Swaddling for naps dilemma/problem

pb_bride

DS is 5.5 wks old, and he sleep pretty well at night (swaddled).

Daytime naps is a completely different story though.  He HATES being swaddled.  At the same time, he startles himself easily when he first falls asleep (like every 5 minutes).

When I put him down for naps, he'll fight the swaddle and his face turns all red.  This can go on for 30+ minutes (me picking him up soothing him, putting him back down.)   If/When he actually does fall asleep, as I say, he'll startle himself every 5 minutes.  If swaddled, he usually can fall back asleep (until 5 mins later).  Sometimes he'll wake up more and start wailing b/c he realizes he's in the strait jacket and can't move his arms.  I become a heartless mom and watch him cry - most of the time he'll cry a max of 3-5 minutes and falls back asleep.  IME, if I pick him up as soon as he cries, he'll become WIDE awake and then it's impossible to get him to fall back asleep.

I've tried NOT swaddling him - as I said, he fights the swaddle when I put him down for a nap.  When not swaddled, he falls asleep much faster BUT then he wakes himself up every. five. minutes. b/c his arms will just flail all over and hit himself on his face.  And the crying/wailing starts.

Does anyone here encounter the same thing w/their LOs?  Seems like my DS gets startled so easily!  FWIW, I know I should try wearing him, but when we tried putting him in the K'Tan a couple of weeks ago, he screamed his head off and I haven't tried again.  I think he hates that too b/c of the restriction...

Vegasbb

No solutions here, just sympathy ! LO does great in the swaddle at night but fights it during the day . When we skip the swaddle he never naps more than 15 minutes always startles awake . His only good naps lately have been in the carseat !

jecanty

meganole25:

Have you tried leaving one arm out? That what he has a little more freedom but still that closeness?

I do this. He hates having both arms in because he likes to suck on his hands to go to sleep. It keeps him all snug but he has that one hand to suck on. 

jeffsteph1207

My son was like that too, and I stopped swaddling when he was 4 wks old. We had a couple of sleepless nights 2 or 3 but he got used to not being tied up and adjusted to the freedom and he actually sleeps much better now. Have you tried the sleep sacks/wearable blankets? Those might help and offer a bit of freedom.