half-swaddling - is it worth it?

[olivo]

DD 11 weeks, has been swaddled from birth. it is the only way i can get her to settle at night. in the last few days, she has found her thmb and wriggles her way out of the swaddle to suck it, if she can. ihave tried her in a grobag, so allowing her to get to her thumb but she wouldn't settle at all. my friend has suggested a half swaddle, so her arms are out but her legs and body are still tightly wrapped - is this worth it, or is it just the same as a grobag?
any success stories would be most welcome!

Will be watching with interest, DD is 13 weeks and is now a master at breaking out of her swaddle, but refuses to settle any other way unless in a car seat

will report back if i find a solution......

My DD is 13 weeks, I've just started swaddling only one arm (and body/legs, obv), as its coming into summer here and will shortly be too hot to swaddle her (37 degrees today, and its spring!!!). I'm hoping I can wean her off it, because at the moment she setttles so much better when swaddled.

(PS, if they are breaking out, you need a Van Chi Super sized jersey wrap - I have 3 and they are SO good! )

astrophe, does it work with one arm in? i might try that tonight. she seems keen on sucking her left thumb so will leave that arm out. i have bought a next-size-up wrap already but it seems huge compared to the newborn one.

seems to work - I guess she feels cozy still. I don't think it woulkd work if I were swaddling to stop her startling, but she seems to have lost that reflex now i think, so I only swaddle because she seems to be settled by it.

The wraps we have go right around her body 3 times! I'd say try the bigger one you have, it might be just the thing to stop her breaking out!

i'm going to try the bigger one tonight. we left one arm out last night - she was able to be put down awake and settled herself to sleep with her thumb, but her startle reflex is still there so she kept waking herself up. i went back to full swaddle then in bed with me in the middle of the night!

I just wantd to report back, in the hope it may inspire someone! Did one arm out for a couple of nights so DD could suck her thumb. Two nights ago, i decided to be brave and leave both out, so just wrapping her below the arms - she slept from 10 till 5 . last night, i did the same again but popped her in a grobag as well as it was a bit chilly, and she slept from 11 till 6

was so worth it! we will do a couple more nights of this then i hope to lose the swaddle wrap.