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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

8 wk old trouble sleeping at night...struggling against swaddle?

20 replies

babyox · 22/08/2006 18:23

Hello there. Have agreat DS who is 7 wks 3days - 12lbs. Generally all well and he's a happy little soul. He feeds well usually 7am, 10,(sometimes 12) 2, 5,6 during the day and has 3 naps - around 9am (for 1 hr) 12ish (for 2hrs) and again at 4 for an hr. he used to fight sleep during the day and get horribly overtired but now recgnise the cues and either take him for a walk or stroll him round the apartment to help him snooze. We put him to bed at 7ish...and he usually goes down without bother...settling til around 10.30 when we wake him for a bottle of breast milk. Until recently this worked and though he wld wake twice in the night for feeds he was reasonably settled in between. For the last 10 days he has been very un settled between midnight and 6am. Though not crying he's whinging, I can hear him frustratingly writhing in his swaddle...struggling against it until the point where he kicks out of it....then its either reswaddling/pacifier/feed.Trouble is when unswaddled he doesnt really settle and thrashes around everywhere. Dont think he's getting any real sleep...and neither am i. We thought it may be wind but i think he's now hating the confinement of the 'super swaddle' as DH calls it. It's like he cant live with it can't live without it...hate to see him so frustrated in the night and dont know wht to do...help please!!

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GIBSON9 · 22/08/2006 18:52

At lasy found someone with the same probelm, my little dd is also 7 wks old and after reading your pattern she is exactly the same, not crying just general fussing, my dd only goes back to sleep after i keep\ giving her milk, the only difference is my dd is not swaddled but in a sleeping bag.
Lets wait to see if anyone can give us advice.

MarsLady · 22/08/2006 18:56

Hmmm... now one of my mums had that. What she did was try not to offer a feed straight away. That is... if she knew that baby had been fed then it wasn't a hunger issue. Swaddles need to be rather tight so that they can't kick out of them.

Try not to juggle baby about when re-settling. Have you tried shushing them then putting them back to bed? The pick up put down method. Of course they are still rather young and sometimes they don't truly settle until they are 3 months.

Gently rub their backs to be sure that all the wind has been accounted for.

I'm sure wiser women will come by. You should look out for tiktok, mears and pupuce. Brilliant the 3 of them.

Sunnysideup · 22/08/2006 18:56

I'm sure someone cleverer than me will be along soon, but I do remember that we started to put our ds in a 'half' swaddle at about this stage (can't remember exactly to the week, sorry). But we started to leave his arms out, but still swaddle his body and legs. Wonder if this might make any difference to your DS? They still feel very secure but have their arms out to stop any feeling of being 'stuck!

liquidclocks · 22/08/2006 19:11

my DS was in exactly the same pattern as yours at the same age though he was FF. We started using a grobag around 7 weeks - he loved the freedom to move - we loved that he couldn't wriggle out! - worth a try? It was also at this age he learned to cry through his dummy so we were very mean and just stopped using it in the cot - though he still had it during the day.

I'd hope if you switched to a sleeping (gro) bag you'd see and improvement in the sleep but with regards to night feeding with BF hopefully one of the three musketeers will be along to help - or someone who knows more than me. Only thing I can say is it doesn't last forever and probably whatever you do or don't do he'll settle down soon.

Original poster

babyox · 22/08/2006 20:59

hi there

Sunnyside up - Have tried the half swaddle and he still wants to break free...
Liquid clocks - tried the 'gro bag' and after 2 hrs he wouldn't settle at all...so reverted to what DH refers to as the 'super swaddle'
marslady - the 'super swaddle' is so tight you'd think only houdini/david blane cld break free...but these days he manages!!
Shall maybe rub his back more during these periods to ensure it's not wind, only he's just constantly fussing.
I Dont BF when he wakes at these times and do try to shush him, though haven't been picking him up s shld tr that. have heard of people duct taping swaddles together...though if the swaddle is the problem that wld put him over the age. Am sure he will settle in a couple of weeks...just its currently driving me mad!

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Coolmama · 22/08/2006 21:06

have you tried the "half swaddle" but a little bit more loose - so still from under the arms, but not so tightly wrapped?

liquidclocks · 23/08/2006 13:44

Hi slight bump for hoping to get you some advice on night feeding!

Also to say it's a shame the grobag didn't work first time. I may be completely shot down here and it really depends on your parentig style what will work for you, but, sometimes you have to decide that you are mummy and you know what's best. If he's not sleeping well with the swaddle anyway I'd chuck it and persevere for 3/4 nights with a half swaddle or a gro-bag. He'll probably forget about the swaddle really quickly anyway and you will need to make the switch at some point. I'd be looking at it from the pointof view that if you're not winning either way you might as well at least have him in something he needs to get used to.

Sometimes babies just don't get the sleeping thing for a while - don't worry too much and try and sleep in the day when he does to keep your own energy levels up. (and eat properly )

mabel1973 · 23/08/2006 14:09

I would definately try again with a grobag if the swaddle isn't working. Also is he in a moses basket or large cot. We moved our DS in to his large cot at around 8 or 9 weeks - he hated that moses basket and really didn't settle well in it. He also settled much better in his own room. I know some people say keep them with you til 6 months, but sometimes the fact that you are there in the room with them is enough to disturb them.

Original poster

babyox · 01/09/2006 01:19

hello there.thankyou for all you responses and apologies for the delay..full on as you can imagine. Bought a bigger swaddling blanket that is harder for DS to kick out of and seems to be doing the trick...though he still tries to kick out of it as he goes off to sleep he's not as frustrated through the night and for the last 3 has gone through til 7am without a feed. Yeeehah! fingers crossed....shall defo try the gro bag agin if he gets fed up of this swaddle...i also thin he probably does hate his bassinet which is n our room..we currnetly use his 'big crib' to change him on and he always calms down in that room...just nt ready to have him in their yet...told DH October.. and thankyou again for all your advice

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curlew · 01/09/2006 01:54

He's only 7 weeks old - a lot of babies aren't settled into any sort of sleeping/eating pattern by then. I don't think you can really expect much in the way of routine so early.
I'm very ignorant about swaddling, but I know that my ds would have hated it. He hated to be wrapped up at all from day one - he liked to stretch out and still does - he's 5 and sleeps like a starfish. Is it supposed to be suitable for all babies? Is it possible that some might be alarmed by being so restricted? Particularly when they are just starting to be aware of their hands and feet? Or have I got the wrong end of the stick entirely?

clarepoplar · 01/09/2006 15:49

Hi Baby Ox,

Sounds like you are going where I have been with the swaddle thing. Half swaddling was the answer for us, Milly lasted another 2 months like that and I think it also made it easier for her to transition into gro bag. Have you tried the swaddle shawl? It's the only one i know of (and we tried a few) that can be used in the half swaddle - it worked for us.

PS, I'm new to this and haven't quite worked out the abbreviations - "DS", "PP" ??? Any clues gratefully received...

clarepoplar · 01/09/2006 16:12

OK, catching on slowing - BAL = Big Acronym List, just up there...

Original poster

babyox · 01/09/2006 19:50

Hi Clare poplar

Haven't found the abbreviation list myself yet...just catching on as we go. I love mumsnet!

curlew -On swaddling i am currently living in the states and they are big on swaddling here, meant to recreate the comfort and security of the womb in the early weeks months when they're flailing hands can startle them. Have to say it has worked for us and does soothe DS...i just wanted advice from others on when they may start disliking it...if indeed that was the case and it wasn't wind that's bothering him. I think babies naturally do grow out of it...and as he is kicking out of it now i imagine we'll make a transition to growbag soon...with a tight blanket across to still give him some sense of security. he is 9 weeks today and we have fallen into our own pattern...so thefore when that changes you do wonder why...and what can you do to help them. i agree you can't expect a rigid routine but certainly we all like a bit of structure Helps both of us...

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kiskidee · 01/09/2006 19:58

click to page 3 of this document for illustrations of how to swaddle.

the key is to have their arms straight at their sides when wrapping. any kink and they will find their way out.

the diamond shape of the blanket is very important as the cloth will be on a bias. you cannot overtighten a swaddle. believe me. i swaddled dd effectively till she was 8 months old. then put her in a grobag.

adath · 01/09/2006 21:13

What about swaddling him until he settles then loosening his arms when he is asleep.
It does sound like he needs the swaddled to go to sleep but when he is naturally moving in his sleep is finding it restricting.

kittywits · 01/09/2006 21:21

Babay ox have you everr heard of a cozy cocoon? there actually make them in the states. They are so so fab for swaddling and it is a cinch, you can't go wrong. They are basically stretchy cotton sacks that you put the baby in. No wrapping involved.
try this

kittywits · 01/09/2006 21:22

please excuse typos

eatyergreens · 01/09/2006 21:34

have you thought he might be a bit hot in the swaddle and therefore struggling as he tries to cool down?

I've swaddled DS2, now 9 weeks, in a muslin with huge success. I am also a fan of the long t-shirt pyjama thingies with elastic bottoms, which can be folded around their legs, but keep arms free to move

liquidclocks · 01/09/2006 21:56

Hi babyox - glad to hear things are going better, great news about the sleeping through! My DS was doing it at 8 wks too - felt like the luckiest mum alive!

btw you'll find a list of abbreviations in the green box at the top of this page - just click on 'acronym list' (under threads I'm watching) and you'll get the list popping up!

Original poster

babyox · 02/09/2006 17:08

hi liquid clocks- yes the sleeping now going well...only now feeding a problem! Am on the strand re- reflux and read your response. Dont know if its wind but hes totally changed his eating habits...now fusses and cries at the breast...though his first and last feed of the day is always calm....this all began around the same time as the 'sleep problem...but whilst that's improved his fussiness has piqued .....hhm anyhow thats one for the feeding strand isnt it!

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