Sleeping in the swing - when to worry??

[roadrunner]

Rachel is 8 weeks old, and pretty much only sleeps in her swing. Right from the beginning, she would only go to sleep if she was held and rocked, or in her carseat. Then we tried her in her swing, and she sleeps great, but only in the swing.

I usually manage to put her in her crib at around 10 or 11 each night (after shes in a deep sleep from the swing) and she will normally sleep in the crib until her next feeding, around 4 or 5. Then, it's back to the swing again for the rest of the night.

At what age should I be starting to really push her to sleep in her crib, or somewhere other than the swing?

I can't explain it, but I feel horrible that she spends so much time in the swing. But, I need to sleep as well, and we also have a 2.5 year old.

Anyone been through this? Any advice?

[cartersmommy]

my ds loved the swing too. we always tried the crib first, but if it came down to it, we would do the swing. at this age, i say whatever is letting her and YOU get rest, do it! it won't be long until he will sleep out of the swing. have you tried swaddling when you put her in the crib? that might make for a more secure feeling.

[cartersmommy]

i just remembered something else we did! ds wouldn't sleep in his crib right away, so to transition him, we would put his bouncer seat INSIDE his crib so he knew the crib was HIS and then eventually we didn't need that. have you tried the boucy seat?

[Franni]

We had DD in the swing for 4 months. She loved it. Before that, she had a brief stint in the car seat and about 1 day in her crib. After the fourth month, we started transitioning her out of it.

Swing sleeping is actually something that Dr. Harvey Karp talks about in his book and video, "Happiest Baby on the Block". This book worked wonders for us and we followed 4 out of 5 of his tips. Essentially his theory is that human babies are born "too early" in order for them to fit through the birth canal. Unlike animals who can stand, walk, eat solids and fend for themselves in the first few minutes of life, human babies take about 3 months to really develop coping mechanisms to help them with life outside the womb.

The swing is just one thing. His thought is that inside the womb, your baby was in constant motion, swung left to right and back and forth as you move through your day, snuggled close in the womb, surrounded by "noise" and warmth. All of a sudden at birth, your DC is expected to be happy in a stationary environment (the crib) that is huge amount of space given his previous residence.

This is just one expert's opinion and it's worked for us. I wouldn't worry about the swing at this point.

HTH

Edited to add:
I am having DD#2 in a few weeks and I know that to allow DD#1 to sleep, I will be using the swing extensively and am planning to buy a spare swing for the living room since the 2 girls will be sharing a bedroom.

[Scooter]

She's still so tiny at 8wks that it's not really something to be worrying about yet. Let her hit *minumum* 3 or 4 months before you get concerned about her sleep habits. Obviously she needs the swing to help soothe her at this point, and that's perfectly ok for her age.

At what age should I be starting to really push her to sleep in her crib, or somewhere other than the swing? That's totally up to the parents' discretion, there really is no age that you should be pushing her to sleep in a certain place. I think a lot of parents feel this pressure to make their babies sleep like miniature adults--in their own bed/crib and all night. And especially with newborns, that's just not usually how they're happiest & most comforted. You can leave her sleeping in the swing or bouncy seat etc as long as you want. My DD is 5.5 mos and has never slept in her crib. We're all fine with it, so it's not an issue.

[cari2]

My twin girls napped exclusively in their swings until they were 4 months old. They were ok with the crib at night, but could never settle down during the day without the swing. For us, we transitioned at 4 months because we felt that they had developed self-soothing techniques and we wanted them to learn how to nap in the crib. We also felt it was important that they not get too used to the swing as we didn't want them to get dependant on motion to sleep. They are both very good sleepers now so don't worry if you use the swing for a little while.

[tgal]

DD slept in her swing most of the time up until 4 months, then started transitioning on her own to the crib at around 4.5-5 months. We didn't force anything and we actually bought a 2nd traveling swing because we knew it would work for her when we took road trips.

[jennylou]

My DD will be 11 weeks old on Thursday and she almost is always in the swing to sleep. We have the cradle, papasan swing and she loves it. On Sunday night the batteries died. And I didn't have a back up set. I paid for it. She didn't truly go down to sleep until 1 am (as opposed to between her usual 9:30-10:30) and she was up twice more between 1 and 6:30. In the swing, she goes down between 9:30 and 10:30 and will sleep through the night - until between 6:30 and 8:30. It works, and I'm using it.

I'm going to start transitioning naps to the crib and see how it works out. But right now, I don't think we've ruined her. ;)

[roadrunner]

OK, now I don't feel like a horrible parent anymore :p . I was so concerned that we were just developing a horrible sleeping preference, and that it would come back to bite us big time!

I'm sooo glad to know that this is alright. DD#1 used the swing a bit, but was a crib sleeper from day one. They are so different, and I was sorta shocked that she sleeps in the swing so much.

Oh, and she's getting a big old bald spot on the back of her head from being in the swing to sleep. I guess that's no biggie either.

[Sophia]

DD1 slept almost exclusively in the swing until about 6 months or so. She'd take daytime naps in the swing, pNp, or crib, but all nighttime sleeping was in the swing. She did eventually transition to the crib for all nighttime sleeping and used it till she was about 2 1/2 years old. DD2 is the same way. She's 3 1/2 mo right now, and the swing is our best friend. I try to make sure she has at least one nap per day someplace other than the swing so it doesn't become the only place she'll sleep, but if she's having a bad day & doesn't go for it I don't worry about it.

Oddly enough, DS never had any sleep issues and would sleep pretty much anywhere I put him.

[tgal]

Oh, and she's getting a big old bald spot on the back of her head from being in the swing to sleep. I guess that's no biggie either.
This is totally normal for any baby sleeping on thier back.

[Sophia]

Oh, one thing I did to soften up the swing for DD was to take a couple soft blankets, fold them up, and slip them between the plastic seat shell and the fabric seat cover--it makes it a bit more padded but it's not loose.

All 3 of my kids have gotten the bald spot on the back of the head, regardless of where they slept. It's from being on their backs so much, as tgal said. I think a lot of it actually happens when they're awake and move their heads back and forth to look around.

[Soulmate]

Like the others DS slept in the swing until 16 weeks when he started weaning himself. He would scooch all the way down in his swing until he was practically laying flat and his legs were dangling. I figured that was his way of telling me he was ready to move to the crib and he was. I started out with putting him in the crib for naps and that quickly progressed to sleeping 100% of the time in there.

Oh, and she's getting a big old bald spot on the back of her head from being in the swing to sleep. I guess that's no biggie either. I will say that it can become a big deal. DS has a naturally flat head but it started to get really noticable. I bought him the Noggin Nest (http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/sr=1-1/qid=1161727599/ref=sr_1_1/602-1166616-1720622?ie=UTF8&asin=B00009K2YU)and one little flat spot on the side of his head (exclusively the result of sleeping in the swing) has gone away and his hair is growing back!

[Sophia]

Lili has the bald spot but she doesn't have a flat spot. I keep checking for that. The baldness is no biggie, but if you notice a flat spot forming that's a whole other issue and you should bring it to your ped's attention.

[maplekitty]

I'm not sure if there is another thread on weaning from teh swing?? if so could someone bump that up , or show me a link?

Anyways, DD is 5 months old and still sleeps in her swing. She had a brief stint where she slept in a craddle for a month or so until she got too big for it, then slept in her crib for maybe a few weeks, and then all of a sudden would not sleep in her crib anymore. Well now she's back in the swing the past month, but I know this can't last forever!! DOes anyone have any tips for weaning to the crib? I've tried putting her in her crib for naps but she just screams and screams and then i finally put her in the swing and she goes rigth to sleep!!!

[Sophia]

I feel your pain. Both my DDs have been swing sleepers, but either I can't remember how I got DD1 weaned from it, or DD2 is just being more difficult about it. I had managed to get her to start taking naps in her crib but then she got sick a few weeks ago and she hasn't napped in her crib since then. She's almost 8mo.

I think there may have been another thread. I'll see if I can find it.

ETA: Nope...I guess this was the one.

[jennylou]

Put her to sleep before you put her down.

I won't lie, it's not the best night of sleep anymore. DD doesn't really STTN anymore, but I am hopeful that one day she will again.

[maplekitty]

Put her to sleep before you put her down.

I won't lie, it's not the best night of sleep anymore. DD doesn't really STTN anymore, but I am hopeful that one day she will again.

but see, we've *just* accomplished her STTN through sleep training and she's great at putting herself to sleep drowsy but awake when we place her in the swing. If I do the same witht he crib it's hysterical screaming! :(
Maybe should we wait until she's STTN for atleast a month or more before we try and wean her to the crib?

[kindermom]

DD was a swing sleep until she was 5 or 6 months old. Around 4 months, I would try a few times a week at night to get her to sleep in the crib. Eventually one night she decided it was ok. In essence, my technique was to keep trying. If it does not not work tonight, try tomorrow, then the next night.

I also found DD was picky about her sleeping surfaces. So she slept on a thin quilt that tucked down the sides. It gave a little extra padding to her surface.

[mimieliza]

Subscribing and commiserating...

DD is four months old and pretty much exclusively sleeps in the swing. She'll only sleep in the crib if I put her down swaddled and completely asleep. She usually wakes up after about an hour in the crib, at which point I transfer her to the swing.

She also co-sleeps, but seems to sleep much less soundly, and wants to nurse all night. I usually get tired of being kicked and being a human pacifier and move her back to her swing at some point.

I wouldn't mind so much, except it makes travel difficult. We drag that damn Fisher Price cradle swing everywhere, and it takes up most of our trunk. I tried a travel swing when she was two months old, and it just didn't work. Maybe I should break it out and try it again.

We have a plane trip scheduled in June - I REALLY want her out of the swing by then, otherwise our vacation will be no fun at all! :o

[maplekitty]

thats what im worried about too!!! we'd lik to go visit curt's sister in ottawa and we can't exactly bring the FP papasan swing with us, LOL

what's this travel swing??? how small is it? where do you get it?

[mimieliza]

It's the Fisher Price Take Along Swing (http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4241536). We have the cheap version from Walmart (I think we paid about $40, although it's $32 on the website):

http://i.walmart.com/i/p/00/02/70/84/35/0002708435199_AV_500X500.jpg

It folds pretty small, and would be great for travel, but it only goes front and back, and Little Miss Princess likes the side-to-side motion of the full-size cradle swing. :)

[jennylou]

but see, we've *just* accomplished her STTN through sleep training and she's great at putting herself to sleep drowsy but awake when we place her in the swing. If I do the same witht he crib it's hysterical screaming! :(
Maybe should we wait until she's STTN for atleast a month or more before we try and wean her to the crib?

DD was STTN for about 2.5 months until I weaned her out of the swing. Honestly, I would wean her out of the swing before you sleep train her.

As for vacationing with a child who doesn't sleep in a crib (she sleeps in the cosleeper and in my bed if I fall asleep while nursing), well, she didn't enjoy the crib on vacation. But, she was sleeping great in the stroller, so that's where we'd start her out in. ;) We had the added movement of being on ship though.

[Sophia]

Anyone else noticing almost all the babies mentioned in this thread are girls?

ETA: I was a difficult baby, too. My parents used to have to drive me around Houston (on the expressway, not the surface streets) to get me to go to sleep. Almost every night.

[roadrunner]

Since I originally started this thread, I thought I'd update. Rachel is 6 months old now, and stopped sleeping in the swing a little over a month ago - so around 5 months.

We originally started at about 4 months having all naps in the swing. Then, I'd put her to bed in the swing at night, and once she was asleep, I'd get her up, burse her to keep her sleepy, and put her in the crib. Sometimes she would sleep for 3-4 hours in the crib, then back to the swing. Eventually, she was just able to go back to the crib after each waking/ feeding. Basically, I just kept trying, ever night, until she decided she was ready.

It seemed that once she was moving around a lot, she didn't want to be in the swing anymore. She likes to sleep on he side now.

Oh, and FWIW, she is not a STTN baby, and never has been. Even now, at 6 months, she gets up at least 2 times a night to nurse. She did sleep better in the swing, but it was because the rocking would put her back to sleep when she woke up, and in her crib she didn't know what to do. She has learned a bit of self-soothing over the past couple of months, and can put herself to sleep now. We have not sleep trained. I figure she will STTN when she is ready.

It sure was nice to get that big swing out of her room though!

[maplekitty]

Okay, starting tomorrow (new week and all) I'm going to start weaning her to the crib. I know its going to be hard, and the only thing I worry about is that every time I put her in there she cries and cries and cries and wont fall asleep. She's been so good about going down for a nap every 2 hours, that I'm rmost worried that by weaning her to the crib she's going to mess up her nap schedule completely and not get any naps in during the day :( UGH!!

[Mooshie]

Hi Moms,

What do you make of this? My DS is 4 months old. When he was about 6-7 wks old he started STTN in his swing (the Fisherprise Papasan Cradle Swing.) When we went for his 2 month WBV, our ped said that was not good, he could fall asleep in there but we should move him to the crib to acclimate him to the crib.

So we started doing that and he proceeded to wake up as often as every 3 hours but usually 1-2 times per night to eat. He only wakes up once he's in the crib but he goes back to sleep in the crib without a problem.

Now he has some nasal congestion so the ped said to try to prop him up a little at night. So last night we let him stay in the swing but we turned it off after a couple of hours - HE SLEPT FROM 9:15 TO 7:00 THIS MORNING STRAIGHT THROUGH!! Other factors: he sleeps in a blanket sleeper or sleep sack in his crib and seems to like spreading out his arms and legs in the big crib. In the swing we cover him with a blanket and tuck it around his legs - maybe this is cozier for him? But how could we do that safely in the crib?

Please let me know what you guys think!

Thanks!

[solongtogo]

well no adult I know sleeps in a swing, so you're not doomed to have a 12 year old child begging for a graco open top for his birthday. My dd would fall asleep in the swing and we'd move her, but we also had her swaddled up. Maybe you should try the swaddle...?

[jennylou]

sleeping in swing - when to worry (http://www.constantchatter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26170&highlight=swing)

HTHs!

[Mooshie]

Thanks! I'm just trying to get him to STTN in the crib the way he does in the swing. Hope springs eternal!

[Traciann]

been there...i know how you feel! dd would ony sleep being held or in the swing. after getting over my fears that dd would never sleep in her crib (thanks to those helpful parenting books) i just let her sleep in the swing. eventually she starting pulling up in the swing, so we moved her to the crib and did the cio method. she is a great sleeper now. we noticed after she was in her crib full time that she always sleeps on her belly. i wished i would have tried that when she was smaller...but i never considered it because they tell you not to.

[Soulmate]

DS slept in the swing due to reflux but he eventually told us when he was ready to move out by slouching down in the swing so much that he was sleeping flat anyway. The transition was painless. I agree with the others that there is no harm in letting them sleep in the swing and they will eventually transition out. I know when we were going through that I would have never believed it either but it happened. I agree that a swaddle will keep them warm and feeling snug. The Miracle Blanket is wonderful and BRU has some larger swaddle things as well.

ETA: There is another CCer whose DC slept in the swing until 6 mos, maybe more.

[Sophia]

DD is 9mo and still sleeping in the swing. I had started transitioning her to the crib for naps and it was going pretty well until she got sick and wouldn't sleep lying down anymore. That was a couple months ago. She's resisted all efforts to put her in the crib since then. Luckily she's on the small side so she still fits in the swing. My only concern is having her outgrow it before she's ready to ditch it.

DD1 was also a swing sleeper--she slept in it until 6 months (maybe a bit older--hard to remember because she's now almost 12yo), and for her the transition was easier when it finally happened. She started seeming unhappy in the swing so I started putting her in the crib and she was fine. DD2 isn't being the same way.

ETA: The efforts to wean her off the motion of the swing (by turning it off at night) are going ok, though. :)

[dollface]

Anyone have an input on the Amby Bed?

[cosmic]

So glad to see this thread. We are trying to transition DS from the swing (in our room) to the crib (in his room). Any suggestions? If you were successful, how'd you do it?
He's fine with us turning the swing off so he doesn't necessarily need the motion.

[Sophia]

Me again. :(

For those of you with young swing sleepers, trust me when I say, wean them off the swing now.

As most of you probably know, DD2 has always slept in the swing at night and for most naps (it started because of her reflux and just kept on). Aside from the fact she's almost 10mo and has already been in it longer than I thought she'd be (DD2 was also a swing sleeper but weaned off it earlier than this with no major problems), she's now getting too big for it and doesn't seem comfy anymore, so I really need to get her out of it. She had a growth spurt or something because all of a sudden she seems much longer and her legs dangled out more than they used to. So I'm trying to get her into the crib now.

Just a little while ago I fed her, she got very drowsy, and I put her in the crib, gave her one of her dollies that she always sleeps with, her usual blanket (I swaddled her loosely so she wouldn't feel "exposed" in the crib), turned on the rainforest soother, and waited to see if that would work (after Christmas this worked for a while, till she got a headcold and things went awry--and even before we got the soother she'd occasionally take naps in her crib and would fall asleep on her own in there). Nope. She totally wigged out, started crying really hard, and ended up vomiting all over herself. :( I didn't even mean for it to be an attempt at CIO, but after that I seriously doubt I'll be trying CIO.

After I finally calmed her down I put her in the swing and she fell right to sleep. :(

So any ideas on how to make her crib more like her swing? I think it's the nestled up feeling she likes. She seems to hate being flat (regardless of whether she's on her back, side, or tummy). I thought the swaddling might help, but it didn't seem to.

Also, any ideas on which sleep training method might help? I really don't want to try CIO--I don't think it'll work for her. She seems to be like DS was with the crying till she throws up thing.

ETA: She STTN great--she slept 10 hours last night. The problem is she'll only sleep in the swing.

[Lizard]

Sophia - We had reflux issues in the beginning and DD slept in the swing... to transition her to the crib, we put her car seat inside the crib and she slept in that for a while. That way she was in the space she'd sleep in, but still upright and snug. Is that a possibility?

[Sophia]

Liz, that's an idea.

I'm going to try something else first. I'm going to roll up a bedsheet and make a "donut" with it under her fitted crib sheet so she has a little nest to sleep in, and also prop her matress by putting a pillow under one end.

If that doesn't work I'll try the infant car seat inside the crib.

Things have gotten more serious. I heard her wake up from her nap so I went to get her out of the swing--she was sitting straight up in the swing even though I have the swing set to the flatter recline position! :eek: She'd pulled on the edge of the seat between her legs to sit up! Now I'm afraid she'll fall out or something. Good thing I have the straps set very snug.

[Mooshie]

Good luck Sophia! I'm really curious to hear how the sheet "donut" works - sounds like a good idea to me!

[Sophia]

We tried the "donut" for her afternoon nap. She cried for about 10 minutes (softly--not like this morning) and then was awake but calm for about 10 more minutes and then fell asleep for a little over an hour. :)

We're going to try the crib/donut again at bedtime. If she goes for it, fine, but we're not going to push it at bedtime for the time being. If she gets upset we'll move her to the swing. However, I'm going to start pushing the crib for naps starting tomorrow.

ETA: Here's a pic from this afternoon in he "donut"--no flash so it's grainy.



***She's almost 10mo--I would not use the donut/loose blanket if she were very young and unable to roll over and sit up, etc.

[Sophia]

DD2 slept in her crib for almost 3 hours last night. She woke up around 11 and I tried offering her a bottle but she didn't want it. I put her in the swing and she fell right to sleep.

The plan for today is naps in the crib, and we'll try the crib again at bedtime and see if she lasts longer than last night. She's a light sleeper and wakes during the night, so until she gets used to waking in the crib instead of the swing she'll probably have a hard time putting herself back to sleep.

Still, it went better than I thought it would. For one thing, shortly after DH put her down in the crib DD1 accidentally woke her up by closing her door too loudly. I was able to get her back to sleep in her crib instead of moving her to the swing.