Help to stop swaddling

[croberts1208]

My baby loves her swaddle and sleeps very well in it. She's nearly 3 months old and last week we tried to stop swaddling. Every night she would fall asleep in a sleep bag and then hit herself numerous times in the face with her hands, causing herself to wake up. She obviously doesn't know she's doing it and can't work out whose hands are hitting her. Any advice on how to stop swaddling?

No advice but just wanted to share your pain! Nearly 5 months here and still swaddling 🙈

Help needed on this here too - 6 months and still swaddled (sort of in love to dream bag). Not rolling back to front yet but I know we need to stop and even with just one arm out keeps waking himself up!

Why stop? If she likes it and it’s helping her to sleep I’d be tempted to carry on. My little one was never swaddled as such but liked to be wrapped up snuggly but just outgrew it naturally. I knew it was time to stop when he woke and spent a lot of time trying to fight his arms out of the blanket.

3 months is still really young! I didn't stop swaddling till 5m when he learnt to roll and he'd gained control of his hands (he also had learnt how to bust out of the woombie). We went cold turkey, the first night was horrific, the second night less so and the third night fine.

Is there any reason you want to stop?

We weaned off swaddling around 5 months. Used a love to dream 50/50 transition bag and let out the least dominant arm first for a week then both arms for a week before moving into a sleeping bag. She's been in a sleeping bag ever since. We did try for a few weeks at 4 months but the sleep regression hit and we went back to swaddling just to get some sleep.

If your baby isn't rolling yet there's no harm in carrying on with what works until they have more control of their arms.

Agreed on no need to stop necessarily. I think the reason you're told to stop around 2-3 months is because if they are rolling (back to front obviously) and they don't have great head control, they face plant and there are concerns about suffocation BUT I'm not sure there is even research that supports that the risk there is real documented.

We swaddled DD until 5-6 months and I was TERRIFIED to stop, she was a great sleeper and I was so afraid she would wake up constantly. I bought a special swaddle bag where you can take one arm out and the other and tried it... and she literally did not care. Did not change her sleep habits even a little bit.

If your DC is having trouble without a swaddle, just crack on with it!

Anyone had any further success? We have been trying the gradual method and got one arm out the swaddle but sleep when they're both out still eludes us!!

Zero, we tried from 6pm to 10pm one night with no swaddle (only because she was sick so neither were clean) and she slept better for maybe around an hour and a half but then she woke and again kept hitting herself in the face and getting frustrated. The swaddle was clean and dry by 10pm so she was re-swaddled.

I swaddled DD until about 7 and a half months. Fortunately for us she didn't roll early. Had multiple unsuccessful attempts at doing the one arm out type approach. She would sleep ok for the first few hours and then the only thing that would get her back to sleep would be putting her arm back in. Also ended up going cold turkey with the swaddle and moved her into her own room at the same time. We ended up going for a controlled crying approach. Same as PP, first part of first night awful, but once was finally asleep then only woke once for a feed, second night much better and third night fine. And on the whole she has been a pretty good sleeper ever since considering how terrible she was as a newborn.

If there any more advice on this greatly appreciated. We've got a transition swaddle but as soon as she realises her arms can move they go up to her face and knock the dummy out causing her to wake 😩

I had my 8 week old in a grosnug swaddle sleeping bag from birth. I would have kept him in it longer but they only go up to 12lbs and it won't be long before he reaches that weight so I figured I would remove the swaddle earlier.

We did 3 nights with just one arm out and I just accepted that he was going to be a bit more restless and wakeful for those 3 nights. He wasn't actually as bad as I thought! So then on night 4 he went into a sleeping bag with both arms out (hands covered so that he doesn't scratch his face) and he's adapted brilliantly.

I did try one of those love to dream swaddle up sleeping bags when he was a few weeks old, but he just didn't take to it unfortunately.

Some terrible advice here about carrying on. You're supposed to stop swaddling at 8 weeks in case the baby rolls and can't get back over and suffocates.

We just did it cold turkey. It means a few sleepless nights but they get used to it.

I know this post is from a little while ago so don't know if you still need advice - but have you heard of the 'baby Merlin's magic sleepsuit'? It's like a padded, breathable sleep suit which muffles the startle reflex and all those flailing limbs and makes them feel snug and secure. I've found it so so useful - my DS was sleeping in my bed, waking every two hours and at 12 weeks I got him into a merlin suit and was able to move him into his crib and he started sleeping through! I'm sure it's not all attributable to the merlin but it definitely did help. It has to be shipped from the US which may be tricky at the moment but I'd look into it if I were you. They can sleep in it until they start rolling over at night, it's only safe for back sleeping.

@Gabbbbbbby I've looked online and it would take over a month to get here! Are you still using yours/ still have it?

Again any other advise would be appreciated. Or anyone know of a sleep bag or anything that babies can sleep in and can't reach their face?

Argh that's annoying. I've transitioned my DS out of his now so if you'd like to DM me (is that possible on Mumsnet??) I'm happy to send it to you.

@Gabbbbbbby if possible that would be perfect. I don't know how to private message on this though? Thank you so so so much!