For those that don't swaddle...

spappy

This sounds really stupid.... but how do you get your LO to sleep? We swaddle and she sleeps great. But, I'm discovering that she won't sleep unless she's swaddled. So going out and running errands that are longer than 15 -20 minutes doesn't work, because she hates her carseat and won't fall asleep.  Any tips from someone who has swaddled and successfully stopped?

We're going on vacation in 2 months that involves a 10 hour car ride, so I'm really trying to get this figured out.

 

vmm0016

We didn't swaddle from the get go.  I have no tips but wanted to say cute baby!

spappy

Thanks! We didn't for the first 3 weeks, but she wouldn't sleep more than 30 minutes at a time. Someone suggested swaddling, so we tried it and she's been sleeping 8-10 hours at night since. I'm afraid to give it up, because I enjoy my sleep, but I also don't want her to have to wrapped up to sleep. She had a meltdown in Dillards yesterday and it wasn't even naptime. She decided she was tired and turned purple from screaming. Thankfully, I had a blanket, but putting her back in her carseat was terrible. =[

jarbatz

Honestly, if the swaddling is working, I would just go with it.  DD is starting to not like the swaddle but can't sleep w/o it.   Your DD may just grow out of it on her own, but there's no reason not to keep swaddling her if she likes it and it helps her sleep.   And just an FYI, the swaddleme sack by Kiddopatomus has a hole in the back for the carseat, so you could use that for the roadtrip and hopefully she'll sleep in the car!

kate1011

I don't swaddle, during the day he'll just fall asleep when he's tired.  At night we nurse and rock to sleep but then if he wakes up he'll usually just go back to sleep. 

BFab11

Like PP, we haven't swaddled since the beginning.  I've tried a couple times, but LO gets mad having his arms restrained, and I haven't noticed much of a difference swaddling just his lower half, so we just don't.  Plus, middle of the night diaper changes are easier when you don't have to unwrap and wrap a baby burrito every time.  

Have you tried a seahorse or noise machine of some sort? 

spappy

jarbatz:

Honestly, if the swaddling is working, I would just go with it.  DD is starting to not like the swaddle but can't sleep w/o it.   Your DD may just grow out of it on her own, but there's no reason not to keep swaddling her if she likes it and it helps her sleep.   And just an FYI, the swaddleme sack by Kiddopatomus has a hole in the back for the carseat, so you could use that for the roadtrip and hopefully she'll sleep in the car!

 

ohh that's awesome!! I'll have to look at that. That's really the main reason I was going to try and stop, so that would be perfect!! Thanks!

jmlushbough

There are also swaddling blankets that have velcro on them. We used to use them to swaddle just LO's upper half and leave his legs out. That would work in a car seat as well. We got them at Target -- they were in a two pack.

Like the PP said, if it's working, don't change it. Your LO will grow out of it at some point. She won't be heading off to camp needing to be swaddled. :-)

cajungirl0717

I don't swaddle anymore. We swaddled the first 2 weeks. Then LO became a super hudini (sp?) and always managed to get her arms out. She prefers to sleep with her arms up. She will cry if we try to keep them wrapped.

As far as the car ride, you shouldn't have them wrapped in the car seat I don't believe. My LO sleeps during car rides (I am from south louisiana-4 hour drive- and she does fine back and forth). She will wake up when she is hungry. You may want to take shorter trips before the big one to get her used to sitting in the seat.

spappy

cajungirl0717:

I don't swaddle anymore. We swaddled the first 2 weeks. Then LO became a super hudini (sp?) and always managed to get her arms out. She prefers to sleep with her arms up. She will cry if we try to keep them wrapped.

As far as the car ride, you shouldn't have them wrapped in the car seat I don't believe. My LO sleeps during car rides (I am from south louisiana-4 hour drive- and she does fine back and forth). She will wake up when she is hungry. You may want to take shorter trips before the big one to get her used to sitting in the seat.

Ok, maybe I'm being completely dense here, but why should I not wrap her in a swaddle made to go in the carsear? She would be strapped in exactly like normal, just with her arms swaddled. I'm not trying to be snarky, I'm really curious. As for car rides, trust me. I have tried and tried and tried. She screams. The whole way. She's happy for maybe 15 minutes. I've sat in theback with her. We've tried mirrors, toys, everything. She hates it. =[

spappy

cajungirl0717:

I don't swaddle anymore. We swaddled the first 2 weeks. Then LO became a super hudini (sp?) and always managed to get her arms out. She prefers to sleep with her arms up. She will cry if we try to keep them wrapped.

As far as the car ride, you shouldn't have them wrapped in the car seat I don't believe. My LO sleeps during car rides (I am from south louisiana-4 hour drive- and she does fine back and forth). She will wake up when she is hungry. You may want to take shorter trips before the big one to get her used to sitting in the seat.

Ok, maybe I'm being completely dense here, but why should I not wrap her in a swaddle made to go in the carsear? She would be strapped in exactly like normal, just with her arms swaddled. I'm not trying to be snarky, I'm really curious. As for car rides, trust me. I have tried and tried and tried. She screams. The whole way. She's happy for maybe 15 minutes. I've sat in theback with her. We've tried mirrors, toys, everything. She hates it. =[

lovvie

mine hates car rides too. It makes going places a little rough. Even if we have a good time while we are out I am mighty weary from listening to the screaming ALL THE WAY HOME. I have that swaddler. Maybe I'll try it in the car too!

KaitlynDC6

I've never understood how the it in the back of the swaddleme works in the carseat. Has anyone actually done it?

themrs830

We havent swaddled since being home from the hospital- most of the time. If DD is in a slightly hysterical mood (she works herself up and wont calm down to eat or sleep) then we'll use her swaddler and she calms down.

jarbatz

KaitlynDC6:

I've never understood how the it in the back of the swaddleme works in the carseat. Has anyone actually done it?

I have.  You can't get it as tight but it does the job.  You basically just lay the swaddle in the carseat.  You pull the sides under the shoulder straps and then the buckle part goes in the hole in the swaddle.  You get LO buckled in and then swaddle like you normally would.