self soothing/ swaddling

MOMama987

LO sleeps swaddled; we used the miracle blanket for a while and are now back to swaddlemes...last night, he slept for a long stretch and while he woke up a few times, he went right back down with a pacifier.

I'm starting to think that if he could self soothe, he'd go back to sleep on his own maybe...but I'm thinking he'd need his hands free for that, right? Should we try to transition from the swaddle? LO is 3 months today. (Crazy!)

AllieAGame

I can't wait for the day that Little Snuffles can self-soothe. I think it will make a sleeping difference, but right now she still isn't totally aware of her hands/limbs, so shes not very consistent at actually getting the thumb/hand into her mouth, which ends up frustrating her and wakes her up. If your LO is really able to get the hand/thumb in his mouth consistently without pulling it out accidentally then I would totally go for the non-swaddle! Good luck!

abstar24

We do a half swaddle.....her lower half is swaddled, but her arms are free. She sleeps well like this. She is still learning toself-soothe, but once she gets better at it, it'll be very helpful so we don't have to keep putting her paci back in!

be888

We swaddle with an A & A muslin blanket. By the time our son wants to self-soothe, around 4:30 am every morning, he already has one hand out of the swaddle!

bumpuser3155624

If you are using a swaddleme you can always swaddle with hands up. Thay is what we do..our pedi recommended it at our first appt.

jedimindtrick

AllieAGame said:

I can't wait for the day that Little Snuffles can self-soothe. I think it will make a sleeping difference, but right now she still isn't totally aware of her hands/limbs, so shes not very consistent at actually getting the thumb/hand into her mouth, which ends up frustrating her and wakes her up. If your LO is really able to get the hand/thumb in his mouth consistently without pulling it out accidentally then I would totally go for the non-swaddle! Good luck!

Same thing here. He gets more frustrated trying to self soothe. I think in about a month when he has more hand control I will stop swaddling and see what happens. Right now it's faster if I put the paci back in

MOMama987

I think we might try hands up or hands free tonight. He doesn't mind the arms down swaddle, but he is still starting to suck on his hands more often.

jenb1205

AllisonO78 said:

I think we might try hands up or hands free tonight. He doesn't mind the arms down swaddle, but he is still starting to suck on his hands more often.

We're trying a loose blanket tonight for the first time... HOLD ME! On Monday night he got really mad when we put him in his Woombie so I figure it's probably about time to let him have his little hands at night. He's been in love with them lately.

wjv

I was thinking the same thing! Tommy is only 2 months old, but he seems to have found his hand and he takes the binky to go back to sleep.  I was wondering if I am keeping him from self soothing by swaddling him.  He sleeps pretty well though.  He only wakes up 1-2 times per night.  This is good compared to my older son so I don't know!

FmrAFBrat

We' be been switching back and forth from a waist down swaddle with our A&A muslin blankets and using the Summer Infant Sleep Sack. I'm thinking seriously about getting more of the sleep sacks because his arms stay free and he can't undo it.

MeeksandMads

So... Maybe I am just confused, but for the moms saying they "swaddle the lower half only"... From what I have read/ been told, that isn't swaddling. The entire point is having their hands in. Their legs can move around in the swaddles, and they need to for hip development. It is their hands that flail and wake them up at night. I just want to make sure I am not missing something. I don't doubt that a lot of babies enjoy having their arms out and his being kept in a nice cozy sleep sack, or blanket, but I don't think that is a "swaddle" by definition?

Karicomo

MrsMMalone said:

So... Maybe I am just confused, but for the moms saying they "swaddle the lower half only"... From what I have read/ been told, that isn't swaddling. The entire point is having their hands in. Their legs can move around in the swaddles, and they need to for hip development. It is their hands that flail and wake them up at night. I just want to make sure I am not missing something. I don't doubt that a lot of babies enjoy having their arms out and his being kept in a nice cozy sleep sack, or blanket, but I don't think that is a "swaddle" by definition?

I think those of us that "swaddle" the legs refer to it that way because u use the swaddlemes or whatever the choice brand just keeping the arms out. So u just wrap the fabric tight around the torso. Its just a way to explain what youre doing