Moving from swaddle to grow bag.. HELP!

[RebeccaF1985]

Hi
My 13 week old DS recently started waking after getting out of his swaddle once or twice a night. We took this as an opportunity to move him to a grow bag and started by keeping his arms in.

5 nights later and he is waking every 3 hours. Prior to introducing the growbag he used to sleep 11:30pm -6/7am.

Have I moved him out of his swaddle too soon?
Should I put him back and try again in a few weeks or am I being impatient and should I expect interrupted sleep at the start?

Any advice to this first time mummy is appreciated!!

[beargrass]

Try these swaddles to transition

www.lovetodream.com/Products/Original and then...

www.lovetodream.com/Products/fiftyfifty for when he can roll over - you do one arm out for a week? Something like that, I remember

Worked well for us

[FATEdestiny]

We used a cot sheet as a swaddle.

As a transition I swaddled over the top of the baby in the sleeping bag. If she wriggle free, she didn't get cold

The next stage of the transition was baby in sleeping bag and cot sheet tucked in really tightly over baby.

I started this transition at about 4 months and we were just in a sleeping bag by about 6 months.

[Tabitha1983]

Stupid question Fate...but a cot sheet...u mean a large flat sheet for cot bed size?? I only have cot sheets with the elasticated edges to go round mattress so clearly that won't work! Going to have to buy something tho...
DS now 5months is still in woombie! (It's getting far too tight!)...trying at naps times to use a sleeping bag but failing miserably....either can't get him down at all as he constantly knocks dummy out and cries, or I hold hands down and dummy in until he falls asleep but then he naps for 10mins before waking himself up 😕
Tried Love to Dream swaddle that a friend lent me but doesn't seem to help much. X

[RebeccaF1985]

Exactly the same! Love to dream swaddle not helping at all.

My son goes down ok in it but wakes himself up as soon as he comes out of his light sleep.

Starting to think about reverting back to the swaddle and trying again in a few weeks?

[FATEdestiny]

Stupid question Fate...but a cot sheet...u mean a large flat sheet for cot bed size?

Yes, a flat sheet.

I cut one in half along the short edge to make two long, thin rectangles that I used as swaddles. But not cutting the sheet in half is ok if you don't want to ruin the sheet, it just means there's loads of extra material at the bottom.

When I was first time pregnant, I bought one of those cot bundle things (full of stuff that often have no practical use, just make the unused nursery look aesthetically pleasing!). It had coordinating cot bumpers, a cot quilt, flat sheet for under the quilt, fleece blanket and fitted sheet.

The only thing I used got the purpose it was intended was the fitted sheet with elastic around the ages for over the cot mattress. The quilt and blanket became floor blankets for rolling around on. The flat sheet became two swaddles and the bumpers were removed as soon as baby started using the cot.

Pointless purchase all-in-all. But I digress... Yes, just a flat cot-sized sheet. I bet you can buy them singly.

[FATEdestiny]

www.argos.co.uk/product/3768105

£7.99 for 2 plain white cotton cot sheets in Argos. They'll be available anywhere that does cot bedding though.

[beargrass]

If you have a longer bit left at the bottom, you can twist it and tuck it under the end of the mattress. I did this with mine, wrapping around when already in one of those swaddles (sorry to hear they're not working for others!) so baby couldn't kick upwards too much. May help...?

[eliolo]

I used a halo sleepsack which is like a sleeping bag with a swaddle type thing over the top so you can swaddle with arms in or out, my DD seems to like the extra bit round the chest being wrapped up more

[AprilShowers177]

I posted a similar question a week or so ago.. I persevered and now when he goes down I hold his arms down to prevent the startle. Sometimes he has them on his chest and other times about head- I go with what he wants.

He wears long sleeved bodysuit and 2.5 tog and is toasty.

[Tabitha1983]

Thanks all...some things to try
Like the idea of the sleeping bag with swaddle part across the chest...but is that just another thing I'll have to wean him out of?? He loves the woombie...they're great...but I'm sort of regretting letting him get too used to it as it appears he can't sleep out of it 😳
Tried nap time again this afternoon in Love to Dream swaddle and no joy....but maybe I just need to persevere?? Guess he can't stay swaddled forever 😂

[FATEdestiny]

What about sewing the arms holes up on a normal sleeping bag?

[NutellaCookie]

I would day persevere with love to dream.

DD (14 weeks) was swaddled but now in love to dream swaddle suit. For the first week or so we had to gently hold her hands down for her to drift off (otherwise she was rubbing her eyes / face repeatedly but not settling). 2 weeks in we only have to do it very occasionally. She self soothes now too my sucking her hand through the wing.

[Tabitha1983]

Sewing arms up is an ingenious idea Fate!! You should patent that quick and make yourself a fortune 😂

[Tabitha1983]

NutellaCookie that's the same with DS...rubs eyes continuously and keeps knocking dummy out...crying...dummy back in...repeat 😣 I've tried holding hands down but he just seems to work himself into such a state. I managed to get him down for a nap this afternoon in Love to Dream swaddle but if I'm honest it was because I fed him to sleep and then transferred him to cot...but he woke at 1st sleep cycle and that was it he was not for being resettled! X

[FATEdestiny]

Gro-Snug already covered the sleeping-bag-come-swaddle market. If you've not already bought a sleeping bag then this would be a good idea since they are no more expensive than normal grobags. But if you already have a slerpubg bag, sewing up the arms holes has exactly the same effect.

[NutellaCookie]

Tabitha frustrating isn't it? We used them for DS and never had any issues. DD seems more used to it now...daytime naps can be trying with the rubbing eyes / knocking out dummy thing. But if I take her out she is even worse. Flailing arms, rubbing eyes etc. Fingers crossed they get used to it (and fast).

[beargrass]

Mine now goes down in bag but with two muslins. She rubs them on her face, and this seems to send her to sleep. I wonder if this is to do with the love to dream 'wings' but it works. Muslins are lovely and soft, and they have been used to them since they were born for wiping up all baby messes, so maybe offer a muslin once they are out of swaddles? It is hard, I remember feeling gutted when mine had to give up the swaddle!

[beargrass]

Btw I think sewing up the armholes is genius. Would never have been thinking straight enough to come up with that!