12 week old - how will she ever sleep unswaddled?

[k80pie]

Hi there, DD is 12 weeks and has grown too big for her moses basket so we have set up the nuna Sena next to my bed for tonight. I’m feeling apprehensive that it might be a terrible few nights sleep while she gets used to it. She was waking three hourly through night anyway (with the odd long stint) but was swaddled, with blanket tightly tucked over her - however she now is too strong to be swaddled and breaks out of it. Her urge to suck her hands is very strong (and she won’t take a dummy) so I’m thinking she will have to start sleeping without a swaddle - however she wakes herself up constantly thrashing her arms around. Imagining her waking up every hour and us getting zero sleep!!!

My DS (nearly 5) took a dummy and I don’t remember this issue with him.

Anyone got any reassurance out there? I’m already so tired from the last twelve weeks…having to get her to nap so many times a day, and all the crying…having a small baby is so so hard!

Meant to say - I will put her in a sleeping bag, however obviously this means her arms are out and free to thrash!

I recommend love2dream arms up swaddle. My little one didn't have the urge to thrash around in these. However, some babies just aren't good sleepers no matter what you do/buy/plan. We didn't get to three hour stints until my toddler was over one.

Sound like she needs a zippy up swaddle she can't wriggle out of. If you can afford something like this they're good...

https://lovetodream.co.uk/products/swaddle-up-original-grey?sku=L10%2001%20001%20GR%20L&gclid=Cj0KCQiAP6dBhD1ARIsAAGI7HBqAYBP-nTUGbT3v-GTTl-rffnhyApNMjCs3USYAqOGJ6BTTXqPJMcaAqGaEALww_wcB

You can swaddle them until they start rolling. It can be a gradual process e.g. one arm out for a few nights, then the other one etc.

Oh god she lasted five minutes for this test run (evening nap). This doesn’t bode well. Crap.

The love to dream swaddle is brilliant, would also recommend!

I agree with the love2dream suggestions. My LO hated having her arms restricted when she was swaddled but slept great in the arms up one. Now she's 14 weeks and we have her in a grobag with her arms out and she sleeps fine

Meant to say - she’s on the verge of rolling - her brother rolled at 14 weeks. So investing in a new swaddle at this point is pointless. Her dad actually found she’d nearly rolled on her tummy this afternoon hence the decision to unswaddle. Sorry for drip feed - I’m so tired.

Hey @AverageJoan - does your baby take a dummy, or does she suck hands? Could this maybe improve over next two weeks?

She does both but doesn't sleep with dummy or suck hands over night. Can't say as my LO has always been a relatively good sleeper but having her arms out was something that definitely took a little getting used to (when she was smaller she would wake herself up hitting herself in the face) but she's definitely happier that way than she ever was with her arms swaddled down

@AverageJoan Okay cool, thank you. So how long would you say it took her to adjust and start sleeping okay with arms out? I just want to know there’s a chance it can happen over a few nights (and not last for weeks and weeks 😅)

It was definitely more like days than weeks ☺️

@k80pie I worried about this too and one night just did it - she's was 4 months. And it was fine! She rubbed her face a lot more overnight but it was fine! And her startle reflex was stronnnnnnnng! I also wondered how we would ever unswaddle!

Thanks @testy1997 ! Did you have a couple of terrible nights while she rubbed her face? Maybe I need to swaddle til four months. I’ve seen I noted that my son went unswaddled from 12 weeks but he had the dummy so no crazy urge to wake himself up with hands!

@k80pie she did rub her face but it never woke her up and then she eventually got used to her hands! I put the mit covers of her baby gro over her hands so she couldn't scratch! I do think unswaddling helped her roll and move around better as she was very potato-like before!