I am in unswaddling hell!

levans · December 2008

Ok, so we've swaddled DD since birth. If we didn't swaddle her, she would flail her arms around and wake herself up. So we decided to try to wean her off (cold turkey did not work) so we are swaddling her with one arm out (the arm that she usually wiggles loose anyway). Last night was a disaster. For some reason, she thinks when her arm is out that it's play time. I was up six times from 9:45-12:30 (I had to kind of pin her arm under my hand and shush her for 10 minutes the first time, then just held her hand for a minute or so the other five times). Then she woke at 3:10, 3:45, 4:25, 5:50, and 6:15. All I did was go in there and give her the paci and she fell right back to sleep.

Tell me this gets easier. I just want to break the swaddle habit.

TheMalleys · December 2008

Why? If she likes being swaddled let her. I swaddled DD till she was 8 months old, then she self weaned.

njwife1103 · December 2008

It does get easier, you just have to be patient. I unswaddled when my DS was about 4 1/2 months old. We went cold turkey. I started off during the day for naps not swaddling and about 2 weeks after that he was breaking out of his miracle blanet at night so I took that as a cue that he didn't want it anymore. On the 5th night of constant waking (each night got easier, my husband even slept on the floor for two nights) he went back to his 11-12 hours of sleeping. It just takes a little time.

levans · December 2008

TheMalleys:
Why? If she likes being swaddled let her. I swaddled DD till she was 8 months old, then she self weaned.

Becuase she keeps busting out of the SwaddleMe blanket (small and large) and waking up numerous times at night. So I figure, if she's busting out and waking up anyway, I might as well stop the swaddle habit.

levans · December 2008

njwife1103:
It does get easier, you just have to be patient. I unswaddled when my DS was about 4 1/2 months old. We went cold turkey. I started off during the day for naps not swaddling and about 2 weeks after that he was breaking out of his miracle blanet at night so I took that as a cue that he didn't want it anymore. On the 5th night of constant waking (each night got easier, my husband even slept on the floor for two nights) he went back to his 11-12 hours of sleeping. It just takes a little time.

We started with naps yesterday. She's doing better today but I'm sure tonight will be a repeat of last night. I guess we just have to be patient. Thanks.

Heidi Lanigan-Potter · December 2008

TheMalleys:
Why? If she likes being swaddled let her. I swaddled DD till she was 8 months old, then she self weaned.

We've decided to take this approach as well. As long as he's happy, we're happy.

PieDB · December 2008

I thought we'd be swaddling forever too...last week we went cold turkey when we started the Ferber method. DS has never slept so well! And we've discovered that he is a belly sleeper. Eventually your DD will be ready to go unswaddled.

GRKaters · December 2008

Hang in there! We weaned by starting with naps--one arm out for a week, then both--and then cold-turkey at bedtime. Until the bedtime unswaddling, though, we double-swaddled in a SwaddleMe and a thermal blanket on top of that. Held him much better than one would, and provided extra warmth (our bedrooms get cold). GL! It's so worth it to not have to swaddle anymore.