swaddling trauma?

[onyxravnos]

so on another board today I mentioned that my ds (who was in the nicu for 1 month) HATES to have his shoulders arms, hands, or head covered. and if you try to pull a blanket up he will immediately wake up and freak out.

Upon thinking more about this I believe it is due to 'swaddling trauma' in the NICU....
Yes swaddling is great for most babies by ds never ever liked it. He also never liked to be held like a baby and preferred to be upright. I was in a consent battle with the nicu nurses about how tightly to swaddle him and as soon as he came home I unswaddled him and he was much better for it.


Anybody else notice this in their NICU babies? maybe I'm just overanalyizing but its been eating at me. so I wanted to see if anyone else has noticed similer things with their NICU babies.....

[CalliesMomma]

Callie always hated to be swaddled, so we didn't. She would always kick and thrash until the blanket was off of her. Even now, at almost 3 years old, she doesn't like to sleep with blankets or covers on her. She uses her blankie as a pillow.

[JessicaS]

My ds doesn't like to be swaddled, but he was under bili lights so spent his first two weeks naked.

[Knittin' in the Shade]

I don't think it necessarily has anything to do with the NICU, but some babes just hate swaddling. Of my 4 guys, two adored it and two didn't - one of my NICU guys was a swaddle lover, and the other a hater. So, I think it's more about babe's particular personality than a nicu-related event.

[Le Bec]

Erin loved being swaddled. If I didn't swaddle her she wouldn't sleep as well.

[irangel]

I think it's just the individual child, nothing to do with the NICU. All of the studies that have been done show the immense benefits of swaddling babies in the NICU to simulate the womb life they're missing out on. It's really astonishing to see what happens to babies that aren't swaddled firmly in the NICU and are left to wiggle around at their own will.

[DocsNemesis]

Kai likes to be swaddled, but likes his hands/arms free so he can stick them up by his head like he likes. He doesnt fight having them in the blanket yet, but they are always sticking his arms in and I could see him hating it as time goes on.

I know my first absolutely HATED swaddling and they did it in the NICU too. I never understood it because he would be fine, they'd swaddle him, then he'd start screaming until he got himself loose. (He was also full term and in one of those big open NICUs-I'm sure the teensy preemies really appreciated hearing my son screaming at the top of his lungs! lol)

[onyxravnos]

Originally Posted by DocsNemesis

Kai likes to be swaddled, but likes his hands/arms free so he can stick them up by his head like he likes. He doesnt fight having them in the blanket yet, but they are always sticking his arms in and I could see him hating it as time goes on.

(He was also full term and in one of those big open NICUs-I'm sure the teensy preemies really appreciated hearing my son screaming at the top of his lungs! lol)

Yeah mine was also full term I could totally see how premies would benefit... mine also liked to have his hands by his face...

[Amys1st]

Maggie my nicu graduate liked to be swaddled and loves to be all snuggled up now at 2 1/2. Liz my first and FT baby literally kicked off her swaddle at age 10 minutes old!! She still kicks off covers, likes to go almost naked etc at age 6. When she gets home after school she likes to take off her pants and walk around in her underpants and a shirt and always liked to do this. DH nick named her Lizzie long legs at age 18 mos and so when she does that she says "she is doing Lizzie long legs" and has said that since age two. I would change her diaper and go to put on her pants and she would say- I do Lizzie long legs! So it could be what each child likes.

[aris99]

I haven't read all the responses so I hope i'm not repeating what's been said but...I was wondering if this could also be partially a sensory issue? My youngest LOVED to be swaddled and now at 2.5 yo she loves to be wrapped and she gives (and likes to receive) the tightest hugs you could ever get from a 2 yo. She just loves that kind of sensory input. So I'm thinking it really just comes down to the child.

[DocsNemesis]

I agree that each child is different, but I dont understand why some nurses just insist on doing it, even when the baby obviously doesnt like it. It annoys the heck out of me!!

[momoftinyhayden]

Hayden is a swaddler hater, he absolutely hated being rapped up. He too was under the bili light for awhile and naked. We too faught with the nurses about swaddling him. He was rapped up like a baby boritto even while in the isolet which hmm kept him warm. One nurse swaddled him so tight with his hands up by his face that when we went to hold him I had to loosen the blanket because his finger were turning blue. I don't know why they insist on smushing the babies.
When Hayden had his blood transfusion that was kinda the happiest he had been because he was on the warmer, flat on his back completely naked.

Prior to that he was swaddled and placed on his tummy because it seemed to be the only position he didn't brady.

Now he's home he likes to lay against my chest with a blanket over his back. He doesn't want to be wrapped up tight, he likes his freedom

[accountclosed2]

DD (born at 39 wks, but quite small, though not in NICU) hated being restricted by anything. Already at hospital, she tried to claw herself out of the basinette thingy (so I kept her in bed with me), and kept kicking, so we've always kept her sleeping gown open at the bottom. Was swaddled once, at 2 weeks, screamed and kicked herself out of it in 2 min. Kicks of blankets, so we put them on when she is asleep. Kicks off her socks (just got her Bobux the shoes that stay on, and it takes her less than 30 sec to kick them off. Hates the carseat, dislikes being tied into the push-chair, couldn't stand being put in the sling until she was almost 3 months old. Oh, and she has always been upright, as a newborn she would sleep on our shoulders, but never in our arms. Since about 1 month she's been standing in out laps almost all the time!

[venustx]

My NICU babes loved being swaddled, but around 2 weeks, started grunting and moving until at least one arm was free. We still swaddle them, but leave their arms out and they are happy!