Alternative to swaddle (once rolling)

[Ray24924]

Hello!

My 4mo is currently sleeping in zip up swaddle bags but I am wondering what alternatives can I use once he starts rolling? I don't think he's too far off and I want to be safe but he flings his arms so much during the night that without the swaddle bags he's constantly waking himself up and getting frustrated. We're also in the extreme head scratching stage so although we have mittens and fold over sleepsuits, swaddle bags seem to work the best.

Is there anything we can use to limit the flaying about once the rolling starts? Thanks :)

No answers I'm afraid, but keen to watch this thread since I have a 1 month old in swaddles and not sure what we would do without them!

Honestly, they will just learn to sleep without them as their startle reflex calms down. Some people start off doing 1 arm out but we just went for it and it wasn't as bad as I thought (DS was and still is at 3 a very wriggly sleeper).

For scratching @whenthelevee we used to put socks on DS' hands and then the fold over sleep suits over the top, they stayed on so much better than mitts!

I don't want to be alarmist but 4 months is quite old to still be swaddling. The risk with waiting until they roll over is that they could do it for the first time whilst you aren't there/are asleep and, if swaddled, can't push themselves back over or lift their head. Suffocations have happened this way. I've had 3 children and I just stopped at about 8 weeks. It was fine, honestly.

I stopped swaddling my 2 once they were able to free themselves from the straight-jacket tight swaddling I did. 😂
Then I switched to footed sleepers (onzies). I used a sleep sack with my first until able to roll, but didn't use one with my 2nd.

I nearly bought a weighted sleep suit for this very reason but they’re just not deemed safe , got a next to me cotbed instead and the extra room helped- at least the flailing arms didn’t hit sides!

I’d stop now with the swaddling and put him into a sleeping bag from tonight. 4 months is too old to swaddle because he will roll any day now and you really don’t want the first time to be in the crib overnight and then he’s stuck face down whilst you’re asleep and totally unaware. The moro (startle) reflex disappears between 3-4 months old so this should no longer be an issue. As for flailing his arms, that’s just a transition you need to ride out. Usually it’s a couple of iffy nights then they settle down. There isn’t a safe alternative unfortunately.

4mo is too old to swaddle. Sleep suit and sleep bag

Thanks for your replies :)

He is in a next 2 me and wears the sense-u baby monitor during all his sleeps (alarms go off if breathing stops/temp is too high or low) so assumed this was safe since he hasn't shown any signs of rolling just yet but will certainly take into account your comments and just try to ride it out! X

You need to unswaddle! Mine did the same, waking himself up by hitting his face with his hands. It took a few rough weeks but he got over it (although he was 12 weeks so much younger). We had no choice as he started rolling all of a sudden.

I think it will be better to do this now, before he is also rolling, as it will be less painful. My baby was dealing with rolling, unswaddling, smacking his face all at the same time which was painful.