Should I stop swaddling?

Mrs.Talala

DD uses the miracle blanket every night. Last night she flipped onto her belly 3 times and cried until we rolled her over. She can roll to her back unswaddled easily but I guess couldn't while in the miracle blanket. If you think we should stop swaddling any advice for how? I'm just worried she won't fall asleep without the swaddle. For some reason the swaddle really calms her down and helps her fall asleep.

Slobina

Does she suck on any fingers or a thumb?  We stopped swaddling Ruby at about 10 weeks, as she was able to get her thumb in her mouth and she used that to self-soothe and get to sleep.  We half-swaddled her the first night (just legs), but we swaddled her legs so loosely in the first place that the swaddle just came off right away.  She's been swaddle-less ever since. 

Amy

SaraLouiseBride08

I think the general rule is that once they can roll over, you should stop swaddling them. It's for safety reasons ... she needs her arms for when she ends up on her face.

No advice on how though ... I'm dreading that day myself

meg120510

We just stopped swaddling a couple weeks ago for this same reason.  We started by unswaddling one arm for a few nights, then went to a sleep sack with both arms out.  The first couple nights we had a hard time getting him to sleep because he would hit himself when we laid him down.  We didn't have any trouble getting him back in his crib during the middle of the night.  

I should add that I pat his chest lightly when I put him in his crib, until he lays his arms on his mattress.   

MrsAJL

If she's rolling on to her tummy, you need to stop swaddling.  Molly hasn't rolled over yet, but she hated having her arms swaddled and would work herself loose.

We transitioned to the sleep sack and it's been great!

L L CG

We stopped swaddling cold turkey.  It was a rough couple of nights at first but it got better pretty quickly.  We did it for the same reason-- A was rolling over.

My heart broke when we did it.  I still have the urge to swaddle sometimes because I know how well she sleeps with it.  We are in the middle of 4-5 month wakeful hell and its hard not to go back.

Godspeed. 

molliedb

annie rolls both ways and i still swaddle the heck out of her.  i use a sleep positioner to keep her from being on her face.  dh tried to start weaning one arm this weekend and she slept for crap.  this morning i swaddled her up for her first nap and she went down like a champ.  i am dreading weaning her.

my other girls we tried one arm out and it was pretty much terrible so we just went cold turkey.  we'll probably do that next weekend with a.

labbielover07

Once DD started rolling on her own we lost the swaddle.  She did really well transitioning.  We had a couple of nights that she woke a few times, but after that she was fine.  We went from a swaddle to a sleep sack that is arms free.  About a month ago we ditched the sleep sack and she has just been in her pajamas.  

sxb317

Our doctor told us to stop swaddling once he could roll over. We were really scared he wouldn't be able to sleep without it but went cold turkey on a trip because I forgot to bring the miracle blanket. It turned out is was no problem at all. He actually slept longer because it turns out he was waking up and trying to get out of swaddle in the mornings.

Persa

L*L*CG:

We stopped swaddling cold turkey.  It was a rough couple of nights at first but it got better pretty quickly.  

We did this too, at 4 mos. Not because of rolling over but just because it seemed to make her mad when she would wake up in the middle of the night swaddled. We transitioned her to a sleep sack, which seem to contain her legs a bit.

We just sucked it up and did it on a weekend I was off. I think we stared it on a thursday night b/c I figured I could be tired for one work day and I wanted to have at least 3 nights to work with.  She did fine, a little extra fussing but she slept ok.

 We did CIO at 5 mos btw. 

JLKillion

meg120510:

We started by unswaddling one arm for a few nights, then went to a sleep sack with both arms out....We didn't have any trouble getting him back in his crib during the middle of the night.  

 

 

This. We also rub her back / chest until her arms relax - about 15 seconds. I was shocked at how quickly she adjusted to being unswaddled.  Once she started turning onto her tummy, she slept much more soundly, although now I'm having to make sure to double the insert of her diapers in the front. 

JLKillion

meg120510:

We started by unswaddling one arm for a few nights, then went to a sleep sack with both arms out....We didn't have any trouble getting him back in his crib during the middle of the night.  

 

 

This. We also rub her back / chest until her arms relax - about 15 seconds. I was shocked at how quickly she adjusted to being unswaddled.  Once she started turning onto her tummy, she slept much more soundly, although now I'm having to make sure to double the insert of her diapers in the front. 

Mrs.Talala

Thanks Ladies!  I figured we needed to stop but man I am dreading it.  Hopefully she will adjust quickly. 

smitt2619

Yes, it's time to stop swaddling.  It's not safe to continue swaddling when she can roll over, and especially because she has already rolled while swaddled.  We did just one arm out first, then both.  He slept with his belly wrapped for a almost a week before we removed the swaddle wings and he slept in just the sleepsack.  And he's been sleeping in sleepsacks ever since.  I just love the Halo sleepsacks - they are my favorite!