Breaking the Swaddle...I need your help!

sharmurph18

I don't post much on TB anymore but was hoping that you all could offer some suggestions.

Ok, so Samuel is a champion sleeper.  He's STTN since 9 weeks without a single relapse (even when we went on vacation) and is bundled up tight in his miracle blanket for all naps and bedtime.  He's never taken a paci but has been OBSESSED with sucking on his hands since he was wee and still isn't able to fluidly get a finger into his mouth and keep it there.  Recently, he's been breaking out of the swaddle around 3am and sucking on his fist through the rest of the night quietly.  I feel like this means we should start breaking the swaddle but I'm scared.  He is great at "singing" himself to sleep and I fear that his hands will keep him awake if we let him have access to them.  I don't have a problem with him sucking his finger, thumb, etc but I just don't want it to interfere with the great sleeper that I worked so hard to create. 

We broke the swaddle pretty easily with DS#1 by removing one arm at a time and it was a breeze but he is totally different than DS#2.

Has anyone had a baby like this (hand obsessed)?  Was it difficult to break the swaddle?  Any tips or suggestions?

nikileebaugh

DS is definately hand obsessed, still is in fact. i was petrified that he would never ever sleep with the swaddle, but when he started breaking out of it, it was doing more harm than good. it was causing him to wake up. he started STTN around 2.5 months, and then because of the swaddle and wanting to roll around in his RnP he stopped STTN so at four months we decided it was time.

honestly, we took it away cold turkey. he was starting to roll too, so we had to get him out of that and his RnP. so we did them both at the same time, it actually went really smooth and he sleeps way better in his crib without the swaddle.

the first night he slept 6 hours straight again, ate and went back to bed. it took a month to get him back to STTN but we are now at 5 months, swaddle free, in his crib, STTN.

try it no swaddle, the worst that can happen is his doesn't sleep, and you swaddle him. good luck!

Jen0204

We tried one hand out, both hands out, sleep sacks, just PJ's and we tried all of those options in their cribs, rock n plays, and swings - none of it worked.  I finally sucked it up and bought the Magic Sleep Suits and they sleep great.  I'm just hoping that we can transition them out of those before the next size so that we can save $70.

bride2005!!

DS is exactly like this.  We woke up one night to see him completely out of the swaddle.  I was so nervous to start the sleep sack because I did not want to ruin his STTN.  Behold! He did not know the difference.It was not difficult at all. He still sleeps just fine.  I really think that babies who are good sleepers are good sleepers regardless of how/where they sleep.

Ya Never Know

I'm not sure if we're still breaking the swaddle or if DD is just going through a wakeful period or what, but when she started rolling over at 3 months, we just did it cold turkey and put her in a sleep sack with her arms free. We had about 5 horrible nights, then she got used to it... But then again, now I can't get her to sleep for more than 2-3 hours at a time... Then again, I also believe that she is teething and hungry at night because she's too busy to eat during the day, but it all started with the un-swaddling.

sharmurph18

Thanks ladies!!  We tried one arm out last night and he surprisingly didn't even seem to notice that it wasn't in the swaddle!  Fingers crossed that this continues!