To swaddle or not? Suggestions

bennyandthejets13

DS just turned 3 months and we have recently transitioned him into his crib in his own room this past weekend. We have always swaddled him with SwaddleMe blankets from the beginning and they've worked just fine keeping him snug. DS never really loved being swaddled he just kind of tolerated it and it did help him sleep at night (he's currently sleeping 5-6 hours at night). The problem now is he's recently discovered his hands and is always wanting to suck his thumbs/hands. Now he wakes up angry because he wants to suck his hands but he can't because of the swaddle and I worry because he tries so hard that I've even caught him with the swaddle over his face. To make things worse he's also starting to roll over too so now I'm extra worried of him either pulling his swaddle over his head or rolling over and suffocating in effort to get out. I've tried just swaddling him from the hands down but he still has the startle reflex which startles him awake a lot. So now I'm not sure what to do, he sleeps better and longer with being swaddled but he's starting to hate it without it the wakes himself all the time. Any suggestions on what else I could do or other blanket type things that can help him in this in between moment he's currently in?

VPGIRL06

I have her in the merlin sleep suit. she can get to her thumbs if she needs it, but doesn't roll in it.

Crequito

uncaripswife said:

I'd get rid of the swaddle.  Sucking on his hands may be one way that your DS learns to self soothe, and self soothing will help him sleep better in the long run.

 

This.  DD was constantly getting her hands out of the Halo swaddle sack so when I went to unswaddling she was fine.  She sucks on a finger to fall asleep and if she wakes up in the MOTN she can put herself back to sleep.  I've even noticed her stroking her own head - haha.

hattrk10

We started out with the Swaddle Me and had to get rid ot it when our daughter kept kicking out of it because she was too long/strong.  She always hated getting in it but it helped calm her down and she slept so much better.  We then moved to a Halo Sleep sack and swaddled her arms in that.  She got to a point where she would get her arms out but the swaddle was tight around her body so it never got up by her face.  She would wake herself up when she got her arms up and we would go reswaddle her (once a night).  Then it got to the point where she would get her arms out and not wake herself up.  For naps we started with swaddling one arm in and one out and once she was used to that we moved to both out.  Now she is sleeping with both arms out and I feel better in case she starts to roll over (3.5 months now).  We had been trying naps unswaddled the last couple of weeks with no luck and then all of a sudden last night she slept all night with no swaddle.

bennyandthejets13

Crequito said:

uncaripswife said:

I'd get rid of the swaddle.  Sucking on his hands may be one way that your DS learns to self soothe, and self soothing will help him sleep better in the long run.

 

This.  DD was constantly getting her hands out of the Halo swaddle sack so when I went to unswaddling she was fine.  She sucks on a finger to fall asleep and if she wakes up in the MOTN she can put herself back to sleep.  I've even noticed her stroking her own head - haha.

I tried not swaddling DS unfortunately he's not ready just yet to be unswaddled. I tried it last night and he still has the startle reflex and that kept waking him up every 5-10 minutes sometimes he'd soothe himself back to sleep most of the time he didn't. I bought the halo sleep sack and will try the one arm out tonight see if that helps him. Thanks for your advice and wish me luck!

bibby32714

We haven't been able to get rid of the swaddle yet either.  I have ordered Babyp Merlins Magic Sleepsuit.  Can't wait for it to get here and see if it helps.