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April 2012 Moms
kissyfitt
member
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Revoke my mommy card--I can't swaddle!
kissyfitt
member
I use Swaddle Me blankets, but lately he's started perfecting the art of getting the bottom open and his legs out. This causes the blanket to shimmy up to his neck. No bueno.
So we bought these muslin swaddle blankets. I didn't realize how HUGE they would be... you could swaddle a 6 year old with these things.
Armed with diagrams from the interwebz, I swaddle the child tonight and it's a huge fail. It is clearly not tight enough and he's busted out his arms already. The bottom is still tucked under but it is so loose. He is laying there content and will likely fall asleep on his own so I'm not willing to reswaddle and risk making him wide awake.
Tell me I'm not the only one who sucks at the swaddle! Or be my Yoda and teach me.
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Re: Revoke my mommy card--I can't swaddle!
I suck at manual swaddling too. Don't feel badly.
We use SwaddleMe blankets as well (just ordered a couple in the larger size) and she can't break out of the bottom, but sometimes gets an arm out if she's really working hard. How does he get out of the bottom? With ours, one of the top arm flaps velroes to the bottom so it's held together really well. Do you use that part or have the top of the middle folded down for easy diaper changes?
Also, I like the phrase "no bueno." I forgot about that phrase. Thanks for the reminder. I plan to use it more from now on!
I do velcro the pieces together, but he has strong legs and seems to be able to bust through like a little houdini. I mean, the muslin blankets are great and will be good for the stroller, but I'd really like to be able to swaddle him with them. I guess I'm afraid to do it too tight or something. I'd practice in the day but he hates being swaddled unless he's nearly asleep.
If I were you, I'd invest in 1 or 2 of the larger size SwaddleMe's. I think they're only like $10. They bottom part is longer, so he won't be able to get as much force in the leg portion.
I guess Jack is already in training to play sports though - strong little guy!
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DH was like "well, that was a good waste of $30..." Haha. The muslin blankets were expensive, but they are so nice. I figure that they will be great to use this summer for shade in the stroller since they are so airy.
Since we have eleventy million receiving blankets and, essentially, that is what these muslin blankets are now going to be used as, I told DH that I'll likely use a bunch of our flannel receiving blankets to make sleep sacks once J is rolling over and can't be swaddled anymore. It will be a fun little sewing machine project.
When I told him I was going to save money by making sleep sacks that made him feel better about the fact that I'll be investing in some new large SwaddleMe blankets...
How do those nurses at the hospital do it? It's amazing.
ETA: It's so odd to go up a size. The main reason for me deciding to try the muslin was that fact that he's still (likely) under 12 pounds (he was 10lb 3oz at his 8 week appointment) but the bottom of the swaddle blanket we have been using doesn't seem to have nearly enough room for his poor legs. He is long, but still. He's growing up too fast! How do I put him back in?
We use this technique underneath the SwaddleMe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K4VdZxwsu4
To be honest, I haven't tried not swaddling him. Early on he would not sleep for more than 2 hours. Mind you, he was so little. Once I started swaddling he slept longer and didn't mind being in his PNP when previously he HAD to be sleeping on me. Now he sleeps 6-6.5 hours, wakes and then is back down for 2.5-3.5 hours. We were even able to transition him to his crib from the PNP without any baby drama. So I've been leaning on the swaddle.
The major reason though is that I've got to cover him but I refuse to put him in there with loose blankets (which is why I am watching him in the loose muslin sorry excuse for a swaddle like a hawk until he wakes). I don't have any sleep sacks yet. Swaddling is the only way he'll keep his hands covered and warm.
That guy is an evil genius. I must shake his hand.
We started using this on Monday night and it has made a huge difference. I also ordered the swaddle strap, it seems to work good also plus my husband can work the Velcro easier than swaddling 102.
Well. He woke up after only about 3 hours which is not usual, so it seems he still needs to be swaddled and my poor attempt wan ineffective. Go figure.
I just fed him and then swaddled him in the brand new large SwaddleMe that I had on standby and it was a success. He definitely has enough room for his legs now.
Looks like the a+a muslin are going to be just very expensive receiving blankets. Blah.
I use a SwaddleMe at night and a a+a for naps. It took a few days to figure out how to get him in there tightly, but I'm now much better at it.
Mind you, little Mr Shiit Head (can you tell he doesn't want to sleep tonight?) never naps for much longer than 1.5 hours, so I have no idea if I'm good enough for a long sleep.
I do love those a+a blankets though.
i don't swaddle at all.
at the hospital, a nurse swaddled abby while changing the linen and she screamed her little lungs out until it was all pulled apart. she's not a screamy baby, so i knew this was definitely on her 'do not want' list.
given she sleeps with her arms above her head, i put her in a long sleeve bodysuit (it's winter here and although we're in sunny queensland, we're in the west so it still gets cold) and just tuck the blanket from about chest/waist level around the mattress.