Do you swaddle before or after LO falls asleep?

les&jus

My LO hates to be swaddled, but it is the only way she stays asleep, as she seems to like to rub her hands all over her face.  I have tried swaddling her after she has fallen asleep for the night, but often times she wakes up when I am doing so, this after it has already taken me maybe 30-45 minutes to get her down.  I sometimes swaddle her before she falls asleep, but she is very resistant and cries a lot.  I am wondering which is better and if I should teach her that swaddle means bedtime, or just spend 2 + hours trying to get her to sleep w/o it.

Dancer6978

Normally I do it afterward, BUT I have found recently that if he is crying, swaddling him and holding him can help him calm down because it keeps his uncontrollably flailing limbs secure.

Jessie0706

We swaddle before but keep her hands out 'cause she likes to explore them. Would tightly tucking the blanket around her work? Or maybe she wouldn't mind swaddling if her hands are free? (We put mittens on her when her nails aren't long enough to cut but long enough to scratch her face up.)

TarheelsInNJ

Before, it helps calm him down. We swaddle him anytime he's really fussy.

MrsPatterson

DS hated swaddling for a while, so we would just leave his arms free.  Keep trying to do the full swaddle, though, because one day we swaddled DS with his arms tucked in and he immediately settled down.

ladyjester

I do both.  If I know she's fussy because she's tired, I swaddle her and cradle hold her to calm her down.  If she falls asleep eating, I swaddle her before I put her down in her bed. 

I usually "double" swaddle her at night.  I use a receiving blanket to swaddle, then use a larger blanket to wrap around her to keep her from breaking the swaddle.  It is the only thing that allows the swaddle to last more than 5 minutes!  And she has been sleeping a lot longer at night when I do this.

WendyNC

Before.

She used to fight it more but now I think she takes it as a cue that it's time to sleep. 

Shmoopy_poo

Our babies have the same birthday : )

I swaddle DD tightly at night after she's sleeping.  Sometimes she wakes up while I'm swaddling and I just finish up and then hold her really close/tight and rock her back to sleep, usually takes about 30 seconds.   

les&jus

Jessie0706:

We swaddle before but keep her hands out 'cause she likes to explore them. Would tightly tucking the blanket around her work? Or maybe she wouldn't mind swaddling if her hands are free? (We put mittens on her when her nails aren't long enough to cut but long enough to scratch her face up.)

Yes, I think this is the method I am going to have to use.  She really does hate swaddling and only falls asleep after tiring from fighting her way out.  I guess I am just going to have to be patient!

mrsschwags

We swaddle for bed time.  She cries a lot while we do it but when we are done we pick her up, turn her face towards our body, and shhh loudly in her ear.  She immediately calms down.

 Take a peek at Happiest Baby on the Block for great calming tips.