Swaddling - WWYD?

[kemorr]

DD2 is 3.5 months old. She has been swaddled for sleep (naps and night-time) since birth. She started sleeping through the night (10-11 hours) at 10 weeks. However, at about 14 weeks she started to break out of the swaddle. We were using the Swaddle Me at that time, so we switched to the Miracle Blanket. The MB kept her contained for about 2 more weeks and then she started breaking out of that. So, she's now no longer STTN because she gets upset when she breaks out of the swaddle and we are going in 2-3 times per night to re-swaddle her. We've tried to have her sleep without the swaddle for 4 nights. The first night was a dream - STTN for 11 hours. The second, third and fourth nights were terrible, culminating in last night when she was waking up every hour on the hour, crying and needing us to go in to soothe her. She is flopping around like a fish out of water, waving her arms about, scratching her face etc. So, she still NEEDS to be swaddled (IMO) but is totally fighting the swaddle and waking herself up once she's out of it. I don't know what to do. Do I persist with trying to let her learn to sleep unswaddled (but I felt so bad for her last night), find another swaddle she can't get out of (any recs?) or just suck it up and go in 2-3 times a night to re-swaddle her until she's a little older and more equipped to sleep unswaddled? WWYD?

[Pine Tree]

Have you tried swaddling with one arm free? That really helped my DD because she needed her thumb, but still needed to be swaddled.

[TerpsFan]

My DD was swaddled until she was about 8 months old. After she grew out of the Miracle Blanket we switched to the large sized fleece Kiddopotomas (sp?) swaddle. I found the fleecy one was stronger and held better than the knit. She was able to break out of it but I found by that time she needed it more for the initial "going to sleep" period rather than the staying asleep.

[Wrighty26]

DS was swaddled for a long time. His transition out of it was VERY slow. We used the Ultimate Swaddling Blankets (basically like big receiving blankets) and that helped us make the transition slow. He decided that he didn't want his legs swaddled first, then his arms, and then his midsection (weird kid, I know). I think the suggestion of unswaddling one body part at a time is a good one.

[KristieW]

I was thinking of trying one of these: http://www.sleeppeapod.com/. DD has grown out of the Halo Sleepsack Swaddle that we've been using and loving since she came home from the hospital. Maybe that would work for you? Does anyone else know anything about them?

[mcgwigan]

When DS started doing that, I swaddled him with one arm free, which worked for a while and then I swaddled with both arms free. Sleeping wasn't so great during the transition, but it did help. He went back to sleeping well again when he was able to roll over and he started sleeping on his tummy..yes, very nerve wracking when he started doing that, but it worked!

[kemorr]

Kristie - I have never seen them before! That might just be the solution I need.

Terps - The large fleece Kiddopotomus was the one that she was breaking out of before I switched her to the Miracle Blanket, however I'm wondering if she was able to get out of it because it was too big at that stage, as I put her in it last night and she stayed put all night. Yay!

One arm out - I think this might be the solution for transitioning when we do. She doesn't have a lot of control of her arms yet, so I want to try to keep her swaddled fully for a while longer, I think. However, the slow transition sounds good and if she continues to break out, I will definitely try this.

So last night as I said above, I put her back in the large Swaddle Me. I really thought she'd break out because she had been breaking out of that one before I switched to the Miracle Blanket. However, she didn't, she stayed put all night (first time in weeks!) and slept great. I'm wondering if she was able to break out earlier because it was too big for her. Hopefully this will work for a while and then I can either start slowly transitioning her or try that peapod thing. I'm a little flummoxed by her, as DD1 (now 2.25) was unswaddled cold turkey (at 4.5 months) and did fine. I guess all babies are different and she was older.

[krbb]

kemorr - Here is what I did when DD broke out of the swaddle me. I took a receiving blanket and folded it in half (long ways) and half again. Then I laid it down in the swaddle me and then DD on top so there were two flaps of the blanket on each side of her. I swaddled her arms with the flaps like you do in the Miracle blanket. Then I fastened it. Here arms were more secure so she couldn't break out of it. I just stopped the swaddle cold turkey a few weeks ago when she didn't seem comfy in it. She was 7-months then.

[countrymouse]

DS is almost 5 months old and was swaddled in a Kiddapotomas (large) swaddle blanket until about 4 days ago. He stopped STTN and fought me every time I went in to re-swaddle him. He's also recently discovered his hands and seemed to want them free to suck on. The first night I didn't swaddle him (he slept in a sleep sack), he did great. He still woke up some, but his arms were always calmly by his side. I also started giving him a 'lovey' blanket to cuddle with, and he seems to like touching it and playing with it. He also seems to like having his hands free to explore around his crib before he falls asleep.

FWIW, the Kiddapotomas fleece was the only blanket he couldn't break out of until recently.

[jh124]

Big masking tape. Sometimes you just have to tape the kid in. A strip or two across the opening helped us when #1 began breaking out. He had to sleep swaddled, it was the only way. We were only able to break the swaddle habit when he started rolling and preferred to sleep on his tummy.

[KristieW]

Swaddling bands (http://www.mathildegirlgenius.com/Documentation/KASF2006/InfantOutfit.pdf)

Page 17/18. Hey, if I get that desperate. :D

[marteneym]

Another great swaddle option. 2 sizes for babies who need swaddle longer.

Snug n Tug (http://www.mypreciouskid.com/swaddle-blanket-sleep-sack.html)

[summerbride2005]

We used the swaddle me blanket for a LONG time. That is the only way DD would sleep through the night starting at 6 weeks old. When she would break out of it we would swaddle her tighter the next night. I had a friend that used 2 swaddle blankets to keep her baby from breaking free at night. DD started flipping to her tummy at night which let us know she was ready to break from it. I know it's frustrating when they break out of it and can't sleep through the night. It stressed me out a lot.