Swaddling

Lild09

Hi ladies!

Just wanting your opinions, thoughts, what you do etc

My little guy had the hardest time sleeping at night so we began to swaddle him, nurse him then put him down and he would give us nice 5-7 h max stretches at night. My midwife mentioned how recently studies suggest not to swaddle bc of dangers etc and encourage me to just swaddle his legs. So we tried. My poor DS had the worst sleep he has ever had waking between 1-3 h and yesterday he was soo grumpy, tired, fussy so we went back to swaddling him last night and boom we get a 5.5 h stretch. Ds is 7 w 2 d today.

Has anyone read these recent studies against swaddling? In my research I haven't seen anything outside of hip issues but I'm very confident in my technique his legs are always free to move in the swaddle.

Just wanting your opinions etc and wondering if any of you stil swaddle at night

spacepotatoes

We were told at our prenatal classes to swaddle with arms out and only for comfort, not for sleep. The nurses at the hospital, however, swaddled all of the babies arms in and put them down to sleep that way. We used to leave LO's arms out because she likes it better that way but now we do arms in. Her startle reflex is crazy so this saves everyone's sanity.

letal316

I am definitely pro-swaddle. DD was swaddled (arms in) from birth until this past week and she has been a fantastic sleeper (sleeping 6hrs at 3-1/2 weeks).

However, at some point I knew I'd have to stop swaddling her and more recently she got very squirmy, getting out of her swaddle a few times throughout the night and that was waking everyone up. So we started swaddling one arm out and then quickly went to both arms out and she has been great (sleeping 9hrs through the night). She still flails her little arms around but she seems to be getting used to them and they don't wake her up. We still swaddle her legs though. I just gauge her to see when she seems to be ready for each different phase, I'm sure it's different for every baby. My LO is 8wk4d.

manna1212

We were told to swaddle from the arm pits down.

usernewname

We never swaddled DS and the reflex barely bothers him anymore. But that was our personal choice as he preferred to move (he hated blankets at first).

Krisd6

We swaddled from the armpits down
The baby loves it- definitely helps with sleep!

LeeLee86

People have been swaddling for thousands of years bc it works. Not all babies need it but if yours does, do it! And don't feel guilty. I've heard the Halo sleep sack works for a lot of people and is certified as safe by the national hip displasia ppl. We've used the Velcro swaddle blankets from day one then she started breaking out of them. Now we use the Woombi and have the Halo for when she gets to 14lbs. She cannot sleep without it.
You know your baby best trust yourself

bossyferg

We didnt swaddle but it just seemed like he wanted to be free. I did with my first though. If swaddling becomes a nono then all those companies making swaddle wraps and blankets will need a change in marketing!

usernewname

bossyferg said:

We didnt swaddle but it just seemed like he wanted to be free. I did with my first though. If swaddling becomes a nono then all those companies making swaddle wraps and blankets will need a change in marketing!

Companies make baby things because people buy them. Some products have merit and purpose. Others not so much. However that's up to personal opinion and what works for families.

cbrust

We swaddle with the swaddleme from summer infant, arms in. It's the only way DD will sleep unless being held; we were told by our pedi to stop with the velcro type swaddles when she can roll over, and then to switch to a halo one with arms out.

Arinias

We were told in our class they no longer recommended swaddling because of some studies, but then the nurses swaddled him the whole week he was in the nicu. We swaddled him the first two weeks he was home,, but stopped because he was getting so mad his arms were in. He still sleeps great though.

cnbean

I've never heard anything about swaddling being bad (except the hip dyspalsia thing). I've swaddled both my boys from day 1 and have no regrets. They just sleep so much better. DS1 was swaddled until he was around 6 months, otherwise we would have had no sleep. 

yogasailmomma

jenna3878 said:

We swaddled legs only with a blanket up until the beginning of week 6 when DS started moving his hands more. He was smacking himself in the face and flailing whenever we put him down so for his sake and ours we started using the swaddleme with arms in. He's sleeping much easier and better at night. We will hopefully wean him off that again in a month or so and move to a sleep sack with arms out.

What are people's experiences with the halo swaddle sack? I like that he can move his legs more and that it's easy to transition but I've read reviews that the Velcro part around the arms can move up and cover their face if they get their hands under it... I like that the swaddleme is against his feet right now so he can't wiggle anything up but he just barely fits the s/m.

We just moved to the halo from the swaddleme. She is 12lbs and 23 inches. I have to make it pretty tight and make sure it's around her shoulders when I do it up otherwise it creeps up to her face. Washing it a couple times has helped. I really like the zipper for the MOTN changes. Super convenient.

lrmrtn

We swaddle DS with the summer infant and halo swaddle sacks. He wouldn't sleep otherwise.

Meg&Austin

Dd sleeps terrible if we dont swaddle. I havent been told otherwise. My hospital gave Mila to me after her first bath in a halp sleepsack swaddled and gave us a new one as we left the hospital.

jenb_99

We swaddled DS in the Summer Infant Swaddlepod till he outgrew it, about a month. DD, however, wouldn't tolerate swaddling past 5 days old, so we put her in a wearable blanket.

I wish we could swaddle.

Katzalia

DD wakes herself up with flailing arms, so she (and we) don't get much sleep if she's not swaddled. She won't tolerate the swaddleme velcro swaddles. We've just been using the aden+anais blanket to swaddle her, but keep it loose around the legs. She pretty much busts her legs free within a minute of swaddling, and prefers it that way, but calms dramatically when her arms are swaddled.

I think as long as it's tight enough that it can't ride up near or over her face, it should be safe.

Edited bc of clumsy fingers + iphone.

mcnava

I haven't tried this yet, but my Aunt got this for me.  It's supposed to be a good way to transition 

https://www.magicsleepsuit.com/