If you don't swaddle anymore...

CocoP2008

...how did you make the transition? I always swaddle my DD for naps and at night, but she's starting to get too long for the blanket and easily gets her legs out now. However, because she normally fights sleep, swaddling seems to help keep her asleep, especially for the transition from my arms to crib. If she's not swaddled, as soon as I take her away from my body, no matter how deep a sleep, she immediately starts stretching (head back, arms up over head) and is awake before I get her all the way down.

I'm wondering if there's any tricks/tips in stopping the swaddle but keeping her asleep when leaving my arms.

TIA!

jill_aitoro7

Your LO is still so young, so you might want to wait until she's old enough to have better control over her arm and leg movements. My LO was very reliant on swaddling, and we had a number of failed attempts to stop, but then when he was about 4 months old or so, he suddenly was fine with his arms out, and then a couple weeks later (when he started being able to roll) he transitioned fine to the sleep sak. We just had to wait until he was ready.

As for breaking out - our LO did this since day one; the miracle blanket worked for a while, but when he started breaking out of that, we switched to the woombie. There's no breaking out of that, and the slight stretch in the material actually allowed him to move his arms somewhat and (I think) get used to a little more freedom (ie, was a good transition before we stopped swaddling his arms). 

WonderWoman27

I never really swaddled my baby, but a trick that I do when I put DD down for her nap or bed time is I hold her against my body right until I get her to the mattress.  If she's not fully sleeping and she's faking, she'll usually wake up if I don't do this.  I found that it really helps her ease into her crib better.  It makes it to be a smoother transition from your arms to the crib.  Sometimes my arm gets stuck under her head and I leave it there for a few seconds until she gets herself comfortable and then I just slowly and smoothly slide my arm from under her head.  GL!

jill_aitoro7

also - this is not a criticism, but if you were able to get her used to being put down in the crib drowsy but not asleep, that would be so much easier on you. Our LO is often awake, and then at most I just need to rub his back and/or sing to him until he doses. (sometimes he bottle conks him out, but if he wakes when I put him in the crib, he doesn't react too much either way)

CocoP2008

jill_aitoro7:

Your LO is still so young, so you might want to wait until she's old enough to have better control over her arm and leg movements. My LO was very reliant on swaddling, and we had a number of failed attempts to stop, but then when he was about 4 months old or so, he suddenly was fine with his arms out, and then a couple weeks later (when he started being able to roll) he transitioned fine to the sleep sak. We just had to wait until he was ready.

As for breaking out - our LO did this since day one; the miracle blanket worked for a while, but when he started breaking out of that, we switched to the woombie. There's no breaking out of that, and the slight stretch in the material actually allowed him to move his arms somewhat and (I think) get used to a little more freedom (ie, was a good transition before we stopped swaddling his arms). 

That's what I was thinking, as she doesn't seem to have enough control yet, but have noticed other posters (0-3 board) who said once their LO kicked out of the swaddle they stopped doing it. I didn't know if it was worth it to purchase a special swaddle blanket at this point. Thanks!

ldoo

Yeah, I'd keep the swaddle for now and just look for a different kind of swaddle. I've heard great things about the Miracle Blanket. I just stopped swaddling my 5mo for naps. We were using the SwaddleMe, which once you get the hang of it works pretty well. Just make sure you get the right size. We had the same issue as you with our daughter outgrowing blankets, which is why we switched to something specifically made for swaddling.

jill_aitoro7

AmandaP2008:

jill_aitoro7:

Your LO is still so young, so you might want to wait until she's old enough to have better control over her arm and leg movements. My LO was very reliant on swaddling, and we had a number of failed attempts to stop, but then when he was about 4 months old or so, he suddenly was fine with his arms out, and then a couple weeks later (when he started being able to roll) he transitioned fine to the sleep sak. We just had to wait until he was ready.

As for breaking out - our LO did this since day one; the miracle blanket worked for a while, but when he started breaking out of that, we switched to the woombie. There's no breaking out of that, and the slight stretch in the material actually allowed him to move his arms somewhat and (I think) get used to a little more freedom (ie, was a good transition before we stopped swaddling his arms). 

That's what I was thinking, as she doesn't seem to have enough control yet, but have noticed other posters (0-3 board) who said once their LO kicked out of the swaddle they stopped doing it. I didn't know if it was worth it to purchase a special swaddle blanket at this point. Thanks!

I felt the exact same way -weening our LO from swaddling was a HUGE stress for me, which I now realize was silly. She'll do it in her own time. It sounds like your LO, like mine, is log... our little guy is off the charts.. so he's of course going to break out. That doesn't necessarily  mean he's ready to not have the comfort of the swaddle. I remember telling my pediatrician that he was up hourly when we tried to ween him of the swaddle.. she asked why were doing it, and I said because he was breaking out once or twice a night. she said 'getting up once or twice sounds better to me than hourly". We went back to swaddling until he was ready!

CocoP2008

jill_aitoro7:

also - this is not a criticism, but if you were able to get her used to being put down in the crib drowsy but not asleep, that would be so much easier on you. Our LO is often awake, and then at most I just need to rub his back and/or sing to him until he doses. (sometimes he bottle conks him out, but if he wakes when I put him in the crib, he doesn't react too much either way)

I would love to be able to this, but my DD fights sleep so bad. I can swaddle her, hold her and rock her before she is overtired, but the minute she feels sleepy, she throws a fit. I'm talking squirming, wiggling, crying, red/blue in the face. Same goes for when I put her down, when she wakes up 2 seconds later, it's 0 to 60 and I have to start all over again.

lite-bright

One thing I do is basically hold DD2's arms down -- sort of like a temporary swaddle with my hands. 

This works really well when she's fighting other methods of soothing (bouncing, rocking, swaying, etc.). I just put her down in her crib sleepy, hold her arms down, and sometimes shush her (or not, sometimes it seems to stimulate her more than soothe her). She twists her head back and forth a few times, complains a bit, fights me like she used to fight the swaddle -- and then conks out in a minute or two, usually. 

If I just put her down, she flails or plays with her feet and keeps herself awake until she decides to start crying. If I keep her from using her arms for those few minutes, she sleeps.  

ldoo

How long is she up before you try to get her to sleep? I ask because my daughter was doing the same thing - fighting like hell when I tried to put her down. I realized I was keeping her up too long. I thought I was reading her signs well, but I wasn't. She was overtired without me realizing it.

CocoP2008

ldoo:

How long is she up before you try to get her to sleep? I ask because my daughter was doing the same thing - fighting like hell when I tried to put her down. I realized I was keeping her up too long. I thought I was reading her signs well, but I wasn't. She was overtired without me realizing it.

It depends on the time of day...sometimes it's only an hour, other times longer. But she does it during the night too, when she's only been up fo 15 or 20 minutes.