Bugger this not swaddling thing...

[whoami24601]

I have two older DC. Both super sleepers from being absolutely tiny. Just had DC3 and find out swaddling is no longer a thing. So we persevere for 3 nights. 10+ wake ups and short feeds with minimal time between. No one has had any sleep! So last night I got out the old swaddle- down to 4 long feeds with long periods of being settled. Swaddling is the way to go!

I swaddled last year with my newborn, the midwife at the hospital showed us how! Was very shocked, after I'd stopped swaddling, to find that we're not even meant to do it anymore!

My DD was swaddled in hospital in April! - I still do it occasionally now to settle her 😕
Do I need to stop?

Swaddling was definitely a thing when I had DD last year! I swaddled her until 5 months. I will definitely be swaddling any future babies.

Plus she just looked like a cute, milky little grub.

Surely swaddling is still fine but you're supposed to have their arms across their chest and not tight around their hips (so they can still froggy leg)?

I'm still waiting for my first baby to arrive but that's what I've heard.

You’re fine to swaddle as long as you keep the hips loose, and you make sure you follow other safe sleep guidelines (not too hot etc).
No idea how anyone would get any sleep with a newborn otherwise! They’ve been used to being tightly held in your womb, swaddling is comfort.

Hi OP - my DC are babies no more so I hadn’t heard this about swaddling being a new no no .

I used products like these with mine and can’t see what the issue could be ?

https://www.mothercare.com/swaddles/summer-infant-swaddle-pod-0-0-2-months-2-pack---greywhite/998432.html

I am no expert but would imagine keeping their arms free while tiny would negate some of the benefits as wouldn’t they still startle awake easily ?

I also tried this when DC2 was a bit bigger but he wasn’t a good sleeper so can’t say I swore by it !!

https://www.jojomamanbebe.co.uk/love-to-dream-swaddle-b1687.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqPnzgdKt3gIV55PtCh2zcQA7EAQYASABEgIZPDD_BwE

Anyway there are loads of products etc out there so it must still be going on !
Maybe seek advice from health visitor if supportive ?

Good luck

Sorry totally misread PP and see arms were across chest not free !
Durr posting too early in the day !!

Swaddling is definitely still a thing, who said it wasn’t?

Newborn DD has a grosnug which is basically a swaddling sleeping bag as she’s too little for the normal sleeping bag. Keeps her arms in cosy but has room to move her legs. She loves it.

We swaddled DS in January as nothing else worked. It was my Mum that started it and we did it for a while.

It goes in and out - 20 years ago we were told don't, risk of cot death, 2 years later were told ok for first 2 weeks but no longer

My sister has just had her first and so is up on all the current guidelines better than me! They don't recommend it apparently for fear of overheating, but both my others were summer babies and I never found that an issue. I actually have a gro swaddle and some gro snug things that I was given but I haven't mastered putting him in the snugs (he gets angry if I swaddle him and he realises what's going on!)

I swaddled all 4 of my babies. All with the same very thin blanket. Then if they needed extra warmth, I put a little blanket over the top. They loved being swaddled and settled very easy in their baskets or cots.

As long as you're sensible and keep checking your baby isn't getting too hot then I think it's fine. But only if they like it. Some babies absolutely hate to be swaddled.

Just had my second and am swaddling him. Guidelines say to beware of overheating and select material of swaddle accordingly but definitely don't say not to swaddle.

My biggest regret with DC1 (nightmare sleeper until we sleep trained) was not persevering with swaddle in early days - I took signs of fidgeting as her not liking the swaddle when it was actually that I had swaddled too loose. This time I am using combination of Grosnug and Miracle Blanket and having much better results with getting baby down on their back

DD used to be in a swaddle (miracle blanket as she could wriggle out of everything else!), then sleepyhead with a little blanket, in a snuzpod next to me cot thing. Pre swaddle she would only ever settle in my arms. Cute but exhausting!

I swaddled both ds's. I'm not sure I agree with this current fad of not swaddling.

What's wrong with sleeping bags? Better for their hips

Had DS last year and neither he or I would have managed without the swaddle. He had such a strong startle reflex up until about 6 months - it would wake him up constantly unless swaddled. By about 6 months I worked out that propping him slightly on his side (in the sleepyhead) helped hugely so could finally get rid of the swaddle. People should always do what works for them and their baby - after all sleep is so precious for all!

DS was born at the beginning of the cot death campaigning and I was taught how to swaddle wrap him firmly in a cotton cellular blanket. They loosen if they wriggle a lot and get cross and cry, so they don't overheat. They didn't do that with DDs in SCBU, but they had hats and sleepsuits and plenty blankets and it was like the Bahamas in there. We swaddled at night when they came home - they hated any little draught.

DD was born in summer 2017 and was swaddled by the midwives in the hospital. We used the love to dream swaddle sack once we got home for ease and I couldn’t reccomend it enough. As long as you’re sensible, don’t do it too tightly and check they’re an ok temperature then I’d carry on as you are.

We were shown how to swaddle in the hospital and then our discharge sheet had DO NOT SWADDLE written all over it. So we stoppedz and our newborn kept waking herself up with flailing her legs and arms all over the shop. Wish I'd kept going with it in hindsight

What “fad of not swaddling”?? I have a 5.5mo and I know loads of people who swaddled their babies

1 feed overnight! I'm not saying the swaddle is magic, but...

Second the Grosnug, lovely cosy little sleeping bag with option for arms in or out but plenty of freedom for legs. It really helped our DD because startle reflex was waking her up but didn't need to worry about restricting hips or overheating (just followed Grobag temperature guide)