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Parenting

How to stop swaddling

7 replies

Arcadie · 07/01/2011 18:36

DS2 is 9 months old and has pretty much only ever fallen asleep and stayed asleep if both of his arms are swaddled. Now he's getting bigger he can wriggle out of the swaddle which means that when he stirs in the night he won't resettle.
We've been cuddling, reswaddling and occasionally giving him a few ounces to get him back to sleep but it's starting to get a wee bit silly and he'll have wriggled free and be thrashing and waving his arms before we've even left the room.
Any hints and tips on how to adjust to non-swaddling?
Do we just leave him to cry/ thrash about until he wears himself out?
Should we just keep swaddling him?
TIA

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orienteerer · 07/01/2011 18:39

Move on to a Grobag, at least he'll stay warm even if he wriggles.

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Arcadie · 07/01/2011 20:20

Thank you! He has been in a sleeping bag as well but because he hasn't had his arms through it it gets a bit bunched up so it might go better now!

He's finally settled after a 10 mins screamthon, big chunder and then snuffled to sleep in my arms. I fear it may be a long night. And more advice welcome!

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orienteerer · 07/01/2011 20:51

Perhaps he wants to be able to move his arms now he's 9 months........? Just a thought?

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orienteerer · 07/01/2011 20:52

...a 10 min screamthon sounds normal in my rather out of date experienceGrin.

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AngelsfromtherealmsofgloryDog · 07/01/2011 21:00

I'd keep swaddling by hook or by crook until he doesn't want it any more.

Maybe try a bigger blanket? Depending on how big he is, and how tightly he likes his arms wrapped, a Woombie or a Peke Moe may be worth investigating (google for more info).

My DS was swaddled till about 5.5 months - I tried transitioning to a sleeping bag 3 times but he just struggled to go to sleep and woke up a ridiculous number of times. Then he started to scream when I went to swaddle him so I stopped - and he was amazingly able to go to sleep & stay asleep without it.

If you are going to stop swaddling, you could do so a bit at a time e.g. swaddle with hands tucked in (google 'Australian swaddle' for something like this), then one arm out, then both arms.

HTH

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TheSugarPlumFairy · 07/01/2011 22:03

what about something like this...

www.summerinfant.co.uk/categories_products_view.php?id=431

you can swaddle one arm and leave the other one free, then eventually move to leaving both free and the swaddle becomes a wearable blanket/sleeping bag.

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Arcadie · 08/01/2011 09:46

Thanks so much -

Orienteerer - he DOES want his arms out , he just doesn't know what to do with them, although last nigth was better.

Angels Thanks for a glimpse of a brighter, sleepier future. We also tried taking him out of the swaddle back in July and it nearly killed me how little sleep we got.

Sugarplum THAT is awesome... THANK YOU!

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