Anyone's LO sleep better with their arms out of the swaddle?

kristinasmall · May 2011

Seems like I remember my other 2 girls preferred this...LO #3 is 3 wks old and acts really aggravated with her arms in the swaddle a lot of the time. When she can work them out she does, and at least one ends up above her head. Should I swaddle her with them out? I'm afraid she will startle herself awake...

Thanks!

Kristina (Hayden Reese, 4.27.11)

rickandcaitlin · May 2011

My lo hates having their arms swaddled so we stopped swaddling. We just loosly wrap him in a blanket now.

MandyD82 · May 2011

LOs arms have been out of the swaddle since we left the hospital. No worries!

BeetleLinz1125 · May 2011

She likes having her arms free, but then that kinda defeats the purpose of the swaddle because she startles herself awake. Someone on here recommended the escape proof swaddle method and it has been a lifesaver! It's basically using a receiving blanket to keep their arms tucked in. She sleeps so much better that way and it's better on all of us.

shamyfowler · May 2011

We were swaddling and couldn't figure out why she was so restless at night. We figured out that she was trying to get her arms free from the swaddle. She would groan and thrash around until she got her arms worked out and up by her face. As soon as she was free she would settle right down. I felt so bad because at first I tried sticking her arms back in and would swaddle tighter. Now we swaddle with arms out.

TreblEM · May 2011

We always start out the night swaddled with arms in. Usually, sometime between that and the first feeding, he pops an arm (s) out. After feeding if he is pretty much asleep I leave him with it out and he tends to do ok. That said, he WILL NOT nap swaddled if his arms are out---he smacks himself in the face etc. He does hate to have his arms swaddled so I usually wait until he is super sleepy or out cold before swaddling him. However, now that he's discovered he has hands and he can suck on them, I'm forseeing the end of arm swaddling soon...but he is also growing close to the end of the startle reflex. I'm going to try to keep those arms in as long as possible.

Oh--and once we switched to bigger swaddle blankets (I made some!) he has a lot less luck getting those arms out and is sleeping (slightly) longer stretches...plus I can swaddle the arms tightly while leaving the feet part looser so he can kick/raise his legs to relieve gas while not unswaddling himself. That's been a big help too.

Scout05 · May 2011

DD has always been swaddled arms out. That's how they did it in the hospital, and we have continued at home. I tried arms in a couple of times and she started screaming almost right away.

She sleeps with both arms splayed out, and seems happy that way.

mmks · May 2011

We call our DS baby Houdini b/c he can work an arm or hand out of the best swaddle. He even works his arm out of the SwaddleMe blankets. We have a Woombie that he will only tolerate when he's almost already asleep. I really like the swaddles for nighttime feedings b/c they help control his hands so I can maneuver my nipple into his mouth!

juliane2004 · May 2011

We thought DD hated swaddling and stopped at 2 weeks but realized later at 11 weeks that it was they way we swaddled - she could get out and it would wake her up. We switched to the escape proof swaddle (see link for video) and it worked great for her till 5.5 months and works great for DS now.

BLM10 · May 2011

DS will NOT sleep with arms in. he will thrash and fight and grunt til he works them free. he keeps his hands up by his face when he sleeps. we swaddle from the armpits down because he likes his legs wrapped and covered. he has never startled himself awake to my knowledge.

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Anyone's LO sleep better with their arms out of the swaddle?

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