Swaddling and when and how to stop!

[Hungrypig]

DD is 12wks old and has been swaddled from birth, she likes it, in fact she likes it too much and now won't sleep without being swaddled.

This lunchtime my DH put her down in a grobag. She went to sleep for 45mins but I think as soon as she came into her light sleep woke up and went mental. Would only calm down when swaddled and is now sound asleep again.

Everyone seems to suggest that she should be out of a swaddle now but I can't seem to wean her off it. I am very reluctant as she has also started to sleep through the night and don't really want to go back to broken nights again.

Any advice about cracking a die-hard swaddlee greatfully rcvd!

Is there a reason why it's so important to stop swaddling now ? If it were me I'd be of the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" school of thought !

why do you want to stop swaddling?

I'm still swaddling a 6 mth old, albeit a lighter swaddle now.

NRR to stop except I feel I should do - DH and my parents seem to think DD should be in a gro-bag by now, never swaddled DS, just put him straight in a bag.
I'm using those Mothercare magicswaddle blankets and the packet says something along the lines of 'suitable up to 14wks'. The blanket design means arms in and quite straightjacket-like in function!

Serant, do you use a particular make of swaddle blanket or do you mean that you swaddle less tightly?

I just used a regular blanket and only stopped when he started unravelling himself immediately. they don't have much to comfort themselves with at that age so why take swaddling away? she'll soon let you know when she's grown out of it.

Ds2 was swaddled until 4 months old. At that point he happily moced to a sleeping bag. Just comtinue if ypur baby is happy

Oops awful typoing, sorry, have a throat infection. That is my excuse

hungrypig, I swaddled ds2 until at least 6 or 7 months, can't remember exactly. I do remember wondering if I'd ever be able to not do it though.

tbh he kind of outgrew it himself. as he got bigger and stronger and could move around more he used to break out of iut before morning and eventually he was just getting out and then sleeping perfectly ok, so I stopped.

carry on as long as you're happy wiht it I reckon

HP you could stop using the wings under her body and cross them over her folded arms on her tummy so a more natural position and after a week or 2 if she is still sleeping well then loosen the wrap a little more.

Other than that if she likes it then keep doing it, she will make it known when she wants more freedom.

I used the gro bag lighter swaddling blanket, initially, but a bit small now as hes 21lb!

I just use sheet or blanket depends on temp, and wrap him less tightly. He loves it and sleeps well.

We swaddled DD up to around 5-6 months. I did feel a bit worried that she was too old and wondered when we could stop. We stopped quite spontanously in the end, as she started to escape, and it hasn't been too much trouble. We went back a couple of nights but it didn't persist.