[newmum35]

I was just wondering if there was anyone who swaddled their baby and for how long, and how it worked for you with co-sleeping? Can you share any comments or suggestions?

Mine was swaddled in mini co-sleeper for his first 5 months (and for a few weeks in crib when he outgrew the co-sleeper), then he had a real hard time in the crib (because he LOVED being swaddled) - his arms woke him up easily, but I couldn't swaddle anymore because he was starting to be too mobile, so for safety reasons, we stopped swaddling.

He slept in crib for first part of the night, went back and forth frequently into my bed to nurse throughout the night..I think he woke up every hour, it was exhausting. eventually at some point we started co-sleeping (I believe around 5 or 6 months), for the 2nd half of the night (from the time I went to bed)

He's now almost 18 months, and sleeps his first 4 or 5 hours in the crib (he wakes about twice during that time to nurse) and then I go to bed, where he sleeps the rest of the night with me (I usually go to bed on his 3rd wakeup) In the past the only way to get him to sleep in the crib was to put him there after he already fell asleep nursing (in my bed) but lately he's doing really well and after nursing, he is awake while I put him in crib (he even asked for it the other day, and I was amazed), and knows he is sleeping there! I am so thrilled I cannot even believe it. I have tried so many things in the past, all to no avail. (to get him to sleep in his crib, until I was tired enough to get to bed myself, with him)

Anyway, we're considering the possibility of another baby, and I'm remembering how wonderful swaddling helped him, but also remembering how he struggled with sleeping after he no longer had the swaddle to help him fall asleep! Also I was curious if any co-sleepers used swaddling (since mine swaddled before we actually started co-sleeping) - I was so afraid of SIDS I made sure NOT to co -sleep until I felt he was well past the age, or at least the risk was decreased significantly. He was around 6 months I think, and I did it out of desperation, however, we have greatly enjoyed our time together since. And I'm no longer the sleep deprived mama I used to be for so long. (even though he still nurses around 4 or 5 times a night!)

anyone swaddle? why or why not?

And how do you co sleep with a young baby - I have read NOT to put baby between husband and yourself? What do you think about that?

 

[emamum]

i swaddled for the first week because it was the only way she would sleep, then she started getting annoyed and wanted to suck her thumb so i stopped ....swaddling really helped cos i was awake all night in labour and then she didnt sleep for 2 days, then i remembered swaddling and she slept for 3 hours which was bliss at the time lol

my breastfeeding councelor says baby should be on the out side of the bed not in between you and your partner but that most co sleeping mums sleep in the same position so that baby cant roll out of the bed (and i do sleep like that but theres only me and dd in the bed)

 

[Cartesia]

We swaddled and co-slept for first 4 months...actually, I have heard that co-sleeping decreases SIDS risk because co-sleepers tend wake more frequently and have lighter sleep, both of which help prevent SIDS....

anyhow, just started to unswaddle b/c LO is practicing rolling in his sleep and gets frustrated with the swaddle.

I would not have gotten any sleep if we hadn't swaddled for these months, though! He loved it. Plus it made positioning him for side-lying nursing really easy, I could just hold the tail of the swaddle to keep him angled right!

 

[KimPM]

Quote:

Originally Posted by newmum35 I was so afraid of SIDS I made sure NOT to co -sleep until I felt he was well past the age, or at least the risk was decreased significantly. He was around 6 months I think, and I did it out of desperation, however, we have greatly enjoyed our time together since. And how do you co sleep with a young baby - I have read NOT to put baby between husband and yourself? What do you think about that?

Actually the research shows that cosleeping greatly *reduces* the risk of SIDS. Instead, what cosleeping critics are worried about is cosleeping unsafely. The biggest dangers are from sleeping on the wrong surface (recliner or couch or waterbed), or getting stuck (between mattress and wall, or mattress and headboard) or suffocating under thick covers. As far as overlying, this problem occurs when the parent has taken drugs (sleep aids or recreational drugs or alcohol), or is morbidly obese, or again is on the wrong sleeping surface.

Make sure there are no gaps between mattress and wall, or mattress and headboard. Also, placing the mattress directly on the floor removes the issues associated with falling off the bed. Other safe co-sleeping thoughts include not having thick covers around or near the baby. This applies largely to the time when the baby can't move enough to get out from under them. But it's really not necessary to have thick covers on an older baby or toddler either. Another thing is not to have them sleeping near thick pillows. I need a thick pillow myself, but I always have my arm such that it's between the pillow and the baby. It's just the way I sleep.

Safe cosleepers suggest that you should not put a baby between mom & dad. We did this, but: 1) we only did this when DS was bigger, somewhere around 10 months old if I remember correctly and 2) DH is smaller and lighter than I am (and I'm not all that tall or heavy myself - slightly taller than average and lower BMI than average). Also 3) DH does not move around all that much in his sleep. Really it was more of a problem with DS moving around a lot in between us and not letting us get sleep. DS seemed to sleep better with just one of us in bed, not both.

 

[biochick]

I've swaddled all three of mine. My oldest was done around 2 mos, the middle child around 4 or 5 mos. I stopped swaddling both of them when I put them in their cribs and they didnt seem to miss it at all. I'm still swaddling my youngest at 4 months and think she'll be swaddled for a while longer, she just absolutely loves it.

The two older kids were in their cribs by 4 mos, they just seemed to do much better out of our room. My four month old starts is usually asleep by 7, I wake her around 11 for a dream feed and put her back in the papasan where she sleeps until around 2ish. I bring her into bed with me (still swaddled) where she eats on and off (mostly on) until I get up at 7.

She sleeps between dh and I. We have a king and dh just scoots all the way to the edge of his side and I stay on the edge of my side with dd snuggled up against me. Dh also sleeps a little lower on the bed and I'm closer to the headboard to ensure we don't have any issues with the blankets covering dd. If I get up before she does I just make sure there aren't any pillows or blankets around. She can roll over w/o the swaddle and I've only ever seen her roll to her side with the swaddle and it's usually only when she wants to nurse.