swaddling baby - to swaddle or not to swaddle?

[cathncait]

Hi everyone
I wonder if you could give me some advice on this? My dd is 3 months old and in order to get her to sleep a decent amount of time we swaddle her up tight. She wakes up regularly if her arms 'get out'. Does anyone else do this? And will she grow out of this need as its getting harder to keep her wrapped up - she's getting quite strong. I'm worried that once she can wriggle out really quickly that we will have trouble getting her to sleep properly.
thanks

In hospitals thats usually what the routine is when they take care of newborns. The nurses always recommend it when you leave. I understand the concept that it reminds the newborn of being in the womb. I tried this with all my kids but always felt like they were feeling uncomfortable or something. They always looked like they could barely breathe but I know that wasnt the case. I think its just a mind thing with me. They never really slept swaddled or not.

Cathncait, I forgot to mention that most moms I do know only swaddled in the beginning when first coming home from the hospital. Remember the main reason for the swaddling is to give the newborn the closeness feeling of being in the womb.

Being a GF following mum I swaddled until about 3 months and then I 'half' swaddled ... wrapped DS up UNDER his arms - he wanted to have his arms free at this point ... until he was about 6 months and then I discovered sleeping bags!

I swaddled with ds until he was 3 months but then he started escaping (!) so I introduced a sleeping bag for the day naps. Once he was used to that I used it for the night.

Ditto Ghosty!

I used to swaddle my DS until he was about 2 months as this was the only way he would go to sleep. I then went on to a sleeping bag and he loved it straight away. Now at 4 months he kicks with joy when I zip him up and is a very contented little sleeper.

I used the same sleeping bag on DS1 who was a little bugger when it came to sleeping. I didn't get it till he was about 5 or 6 months but I found that it really helped him to settle too. I think they find them very cosy without being to restrictive. HTH

thanks everyone for the feedback. The sleeping bag idea sounds good but unfortunately I'm in Perth in Australia and we're just about to head into a hot summer! I have bought a few light cotton wraps but these are even harder to 'contain' dd. As soon as she gets her arms out of the swaddle she wacks herself in the head or pulls out her dummy and loses it and wakes up. Maybe I'll just have to get her used to having her arms free?

cathncait ... I had a two sleeping bags .. a thick one for winter and a light weight one for summer ... the summer one was no thicker than a sheet and it kept DS feeling like he was in bed IYKWIM ... He just wore a cotton vest underneath, but I suppose if it gets really hot your DD could wear just a nappy?

Why don't you try to Half swaddle her ... wrap her up tight UNDER her arms ... she will get used to it ...

Glad to hear you are near me ... well, sort of ... I am in Auckland!

Another good thing about sleeping bags is if you're staying away from home it gives them a feeling of security at bed time, plus you don't have to worry about hotels.appartment/relatives providing totally unsuitable bedding.

Cathncait, to echo what ghosty said, summer sleeping bags are great. We have very hot summer and still used them, just reduced what was worn under, to a nappy if necessary.

When we moved ds into big bed, he just carried on with his bag. Later we got him a thin duvet & he had both, then when he stopped moving round so much in his sleep we abandonned the bag (luckily just before he stopped wearing nappies, but this was just coincidence).

Why not carry on with his bag & put maybe just a sheet on him, or summer bag with duvet - that wouldn't be too warm.