Swaddling

Carolether

I just started swaddling my baby, now 6 weeks old, but I'm not sure how i feel about it. I'm a first time mom so everything is new. I have done tons of reading online but would love to hear what you guys have to say about swaddling and mainly your experience. Thanks!

TeeJ526

DaisyBlinks said:

What's the issue? Swaddling is the bee's knees. I swaddle the heck out of every baby in my care. 

I know one of the booklets that was in my hospital discharge packet stated that there are risks with swaddling such as an increased risk for SIDS becuae swaddling decreases arousal in newborns. It also mentioned an increase chance of overheating and suffocation risk if you use a swaddle blanket and the blanket becomes undone. I feel the benefits outweigh the risks though. I swaddle my LO using sleepsacks as long as she isn't too fussy. I've tried using the swaddles that wrap around with Velcro closures but somehow she wiggles around enough to roll over to her side or stomach which makes me antsy.

tbarker14

I swaddled my DD religiously since that's what she loved. But after 2 weeks she started to want her hands free.. so we swaddled her with her arms out. Which she loves.
Now she is 9 weeks old and we don't swaddle her fully... she only gets a partial swaddle. Only because this is what she prefers. Like pp said, go with what works best for your baby.

Carolether

Well, I don't have an issue with swaddling but I have heard that the baby can become addicted to being swaddled? Also, can you ladies help me out. My baby is 6 weeks old and still NOT sleeping through the night, she wakes me up every two hours to feed I believe, once in a while I will get lucky and she will sleep for 3 hours. I have started swaddling her like I said before and it does help specially during her naps at day time but it doesn't seem to help much during the night. 

leela02

Carolether said:

Well, I don't have an issue with swaddling but I have heard that the baby can become addicted to being swaddled? Also, can you ladies help me out. My baby is 6 weeks old and still NOT sleeping through the night, she wakes me up every two hours to feed I believe, once in a while I will get lucky and she will sleep for 3 hours. I have started swaddling her like I said before and it does help specially during her naps at day time but it doesn't seem to help much during the night. 

This is normal and usual behavior for the first few months! Some babies can sleep longer stretches but on average they need to eat every 2-3hrs round the clock because their stomachs are still tiny.

Carolether

Thank you all! Do you think i should run the white noise machine all night?

nilvero

My baby definitely wakes up when he is hungry or needs a diaper change, even if he is swaddled. As for over heating, just check what he is wearing underneath.

Like PPs have said, your baby not sleeping long stretches at that age is perfectly normal. Even now, my 3 month old will give me six hour stretches sometimes but other nights goes back to four. During growth spurts that's even more normal!