Swaddling

[EarthMamaToBe]

My 5 month old still needs to be swaddled for sleep (we use a woombie). Is there any problem associated with swaddling at his age?

[hakeber]

I would be surprised if there was...my first was swaddled well beyond that and I know of moms here saying they have swaddled into toddlerhood. If it helps baby sleep, it's a good thing. Even some grown ups much prefer to be tightly tucked into bed to sleep. To each their own.

[lalemma]

I just asked our ped this, and he said it's very common and totally fine. It'd be one thing if your baby were tightly wrapped 24 hours a day with no time to wiggle and kick, but for sleep, I can't see how it'd cause a problem.

[Llyra]

I swaddled my DD2 to sleep until she was crawling age, and DS until he was 15 MONTHS OLD. Anyway, they're preschoolers now and healthy and normal. So I can't see it caused them any problems. The only potential problem I see is if the swaddling is loose, and heavy enough to go up over baby's head. So make sure you swaddle securely, and use a fabric that's light and breathable.

[Sunday Moon]

My 8 month old is still swaddled when in his crib (we bedshare part time) and is developing on target with all of his milestones. He cannot sleep unswaddled (but in our bed he is sprawled out) and I'm at a loss as to how to break him of it. Apparently he needs it so we will keep doing it. So I think you are fine!

[tzs]

my super duper "mainstream" friends research everything, the husband is a phd in some neurology med school thingermajigger. inevitably most things i do outside of the norm get me an e-mail with a link to a medical paper/study to scare me straight (in fairness, they are not trying to pester me but rather defend their more mainstream choices)

aaaanyway.....lo and behold they researched the swaddling, we both have 6 month olds and still swaddle and the "official" medical word is that swaddling is beneficial to muscle development.

i don't know how....i'd expect a study to say that at best it didn't impair development...but nope, it helps muscle and gross motor development. who knew?

[pbjmama]

I swaddled my youngest until she was 8 or 9 months. She is now 2 and just fine!

[Elismommy]

These replies are super helpful.  We swaddled DS until 4 months, and just recently started again (at 8 months) because he is such a light sleeper.  Swaddling seems to do the trick, but I am nervous about eventually weaning him from it.  Did your babes just "phase out" of it, or was it a difficult transition?

[Knitting Mama]

Originally Posted by tzs 

my super duper "mainstream" friends research everything, the husband is a phd in some neurology med school thingermajigger. inevitably most things i do outside of the norm get me an e-mail with a link to a medical paper/study to scare me straight (in fairness, they are not trying to pester me but rather defend their more mainstream choices)

aaaanyway.....lo and behold they researched the swaddling, we both have 6 month olds and still swaddle and the "official" medical word is that swaddling is beneficial to muscle development.

i don't know how....i'd expect a study to say that at best it didn't impair development...but nope, it helps muscle and gross motor development. who knew?

We still swaddle at 9 months with a Woombie, so she can move her hands around but not so much that she wakes herself up. We're working towards freeing one arm in the near future.

My take on why swaddling is beneficial for muscle development is analogous to working out a few times a week. When you lift weights, you're not supposed to do it every day, because your muscles need a rest to grow stronger. I think it is the same for babies. I believe that swaddling helps them learn to relax their muscles at night so that they can grow stronger.

[SilverFish]

we are at 11 months and swaddle for nap times and night times. it doesn't help her sleep longer (well, she does generally sttn or at least in 4-6 hour stretches), but it does help her go to sleep faster. we weren't swaddling for a few months, but when she started getting really mobile (practicing crawling and such), it was taking SO long for her to wind down and fall asleep that i was losing my mind and ready to just shut her in her room and run away. with swaddling, i can nurse her and put her down within maybe 5-10 min. and i can even put her down slightly awake and she will just gently fall asleep on her own.

just being able to put her down drowsy and not have her up hanging off the bars of her bed within minutes is reason enough to keep swaddling until she's 10!! sometimes she doesn't need the swaddling for nap times anymore... but i think we are still both fairly dependent on the night-time swaddling. it doesn't really matter to me... people were going on about how i had to "break her from this habit or else!!" but who freaking cares? it's not like swaddling requires this big piece of apparatus to accomplish. it's no more a crutch than needing a thumb or paci or pillow or stuffed animal to sleep.

[bdoody11]

We swaddled DD#1 until she was 13 months. She is a normal preschooler with above average gross motor skills. DD#2 is still swaddled at 7 1/2 months and I don't see stopping anytime soon. In fact, I had lunch with a friend who has a DD around DD#2's age and she said she is going to start swaddling her DD again. She feels like she will sleep much better wrapped.

[Lauren31]

I would swaddle as long as they sleep better with it. DD let me know when she was done. She liked to be half swaddled now at 11.5 months.

[lrgs]

My almost 6 month old is still sleeping in a Woombie and probably will be until kindergarten. She does not do well when we try to just put her in a sleep sack, or even swaddle with one arm out........results in lots of screaming and when she's in a Woombie she almost always goes right to sleep....so Woombie it is! They are expensive so MIL made a pattern and is sewing a couple for us...just slightly larger then the one we have (Big Baby).

[mom-of-five]

I am a mom of five children ages 32 - 23, and now grandma to 4 grandsons and a grandaughter on the way!  I loved being a mom and was a stay-at-home mom for all of those years - what a privilege to love and shape those little lives!  They are all college graduates and married!  I'm so blessed! 

my thoughts on swaddling:  The Lord created a womb to safely carry babies UNTIL they were born.  At birth they enter the world and immediately begin moving/exploring/learning about the world around them.  Wrapping a baby snug for a the first few days after birth helps them make the transition.  Holding/cuddling a baby in a blanket is very natural, however, wrapping tightly to inhibit movement and laying them on their back has a paralyzing effect. 

Allowing them to sleep on their tummies with a light flannel blanket layed lightly over them up to the back of their neck lets them snuggle up into a cozy/natural position and any burps/gas will naturally come out.  Of course a swaddled baby will scream to be released - if you leave them there - they will eventually give up and know you will want to control their every movement - even sleeping. 

Right now is a good time to let them become independent in very small/natural ways - that's what the Lord intended.  When they are on their tummy for sleeping - they can push up enough even as a newborn to raise their head to move it from side to side which balances head shape and also develops muscle strength in their neck and shoulders.  They will learn to roll themselves over on their back all by themselves much sooner.  That's the natural way. 

I know there is so much hype about SIDS - I have extensively researched this and the data reveals that a baby rarely dies alone in his bed - it's usually when sleeping with others.  So no worries about tummy sleeping, bumper pads, light blankets.  Just make sure there is nothing bunching up around their face and you're good to go - and of course check in on them every 15 min or so as you are going about your daily activities.  No need to rely on a monitor - just walk into their room and don't miss this opportunity to put your hand lightly on their back to make sure they are breathing, and also to see their sweet little face too!  At night - when sleeping on their tummy - they can get out burps, if they need you - they will cry loud enough to get your attention. 

Enjoy mothering - don't overthink/overmanipulate your baby.  Think about how you would like to be treated in every situation and convert that to your little person's needs - they will be a happy baby and you will have a lot of time to enjoy them and other things too! 

Happy mothering!

[rhiandmoi]

Babies shouldn't be placed on their tummies to sleep,  they should be put back on their backs until they have the neck control and strength to roll over on their own. And cosleeping is safe in the right kinds of beds with safety precautions to prevent the baby from falling off the bed. Of course if the parents have conditions that impair their sleep they shouldn't co-sleep (sleep disorders, medication, etc), but it is totally safe for most families.

And of course, swaddling is one of those things that the baby will tell you when they're done with it.

[Evergreen]

[revvie]

I'm glad the co-sleeping and back-to-sleep issues have already been addressed.

Respectfully, if you have no proven research on which to base your opinion, you shouldn't be posting dangerous medical advice.

[North_Of_60]

Originally Posted by mom-of-five 

I am a mom of five children ages 32 - 23, and now grandma to 4 grandsons and a grandaughter on the way!  I loved being a mom and was a stay-at-home mom for all of those years - what a privilege to love and shape those little lives!  They are all college graduates and married!  I'm so blessed! 

my thoughts on swaddling:  The Lord created a womb to safely carry babies UNTIL they were born.  At birth they enter the world and immediately begin moving/exploring/learning about the world around them.  Wrapping a baby snug for a the first few days after birth helps them make the transition.  Holding/cuddling a baby in a blanket is very natural, however, wrapping tightly to inhibit movement and laying them on their back has a paralyzing effect. 

Allowing them to sleep on their tummies with a light flannel blanket layed lightly over them up to the back of their neck lets them snuggle up into a cozy/natural position and any burps/gas will naturally come out.  Of course a swaddled baby will scream to be released - if you leave them there - they will eventually give up and know you will want to control their every movement - even sleeping. 

Right now is a good time to let them become independent in very small/natural ways - that's what the Lord intended.  When they are on their tummy for sleeping - they can push up enough even as a newborn to raise their head to move it from side to side which balances head shape and also develops muscle strength in their neck and shoulders.  They will learn to roll themselves over on their back all by themselves much sooner.  That's the natural way. 

I know there is so much hype about SIDS - I have extensively researched this and the data reveals that a baby rarely dies alone in his bed - it's usually when sleeping with others.  So no worries about tummy sleeping, bumper pads, light blankets.  Just make sure there is nothing bunching up around their face and you're good to go - and of course check in on them every 15 min or so as you are going about your daily activities.  No need to rely on a monitor - just walk into their room and don't miss this opportunity to put your hand lightly on their back to make sure they are breathing, and also to see their sweet little face too!  At night - when sleeping on their tummy - they can get out burps, if they need you - they will cry loud enough to get your attention. 

Enjoy mothering - don't overthink/overmanipulate your baby.  Think about how you would like to be treated in every situation and convert that to your little person's needs - they will be a happy baby and you will have a lot of time to enjoy them and other things too! 

Happy mothering!

1.) Not everyone is a Christian. Therefore, not everyone will relate to reflections on what the Lord has created, or what the Lord intends. Personally, I don't believe that, so what the "Lord" intends is useless to me as far as parenting advice goes. And the implication that I am somehow doing something wrong because I choose to pull from a difference source is a little frustrating. There is, however, a spirituality forum and lots of tribes for Christian mama's who parent according to the Lord. Just a PSA from a different perspective.

2.) MDC and the majority of parenting philosophies discussed here are in keeping with a mother meeting the needs of her baby. Forcibly wrapping a baby tightly and leaving them to cry or struggle to the point of resigning themselves to a life of being controlled is not in the spirit of MDC. I think it's unlikely that anyone here would force a baby to sleep in a position other than what they think is the best and most comfortable for their individual baby.

3.) I am a supporter of the Back To Sleep campaign. Unlike your research, I have read absolutely nothing to suggest that tummy sleeping is as safe or safer than a baby sleeping on their back. Sure, it's a personal choice, but I'll be the one to stick my neck out and ask for some resources or links to your "research".

4.) Again, in keeping with the whole "meet your baby's needs" thing, I will vehemently argue that swaddling a baby who likes and/or needs to be swaddled in order to rest peacefully is NOT, in anyway, manipulative. Nor is it controlling. Have you ever seen a baby react negatively to being swaddled? You're not giving much credit to the moms here if you really believe we wouldn't be able to tell if swaddling our babies was somehow uncomfortable to them.

And finally, to answer the original question... no, there is nothing wrong or dangerous about swaddling a 5 month old. The only thing I would suggest is to be mindful of where their arms are. At that age it was more about keeping the flailing arms in than the legs, so I left them out. But just be careful not to bunch their wrists up or something.

I swaddled my daughter until she was 11.5 months old, and toward the end used the scarf technique a few times. She would even with the scarf with a big smile on her face. She also rolled over early, was pulling up before she crawled, and walked at 9.5 months old. I don't think I in anyway impeded her development! Nor did she suffer psychological damage from overly controlling or manipulative parenting.

Do what YOUR baby wants and needs. You'll know when it's time to stop.

[Cukup]

check in on them every 15 min or so

...and what about at night time when the mother is trying to sleep? By this theory you propose the poor mother is awake 24/7. No thanks.

that's what the Lord intended

Babies moving around and wriggling has nothing to do with the lord. That's called muscles and human biology.

If swaddling works, then it works. If a baby doesn't like it, he/she doesn't like it. Pretty simple.

[mom-of-five]

I suggested checking in on your little one every 15 minutes as you go about your daily activities - what a sweet time to see their little faces:-)  -  - - - of course both of you need sleep during the night, so after developing a pattern of daily tummy sleeping, they will be happy sleepers at night - and will definitely cry loud enough to get your attention if they need you in the night - so you wouldn't check on them every 15 minutes at night. 

Of course babies wiggling and moving around has everything to do with the Lord - he created their little bodies in the womb :-)  It is  muscles/biology - created by the Creator of our whole universe! - what an amazing thing! - hope you enjoy!

And sure - go ahead and swaddle your baby if you want to.  Just passing on "hands-on" information from someone who has raised 5.