[mkksmom]

My 4.5 mo is still swaddled at night. We had worked our way to 1 arm out and had some good nights that way. We were even working up to both arms out for the first round of sleep. Then our power was out and we had to stay with my parents (no blower=no heat). She had trouble settling in a new environment, so I swaddled her completely and it helped. I went back to 1 arm at home, but she just hadn't been sleeping as well. I decided since we weren't sleeping anyhow to try a halo sleep sack instead of a swaddle. She had trouble getting to sleep. Usually by the time I am almost finished her bedtime routine, she is falling asleep. So I gave up and swaddled her with 1 arm out. Still wouldn't settle, so I swaddled her up completely and night and snug and started over with the routine. story, lullaby and prayer and she went straight to sleep and slept for 8 hours straight again. I just swaddled her completely last night and she slept 6 hours.

Now I can't decide if I should try to stop swaddling or not. I was reading some posts that say babies even 10 months old may need it. I am wondering what happens if she rolls on to her belly while she is swaddled. She is in a crib right next to my bed, but she does wiggle around and I have no idea how she ends up spinning around because I sleep through it. When do you think parent's should stop swaddling? She has been happier during the day after sleeping so well, but I want her out of it before she is able to roll onto her belly.

 

[omelette]

I'm swaddling my son who is 4months and a week.
My son rolled over while swaddled yesterday for the first time and he was smiling away with his head up high; he was fully awake mind you.

My thought is that if it is helping her sleep then go for it.

 

[rzberrymom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by omelette My thought is that if it is helping her sleep then go for it.

Yes!

Plus, my understanding is that cultures around the world swaddle for quite a long time. I haven't understood the American belief in stopping right at 4 months, but maybe I'm missing something.

 

[Rivka5]

My son is a year old and I still swaddle him. He gets swaddled in a big muslin blanket for naps, and at night he wears one of those sleep sacks with the sleeves turned inside out to keep his arms in.

It helps him sleep and also helps our nursing relationship, because when he is sleepy he digs and pinches a lot with his fingers when he nurses and it's painful to me.

 

[trustedinstincts]

I would have to agree with the pp. If it's working for the both of you, keep doing it. After 4 months your little one should have enough control to be able to turn her head if she needs to

If she is on a crib mattress all the better as it is a flat sleep surface.

 

[Llyra]

I swaddled DS at night until he was a year old, and at naptime until

16 months. At that point he was in a Miracle Blanket with holes cut for his legs, with a large cotton afghan wrapped around that. He would sometimes roll on his belly, and then just turn his head to one side.

I would say that if it helps you and baby get enough sleep, do what works.

I asked my pediatrician about it when DS was nine months old, and she said "it's not like he's spending the whole day like that, right? If it was harming him, you'd see his development lagging, and it's not. Don't worry about it."

 

[SeekingJoy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rivka5 My son is a year old and I still swaddle him. He gets swaddled in a big muslin blanket for naps, and at night he wears one of those sleep sacks with the sleeves turned inside out to keep his arms in. It helps him sleep and also helps our nursing relationship, because when he is sleepy he digs and pinches a lot with his fingers when he nurses and it's painful to me.

DD is 2 and still "swaddles" (i.e. wraps a flannel receiving blanket around herself like a shawl and lovie) herself to finish our nighttime routine and go to sleep. Around 6 months she was still really swaddled and she also started rolling while swaddled, but she could roll both ways and free herself if needed. So, I just stopped worrying. It helped (and continues to help) her settle, so we have gone with it.

It has also really helped our evening/overnight nursing relationship. I have an umbilical hernia she likes to poke, which really hurts me.

When swaddled she doesn't do it.

 

[Mirrormonkey]

Wow! My son is 2 weeks old and will not sleep if he is swaddled! So I don't swaddle him anymore at all... My first was swaddled for months, to the point where family made fun of me for it. But my second hates it, I think it has to do with gas. I miss my little baby burrito.

 

[intrepidmother]

I started out swaddling and then I stopped b/c my dd kept wiggling free. I've started it up again at 5 months b/c it signals to her that it's time to sleep and she has started to respond really well to it. I'm not concerned about her rolling over- she seems to wiggle free long before that!

 

[mae14]

My second and third were swaddled until 10/11 months. They rolled over in the swaddle as well. They also slept in the bed beside me. It worked for us and my nights were more peaceful. Some friends commented on it and thought it was weird. I didn't care because I was a well rested momma

 

[mum23boyz]

i think if it's working then keep giogn.. we only did swaddle weaning when he started escaping constantly! and waking and needing to be rewrapped multipble times during hte night.. then we ended up getting a sleeper for swaddle weanign called a Pekemoe and it worekd great for us. good luck!