

I swaddled both my babies using miracle blankets and they were big babies and evetually they would get out of them by around 5 mos. After that I used Halo Sleep Sacks up until the the age they could get up and stand in the crib and that still gave them a cozy feeling.

When she breaks out of it is a good time. We did this with our son and it worked great. When he got too big we put him in tight jammies and tucked his blanket around him. When he was able to roll over, we kept the jammies but ditched the blanket. Good luck and congrats on your baby.