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Sleep

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Original poster

De-swaddling help!

43 replies

TerrysNo2 · 10/02/2012 22:13

Hi all

DD is 13 weeks and has woken up twice this week with her arms out of the swaddle. DS did this at about the same time and we just swaddled him with one arm out and then both over the space of a week and he was fine but have tried DD with one arm out and she just wouldn't get to sleep (this was for her morning nap today, not tried it at night)

Can you tell me when and how you successfully de-swaddled?

I'm not sure whether to buy a new swaddle, if there is one that works or to persevere and maybe have a few nights disturbed??

Thanks!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

RillaBlythe · 10/02/2012 22:14

Interested. Still swaddling DD for nights at 21 weeks haven't tried her out of it - don't remember what we did with dd1.

Original poster

TerrysNo2 · 10/02/2012 22:24

What are you using so she doesn't escape?

OP posts:

HedleyLamarr · 10/02/2012 22:55

DS was swaddled from day one and always managed to work himself free. Not only that, the little sod used to turn onto his stomach. Even when he was propped on his side from both sides. I think we just gave up in the end and let him do things his way.

spenditwisely · 10/02/2012 22:57

Since when was binding your children up against their will legal?

spenditwisely · 10/02/2012 23:03

OK, OK, I'll get me coat...

TheBeanAndTheBee · 10/02/2012 23:07

I did the gradual deswaddle (one arm out, then both) with DD1, but like your LO it just didn't work with DD2. In the end we just went cold turkey, and moved her into a sleeping bag and she got used to it really quickly. In fact she slept much better in a sleeping bag than she ever did in a swaddle. Might be worth just gritting your teeth and abandoning the swaddle in one go?

spenditwisely · 10/02/2012 23:12

What is this swaddling business? Please don't tell me that swaddling has now become the latest baby craze.

HedleyLamarr · 10/02/2012 23:41

No Spendit it is nowt new. DS is now at uni working his nuts off trying for a 1st.

spenditwisely · 11/02/2012 00:16

But I thought swaddling was relegated to the last century - in the UK at least?

livealoha · 11/02/2012 00:25

My ds was swaddled at night until 6months! We finally decided to ween him off it (he was getting too chunky for his swaddling blanket) like others have said one arm at a time.
We used the kiddipottamos(?) swaddles from the US but have bought 'Summer' ones from tk max for dd

4madboys · 11/02/2012 00:36

i swaddled all of mine as tiny babies, they like it, its makes them feel secure and comforted. the boys all grew out of it by 3mthsish? but my dd is 14mths and STILL has to be swaddled to go to sleep! once she is asleep she works her way out of the swaddle and is fine but if i try and put her down witho ut swaddling her she wont sleep, she just cried and gets upset, as soon as i wrap her up she calms and falls asleep, she now crawls over to the sheet i swaddle her in and lies down with her arms by her sides ready to be swaddled and gives me a big grin when i swaddle her, she loves it!

i just use those flannelette cot sheets to swaddle my dd and when its hot a muslin cloth (big one)

RillaBlythe · 11/02/2012 08:44

We use those Grobag ones (only because we were given them by SIL) with DD2. With DD1 we used cot sheets.

Original poster

TerrysNo2 · 11/02/2012 09:21

spendit were you drunk or bored last night? I was off feeding DD so sorry I couldn't entertain you

Swaddling is awesome as its helped both mine sleep but deswaddling is a PITA!!

Think I will keep swaddling her for a bit longer and hope she can't escape if I do it really tight, maybe I should try the one arm out and total deswaddle once a week until it works? I thought as a 2nd time mum I would know everything sigh

OP posts:

4madboys · 11/02/2012 10:21

no terry you dont know everything, all babies are different, each one of my 5 has taught me something knew!

roz1982 · 11/02/2012 16:32

We stopped swaddling ds when he was about 5 weeks old, he de swaddled himself really...started spending the first ten minutes of sleepy time fighting his way out of it so we realised he just didn't want it anymore! We transferred him into one of those baby sleeping bag things and for a while took him longer to settle as waving liberated arms around but now he's used to it and is fine!

spenditwisely · 11/02/2012 21:10

I was a bit bored, but definitely sober. I am probably not the only person to think that swaddling is fairly barbaric unless you live in a country where the temperature regularly reaches minus 20.

spenditwisely · 11/02/2012 21:33

www.pediatricsdigest.mobi/content/120/4/e1097.full

4madboys · 11/02/2012 23:43

yes you have to be sure they dont overheat, but its simple you just dress them in a vest and nappy when its hot, at the moment dd wears nappy, short sleeved vest and a pair of cotton pj's she is then swaddled in a cotton cot sheet, so not hot at all, i tend to lay a blanket over her as well depending on temp, i wouldnt swaddle her all day its JUST for sleeping so when she first goes down at night (when she was little i had to re-swaddle int he night, when i went to bed) and for her nap i swaddle her to put her down, have tried not swaddling her but she wont go to sleep!

one cotton sheet that i lay her on, fold one side over her and tuck it in under her back with her arms by her sides (some babies like their arms folded over their chest) and then the other side comes slightly across on the top, not even all the way over her, so she isnt at risk of getting too hot. her shoulders etc are all uncovered and her feet stick out the bottom now.

its justa case of using your common sense so in the summer i swaddled her in only a nappy and a muslin sheet, often her legs are totally uncovered, its just her arms she likes to have down by her sides. if i dont swaddle her she cries, but she actually lays down on the sheet with her arms down ready and GRINS, she LOVES to be swaddled, how is that barbaric!

spenditwisely · 12/02/2012 00:04

The sense of touch is hugely important at that age, as is the ability to breathe deeply enough to cry and express themselves. They need to be able to move their bodies around at night and in the daytime. Why not just put them in a sleepsuit?

If all you're doing is tucking her in at night, that's not really swaddling. Crying is normal. She NEEDS to cry, she is a baby. It's about interaction, expression, communication, breathing muscles, etc. I think swaddling is dangerous at worst and unnecessary at best.

4madboys · 12/02/2012 00:11

i dont just tuck her in i wrap the sheet tightly around her and tuck it under her back, she lays on it, i fold it right over her, her arms donw by her sides, then tuck it right under her back, she would literally scream blue murder if i dont swaddle her and that with my rocking her cuddling her i wont leave her to cry herself to sleep, have never done that with any of my children at all, she LIKES being swaddled, always have done, most babies do, it makes them feel secure and comforted, of course you dont do it so tight that they cant breathe deeply! again common sense. my boys all grew out of it and went into grobags by 3 mtsh but dd wonts sleep in a grobag, she simply sees it as a cue for sleep and needs the lack of movement to help her relax and switch off. she interactions during the time she is awake and she would still cry if she wanted soemthing ie a cuddle in the night even if she is swaddled, being swaddled doesnt stop her communicating but its what she wants. like i said she lies down ready to be swaddled and gives me a big grin once she is and then she goes off to sleep quite happily. a baby or a child will let you know once they dont want to be swaddled either by wriggling out of it or crying and protesting etc done safely with care taken to avoid overheating its fine, obviously you wouldnt leave them swaddled all day its just for sleeping!

sickbint · 12/02/2012 00:35

I think it's cruel to breastfeed them, they could suffocate! Won't somebody please think of the children?!

spenditwisely · 12/02/2012 00:35

This is where I find it dangerous. You say that a baby will let you know once they don't want to be swaddled. The fact is that babies don't. They get used to what they need to get used to. In the early days they can't really protest that much, and they go along with what you think is right for them. You have developed a habit with your baby that she is used to hence she 'wants' to be swaddled.

The alternative is not about letting her cry herself to sleep, it's about setting up a good habit for her to get used to getting herself to sleep. It's a slow and gradual process involving separation and trust.

I'm not doubting your parenting here, you seem to know what you're doing etc, but I do think that if too many parents start thinking that swaddling is going to benefit their children it could lead to some serious problems.

sickbint · 12/02/2012 00:36

I swaddle my cats. I think they find it comforting.

spenditwisely · 12/02/2012 00:36

sickbint · 12/02/2012 00:38

The midwives in hospital always used to swaddle babies, not sure if they still do.

What I will say is that anything at all that helps your baby to sleep, and means they are not depriving of you of sleep (cos that makes you a bad tempered momma) has got to be good.

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