Swaddle advice - am I creating a rod for my own back??

[crabby]

Just wondering if I am creating a future problem...!

My DD is 6 months old, 4.5 months as was born early. She was a swaddled baby until January and then we have been "weaning" her out of the swaddle which has been a battle.

She now always goes to sleep in her grobag but when she wakes up screaming I wait for a bit (up to 10 mins) and if she doesn't settle (which is most of the time) then I swaddle her. Within a few mins she is back to sleep. To be fair, most of the time she doesn't wake.

I am worried that I am just creating another bad sleep association - is this as bad as cuddling or rocking her to sleep?? Will she ever not NEED the swaddle to go to sleep??

Thank you!

no -if you're as bad then so am I .. fwiw I think they grow out of it and my view is they need sleep (as do you) more than they need

also at the moment (if its cold.they're teething etc) they need mummy comfort.

But do you use the swaddle as a get out of jail free card - ie instead of cuddling them back to sleep?

It seems with our DD to be quicker to get her back to sleep to swaddle and leave. I feel terrible and sit outside the room while she cries post swaddle, but within a minute or so (somtimes a bit more) she is out like a light. If I try and comfort her she is fine and then back to the abbdabbs when I put her back down without the swaddle. Hence concern about bad sleep associations.

bump...

Well, I don't know many 5 year olds who need a swaddle to sleep so I'd say if it works and you are all getting some sleep then just go with it!

Hi crabby

I wouldn't worry about using the swaddle if you think your DD still gets comfort from it. I swaddled DD until she was 7 months and she naturally gave it up of her own accord (ie was happily rolling around the cot in her sleep).

Not at all. Swaddling is not a 'bad' association. My ds2 was swaddled to one degree or another until he was over 6m (he was term). Being able to get out of the swaddle seemed to us an indication that he didn't need it. For a while I used to just fold a large muslin in half and wind it around him at upper arm level, over the sleeping bag. It was all he needed during the transition period when he started getting out of the swaddle.

Thank you all. I just felt bad as instead of doing nice mummy comforting, if she wakes up distressed in her grobag I just go in swaddle and retreat rather than doing nice mummy cuddles. But it works as you all say. And mummy cuddles do not seem to do the trick.

Mummy-cuddles are, sadly, a worse sleep-association, and much tougher to get rid off than swaddling.

i know candles.. am back to work next month so hoping nanny can fix it (that said it seems to be a daytime thing as once she is out at night she tends to sleep ok).

no. My dd came out of hers like a dream when she was ready. Around 5 -6 months I think.

My DS was swaddled until he was around 6 months when he went into a sleeping bag.
I really wouldnt worry about it they all grow out of it.

Quick question. We currently have two bantams which we thought were both girls - but due to the activities I caught them at this evening there may have been a chicken sexing error at the farm.

So we're thinking of replacing the boy and getting a couple more while we're at it so we're up to 4 girlies.

But my parents are worrying that the run isn't big enough for 4 of them.

Does anyone know the suggested amount of space per Bantam? Had a look on the internet and nothing seemed to answer this question.

Thanks

N

First of all at Nickymorris that me laugh. Suggest you repost on the Chicken Keepers thread!

To the OP - swaddling is great honestly. Use it until DD gets fed up of being trussed up which she will believe me. Make the most of a good, easy sleep solution for now.

Apologies for the message about the chickens - managed to paste that in and didn't realise - cann't delete it now!

What I was trying to post was that could you not start by swaddling your baby but letting one arm out, then two arms, then a loose swaddle and then into the grobag.

Thanks for all the advice. Wish I could help about the chickens ...

She as I say is fine in the grobag until she wakes up in the middle of the night and then the swaddle does the trick. So I shall continue to swaddle and relax.

Love the swaddle!!!

definitely agree with the others. there is NO problem with baby sleeping good because of swaddle!! some people swaddle over a year old! We only transitioned our boy due to him busting out all nigth and NOT settling... so we ended up getting a Peke Moe sleep sack which is for transitioning bubs from swaddling.. worked a dream for us... or try as the person above said, when you're wanting to transition, wrapping one arm at a time (do it for day naps first) ...

Crabby - my 18 wk old DS2 is still swaddled. Every couple of weeks i try him without it to see how he gets on, but it's always a didaster, so I plan to carry on as long as he needs it.

DH did make a comment about still swaddling when he's 16, but hey, if that's what it takes.......

And like yours, he's rubbish at being cuddled / soothed to sleep. Much less grief all round to swaddle, let him grumble for a momnent and then he's out like a light. Cuddling etc just drags the whole thing out longer nad he cries much more.

Pearlnz - what sort of size baby can fit into the peke moe? Mine is quite a chubby 6 months! Is she too big?