Baby won't sleep unswaddled!

AshleyDinKY

Ladies! My baby girl is 15 weeks and doing great. She is smiley, happy, and in love with her daddy. During the day, we can hardly get her to sleep in her crib. Don't get me wrong - she naps very well, but she has to be snuggled up with one of us if she is to get out her whole nap. At night, she is swaddled from about mid-stomach down (she has always hated her arms being wrapped up), and lays down around 7:30, then gets back up around 11:00 for one last bottle (until about 6). Our problem is that she won't sleep for more than an hour at night without being wrapped up. We have experimented, especially in the early morning (she usually goes back to sleep for a while after her 6 am bottle), but she doesn't feel comforted and startles easily without her swaddle, then kicks around until she wakes herself up. Considering we can't get her to sleep in her crib much during the day, we can't try unwrapping then, either. Any advise about either problem. Pretty soon it's going to get "dangerous" when she starts rolling around because her legs won't be free! I'm a little worried about the swaddle issue (I have a feeling we are in for some sleepless nights to u train her) and I know my hubby, who watches her 2-3 days a week would love to get more done during the day than snuggle with our baby all day (not that I mind at all!!), especially since he works from home. Thanks for any advice!

mdaugherty8

We just this week transitioned from swaddled in the rock n play to unswaddled in the crib. We asked our ped for any advice before hand and he just said we had to basically had to ride it out. So we took the plunge and just did it. It ended up working great for us and our baby had no problem. But you pretty much just have to stick it out until they get used to it. My husband (works 3-11pm) was prepared to take a week off to be home to help if it had been a rough transition.

NLB2009

We used the Merlin's Magic Sleep Suit to help with the transition.  It's been great so far.  Our LO is 21 weeks and we started it around 14 weeks, I think.  I do worry that it's out of the frying pan and into the fire, though, because eventually we'll have to transition out of that.  Our nanny has been doing naps without it and it's been going well so maybe there's hope.  

AshleyDinKY

Thanks for the advice, ladies.

burtonsbaby

We used the Merlin Sleepsuit as well and it was a lifesaver!

PrimRoseMama

AshleyDinKY said:

Ladies! My baby girl is 15 weeks and doing great. She is smiley, happy, and in love with her daddy. During the day, we can hardly get her to sleep in her crib. Don't get me wrong - she naps very well, but she has to be snuggled up with one of us if she is to get out her whole nap. At night, she is swaddled from about mid-stomach down (she has always hated her arms being wrapped up), and lays down around 7:30, then gets back up around 11:00 for one last bottle (until about 6). Our problem is that she won't sleep for more than an hour at night without being wrapped up. We have experimented, especially in the early morning (she usually goes back to sleep for a while after her 6 am bottle), but she doesn't feel comforted and startles easily without her swaddle, then kicks around until she wakes herself up. Considering we can't get her to sleep in her crib much during the day, we can't try unwrapping then, either. Any advise about either problem. Pretty soon it's going to get "dangerous" when she starts rolling around because her legs won't be free! I'm a little worried about the swaddle issue (I have a feeling we are in for some sleepless nights to u train her) and I know my hubby, who watches her 2-3 days a week would love to get more done during the day than snuggle with our baby all day (not that I mind at all!!), especially since he works from home. Thanks for any advice!

You can't "train her out" of a neurological reflex. The startle reflex is actually beyond her control, dear. Developmentally they do outgrow it, but swaddle until she starts rolling. Then she will be able to find a position that is comfortable after you put her to sleep on her back. Until then, if it isn't broken then don't attempt to fix it, IMHO.

Generally, I don't believe in Sleep Training before 6 months. I didn't sleep train at all. My Method is the Wait it Out and Meet their Needs method. The rest really does pass. Both of mine pretty much trained themselves and I didn't have to do much of anything. I still bed share with both, but that is because its a family preference.

mdaugherty8

Just curious AshleyD, where in KY do you live? I'm in KY also!