First night unswaddled - please tell me it gets better

[Madaleinerw]

My LG is 5 months old next week and has been swaddled every night since birth. She would wake once or twice a night for a feed and then back off to sleep no problem.

However, she's on the verge of rolling so we decided it's time to stop swaddling and last night was a first night. IT WAS HORRENDOUS. She actually fell asleep much easier initially with a little cuddle but within 1.5 hours of transferring, she woke. She would only re settle having a cuddle which I don't mind usually if it's just 2 times a night but she ended up waking within 10 minutes of being transferred every time 🥴. The issue is her arms. She couldn't stop flailing them about and got sooooo frustrated!

Tell me it gets better and give me allllll your tips and tricks.

TIA

Give it a few days, could try a sleeping bag?

@ChittyBang1987

I'm definitely in that stage where you think omgggggg it'll never get better haha! She's in a sleeping bag. Arms are out though so I guess it doesn't help her in that sense.

It will get better. I promise. My lo was always swaddled. Some people do one arm in and one arm in until they get used to it. I personally opted to do it all in one go. There were a few rough nights (though I used to have a non sleeper anyway 😆)

My little boy was the same. He was in an arms up swaddle from a few weeks old but we tried a sleeping bag at 4ish months and he woke up about 10 times throughout the night when normally is was once or twice. This was due to having his arms free.

We got a transition swaddle which releases one arm at a time. Did one arm for a week and then both. He's now 5 months and sleeps in a sleeping bag with no flappy arms in the night.

@Rumples thank you for this. I needed to read that!
The first night is rough right!

So we do have the Tommee tippee swaddle bag where we can do one arm in and one out so maybe we'll do that tonight! Thanks again!

IT GETS BETTER. I never believed it would but my 5MO has just gone from a swaddle to sleep bag as she’s rolling now and all of a sudden she was just okay with it. The first night was a bit rough but I’m shocked at how well she adjusted. Good luck

Zippadeezip solves the problem. They can use them when rolling, can move about in them and they go up to age three!

@Madaleinerw hiya, how did unswaddling go for you in the end?

IT GETS BETTER. we had an awful couple of nights as we went cold turkey with the swaddle and then all of a sudden she was fine. We faffed on with the transition bags and I wish we hadn’t bothered tbh

good luck x

Sorry just realised was a few months ago. I hope you managed it without too much hassle

Seconding the zipadee zip, worked wonders with my DD!!

@Downbythebayy hiya, how old was your little one when you did this?

@thingymaboob sorry I’ve only just come back on here. She was about 4/5 months I think.