Advice for a squirmer?

KLJ3

We haven't swaddled C for about 2 months, mostly because he fought the swaddle constantly and was getting too hot.  We've tried it on a couple occasions since, and he made it VERY clear that there was no going back.  Luckily, he usually sleeps fairly well without the swaddle.

This week, however, C has been on the move.  At first, I'd go into his room in the morning and discover him at a different angle.  Then he'd start fussing in the MOTN because he'd be up against the crib rail.  Finally, last night, he almost did a full 360 degree rotation.  I checked him at 3am and he'd made a 180, and by 5am he'd almost made it back to where he started, except one leg had gotten stuck between the slats of the crib.  Technically, he STTN, but he was grunting so much during his travels that I kept waking up to see if he needed to be fed.

C is unable to roll unassisted at this point, but I have a feeling he will be soon.  How do I keep him more or less nailed down?  He'd sleep so much better if he wasn't squirming / whacking his head against the crib rail  / getting stuck!  (Read:  I would sleep better.)  We have the First Years Airflow sleep positioner, but it keeps him from resting his arms at his side and he gets too mad to sleep.  We basically just use it to keep him from rolling off the bed or couch when we have to run to the bathroom or something.

Thanks for any input!

kelly422

beaubecca said:

I commented in a post yesterday about someone advising us to try the boppy in the crib. So lay him on the boppy inside the crib so he will be both on an incline (my LO had reflux so this was good) and couldn't roll or rotate.
We didn't try it yet, but after 2 nights of sleeping in the crib, we might. E has slept soundly but he definitely rotates all night and ends up turned 180 degrees all the way down at the other end of the crib.

Sometimes my LO sinks down inside the boppy. I would be afraid her neck would kink too much making it hard for her to breathe if I let her sleep in the crib with the boppy... 

nbatchen

I don't really have any advice but my LO does the same thing! He had never just layed still since day 1. He however doesn't rotate or any thing but has dug a little baby shaped hole in the mattress! It is hard to see in the pic but here the sheets are wrinkled is his hole! I have to flip his mattress once every other week!

ksmama13

I have the same problem with DD.  She is always hitting her head against the crib or getting her feet stuck between the slats.  I had to elevate the mattress a little due to her having drainage, so I rolled up 2 blankets & put them under the sheet in the shape of a V.  This has helped a lot, although once in awhile she wiggles herself over the blankets.  Most of the time it keeps her in place, though.

kmcd23

T

kelly422 said:

beaubecca said:

I commented in a post yesterday about someone advising us to try the boppy in the crib. So lay him on the boppy inside the crib so he will be both on an incline (my LO had reflux so this was good) and couldn't roll or rotate.
We didn't try it yet, but after 2 nights of sleeping in the crib, we might. E has slept soundly but he definitely rotates all night and ends up turned 180 degrees all the way down at the other end of the crib.

Sometimes my LO sinks down inside the boppy. I would be afraid her neck would kink too much making it hard for her to breathe if I let her sleep in the crib with the boppy... 

Mine too. I use it to help keep him upright after feeding sometimes, but since he's a squirmer, I have to keep a close eye on him because he slides down and gets stuck in a funky position.

KLJ3

We used the Boppy a lot when C was smaller and had reflux issues. Now, he is too heavy for it! After a few minutes, he flattens the part he's laying on and then the sides fluff up around him. I'm too worried about him getting half rolled over and smushing his face into the sides.

If we prop him up higher in it, he ends up with his back arched and his head hanging upside down!

jayro10

I caution against using a boppy unsupervised, especially in a crib. My brother and SIL did that with my niece (she's now 3). One time when I was at their house they had her taking a nap in her crib in the boppy. She woke up and my brother asked me to go get her. She had slid down so far, her neck was bent at a weird angle, and both her arms were trapped underneath. She was too little at the time to be able to move herself. It was a scary sight. Thank god she cried out or who knows how long she would've been like that, or if she would've slid down even more.
The tag on the boppy specifically states not to allow babies to sleep on it.