Time to stop swaddling??? Advice Please!

hratclif

WoW! Haven't posted on the bump in forever. My DS is 9 weeks old and he's a pretty big guy (12lb 7oz at his 4 week checkup). We found that swaddling him at the very beginning was a way to get him to sleep soundly so we've been doing so ever since. We're using the halo sleepsack swaddle right now (love by the way) but like every swaddler we've used (miracle blanket, swaddleMe, and just a blanket), he finds a way to get at least one arm out every night. The other night he slept 6 hours (a rarity) and when I went to check on him at 5 am he had gotten both arms out through the BOTTOM of the sleep sack as well as moved himself quite a bit further down in the bed and the swaddle part of the sack was up around his face. Needless to say I FREAKED. It was dark, and I practically ripped the thing off of him and picked him up to hold him. The last couple of nights I've moved it down further on him and made sure to swaddle him super tight, but he definitely struggles against it. Last night he woke up 3 times - more than usual - and it seems that breaking out of the swaddle is what's waking him. However, his moro reflex is still really intact and putting him down without his arms flying is nearly impossible. He's found his hands again and now likes to suck on them and hold onto things like his burp rag. It's going to be cooler this weekend so I'm going to put him in a long sleeve onesie and the sleepsack and maybe just not swaddle his arms and just wrap the pieces around his torso (he usually sleeps in it in just a diaper - he's pretty hot blooded). Anyone else in a similar situation? Did your LO learn to sleep with their arms out? We're also starting daycare in about a week and a half and I'm not sure if they would use a swaddler there or not. Thanks!!!

shannond354

Why don't you try letting him nap with one or both arms out and see how it goes? My oldest liked to have both his arms out at around 6 weeks. I don't recall the reflex waking him up. 

The finger sucking is important self-soothing (IMO) so I wouldn't get in his way with that. GL! 

APendola

My LO is 12 weeks and we stopped maybe 2 weeks ago. She is sleeping great with her arms out.

jenosbo

My little guy is 12 weeks we started maybe a month ago swaddling with one arm out in the last week we have been leaving both out because he likes to suck on the hand that is of course swaddled so he was always putting the blanket over his face no matter how tight we swaddled. He has done great with both arms out no issues with his reflex waking him

Mc_Newlywed

Also a mom to a big guy ..12lb 7pz at 1 month.

I've swaddled him with 1 arm out in the Miracle Bkanket since the beginning. Just make sure the flap around his other arm is tucked deeply under his back. His own body weight should keep it in place. And it has to be really snug.

But if he's really a mover and a shaker it might be time to just go with a sleep sack. I read that some babies can lose that reflex around 8 weeks so you might be okay.

LJstars

yes it is time to stop putting his arms in the swaddle, but i find leaving my LOs arms out she is still comforted by the blanket.