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| My daughter loves to be swaddled. She is going to be 6 months. We still kind of swaddle her, we just keep her arms out and leave it loose around her legs. Kind of like just rolling up in the blanket. |
| posted by Amanda on 09/12/2007 02:18 PM
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| we stopped around 3 months just because from day one he always found a way to get out of it and he seemed to like to sleep with his arms out and above his head...if you son is still enjoying it keep doing it but maybe dont swaddle as tight as you did when he was a newborn |
| posted by Amanda on 09/12/2007 03:04 PM
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This issue could not have come up at a better time! I, too, am struggling about the swaddling issue. My daughter is 15 weeks, and I swaddle her in one of those Miracle Blankets. (I'm not exaggerating when I say that it looks like a straightjacket!) Anyways, she has managed to Houdini a leg and/or an arm out of it sometime between the hours of 8:30 and 3:30. I have a concern about just swaddling her legs loosely: what if it becomes completely undone? Isn't it then like having a blanket (a no-no) in the crib with her? I'm also wondering the following: does a swaddle inhibit motor development? Should the little buggers be moving around the crib at night?
Ideas anyone? :) |
| posted by Tara on 09/12/2007 03:10 PM
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| Hi Tara, funny enough I am using the miracle blanket as well. I actually just got it this week. In the past I was using a receiving blanket, but Bradley was a Houdini as well and just kept getting out of them. The miracle blanket seems to be working i.e., he hasn't gotten any arms out yet. He's managed to kick his legs out, but that's ok. I agree that I'm not sure I want to wrap him too loose. The reason I got the miracle blanket (which was suggested to me on this site) was because I was concerned about him getting out of his blanket so often. However, I found more times than not the blanket wasn't going near is face rather he was wiggling up so it became more like a belt on him. I guess my concern is should he be able to move his arms about or since I'm only using it when he's sleeping it's ok because he has his waking time to practice his motor skills. |
| posted by Amy on 09/12/2007 06:00 PM
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| Hi Tara, funny enough I am using the miracle blanket as well. I actually just got it this week. In the past I was using a receiving blanket, but Bradley was a Houdini as well and just kept getting out of them. The miracle blanket seems to be working i.e., he hasn't gotten any arms out yet. He's managed to kick his legs out, but that's ok. I agree that I'm not sure I want to wrap him too loose. The reason I got the miracle blanket (which was suggested to me on this site) was because I was concerned about him getting out of his blanket so often. However, I found more times than not the blanket wasn't going near is face rather he was wiggling up so it became more like a belt on him. I guess my concern is should he be able to move his arms about or since I'm only using it when he's sleeping it's ok because he has his waking time to practice his motor skills. |
| posted by Amy on 09/12/2007 06:00 PM
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Hi Amy.
My son is now 5 1/2 months old. I stopped swaddling him at about 3 months ( I too used the Miracle Blanket which was great). My son loved being swaddled, but at the same time started to wiggle out of it so I thought that it was time to wean him off of it. It was difficult for about 3 days because he kept waking himself up with his arms flailing but he soon got used to it and was able to sleep well without being swaddled. I started off with rocking him to sleep and putting him down in the crib asleep. Of course he would eventually wake up and cry because his arms were going all over the place but like I said in about 3 to 4 days he learned to compensate and was able to sleep just fine. Keep in mind once your baby is no longer being swaddled he will be much more active in the crib. My son started rolling over soon after I stopped swaddling him. |
| posted by Leticia on 09/12/2007 06:51 PM
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| The problem I have heard about with swaddling too long is not about motor development, but about the ability to sleep without it. If you swaddle a baby too long, he grows so accustomed to it that he may have difficulty sleeping without it, and that can become a problem once he is mobile. I stopped swaddling when my son was able to get his arms out on his own. At that point I figured he would rather have his arms free. If you are concerned that he won't sleep well without being swaddled, I would reccommend giving it a try- at his age it would probably be no more than a couple days for him to get used to it. |
| posted by Marcia on 09/12/2007 07:16 PM
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| I really must thank you ladies for your input. You make a good case for weaning off now. I think I need to start thinking "long term" rather than "short term" -- although it's hard when you experience eight hours of blissful, glorious, uninterrupted shuteye. It's 7:45 now and my husband feels my pain, so he's agreed to take care of her so I can go to sleep. Since I'm getting the extra rest tonight, I just might go sans swaddle. Wish me luck! I'll let ya know how it goes! |
| posted by Tara on 09/12/2007 07:43 PM
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| We never swaddled Mackenzie's arms at night, because the hospital said not to. (it increases the risk of sids) |
| posted by Amanda on 09/12/2007 08:18 PM
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| HI Amanda, that's interesting that your hospital said not to. Both the hospital and his pedi recommend it and with his arms at his side. Now that we're getting into a better sleep pattern at night it's probably a good time to start to wean him off. I'll probably start with the naps and see how that goes. |
| posted by Amy on 09/13/2007 08:47 AM
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| my daughter hated being swaddled. i stopped doing it around 5 weeks |
| posted by Reannen on 09/13/2007 11:36 AM
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Oh my god I am still laughing at the "houdini" reference...it never crossed my mind...but it is sooo true...lol.
I have a 12 month old whom I swaddled until a little after 3 months. I no problem discontinuing it and didn't have an idea when to stop, until my MIL sugested it.
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| posted by sonia on 09/13/2007 05:20 PM
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| As long as your son likes to be swaddled, then I think you should keep doing it. From day 1 my son hated it and would squirm around until he got his arms out and his little fists up next to his face. As far as inhibiting motor skills, there's nothing to worry about. It's his bed time and if he wanted his arms out to reach for something he could take them out himself, believe me, my son has been since he was only a couple hours old. |
| posted by Amy on 09/17/2007 09:10 AM
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