We are not swaddlers.. gasp

lakreuz · February 2013

Is my baby weird lol.. He didn't seem to like swaddling, so we just didn't do it. I'm okay with how he sleeps now, it seems normal for an almost 6 wk old bf baby - at least 2, sometimes 3-4, occasionally a 5 hr stretch. He doesn't cry unless he's hungry and I catch it late. Question.. if I tried to 'make' him like it would he sleep longer? Is it necessary when eventually you have to break them of the swaddle when they start rolling over anyway?

lawjjg522 · February 2013

We never did. She likes her arms out! And she's been sleeping 68 hours for a few weeks now

Litgirl77 · February 2013

I think it just depends on the baby. I didn't think my LO liked it at all, but once he got to 6 weeks, he got very fussy due to reflux. I've discovered swaddling calms him down, even though he fights it at first. He's very good at breaking out of swaddles, so we've had good luck with the Miracle Blanket. It feels like a straight jacket and we hesitated to use it, but once the nightly colicky screaming fits took over, it became a godsend.

Hopefully, you have a nice little angel baby - I've heard they DO exist! But I thought I'd mention it just in case.

momofmanyinthemitten · February 2013

We started swaddling DD later and it really helped. She would fight it, but she always slept longer and fell asleep faster.

spainy17 · February 2013

I am having this dilemma too. Mine likes her arms out too in her little bassinet but I wonder if once we switch her to the crib if having then out will wake her up by startling her

bjlucas1 · February 2013

We swaddle and my little lady only sleeps 2-4 hours at a time overnight. It sounds like your system works for you guys.

cowgirltu · February 2013

Mine hated it at first, and now at 8 weeks likes it.

sschwege · February 2013

DD didn't like being swaddled, but she slept so much better that way. If she wasn't swaddled she would startle and wake every 1hr15min, swaddled she would generally sleep 4 hours. So I would swaddle her then nurse her. She would relax and be fine with it after that.

I swaddle DS, but he doesn't seem to mind it. He has slept 8 hours every night for the last week, so I'm not tinkering with anything! He is EBF, but a nice sized baby.

Once they get older I think it's easier to break the habit because they aren't startling, plus once they can roll over on to their tummies they sleep better anyway, so they don't need the swaddle. Maybe try it and see if you can get a longer stretch out of it.

rjeller32 · February 2013

The only reason I swaddle is because the uncontrolled arm movements wake my DD up, so I'd rather just swaddle her up. At night she sleeps for 6 hours in a row, so I love swaddling!

Bride-hilda · February 2013

Whatever works for you. Some babies don't like it. My son doesn't like it when we put him in his swaddle, but he wakes up super fast without it, and sometimes it's difficult to BF without it because his hands and arms are all over the place.

He likes to get his arms free, or quasi free, when he's swaddled, but honestly, without swaddling he doesn't sleep for long.

Sounds to me like not swaddling is working fine for you. He probably wouldn't sleep any longer with being swaddled.

It's starting to get really hot here, (the high is 75 tomorrow,) so I'm thinking of trying to get him to sleep for a couple hours without being wrapped up tight.

SJS622 · February 2013

We haven't swaddled Jake since we got home from the hospital. He's now almost 11 weeks old and sleeping 8 - 10 hours a night, unswaddled, in his crib. We also don't give him pacifiers either. I think it's what your baby prefers, he never liked to be swaddled and it worked for us.

pitterpatter129 · February 2013

We don't either, with either kid. I actually read when DS1 was a baby that swaddling isn't all that great for the kiddo. They need the startle reflex to wake them every so often as a prevention measure of sleeping too deeply/SIDS. Nature put it there for a reason.

dande2129 · February 2013

DS1 loved to be swaddled. He was a poster child for The Happiest Baby On The Block. DS2 hates being swaddled. If I try, he flips out even worse, does the whole red face silent cry before wailing and it takes me longer to settle him down afterward.

I don't believe that you can "make" a baby like something that they don't. They may be miniature, but they do have their own likes and dislikes, even as newborns.

PrideandJoy29 · February 2013

Not weird.

Kie310 · February 2013

This one didn't like it at first. We didn't do it from weeks 2-4. Then I just couldn't handle that he wasn't sleeping well at night. I forced him to be okay with it. Now he is sleeping 6 hours at night. I know the swaddling is why. With my first we always swaddled and didn't stop until almost 6 months.

I'm not saying its a MUST, but having a baby that didn't like it and can now live with it for at least 6 hours at night (he gets up around 5-6am for a feeding, I re-swaddle after I change him, he goes right back to sleep and will sleep another 2-3 hours from there), I can honestly say I'm glad we forced it.

meaglamillion · February 2013

We just started again because otherwise he'll randomly punch himself in the face in his sleep. I usually wait until he's almost asleep and then wrap him up, no fighting it involved.

freelancemommy · February 2013

Nice thing about not swaddling is that you won't have to wean off the swaddle! All of my kids love being swaddled but once they roll around 4 months and I unwrap them, their sleep goes to sht. Boo.

MCF33013 · February 2013

My daughter isn't a fan either she likes her hands out.

sthomas1222 · March 2013

I say don't fix something that ain't broke. We only occasionally swaddle DD. Usually at night when she's having one of her cranky times. We try nursing, then a pacifier and snuggles, and then swaddle and snuggles. But at night when she's sleeping she prefers her arm out and will wiggle and grunt, keeping me awake, until she gets at least 1 arm out...

CarolynTheRed · March 2013

I wouldn't sweat it. My daughter got angry when she was swaddled and awake, and could easily get to her side with her arms swaddled (with one of the swaddle sacks). We figured it just wasn't worth it for us. She has one quick feeding overnight, and falls back to sleep when she startles (which she still does at 3 months).

elvinnoe · March 2013

DD hates being swaddled. She liked it at first so we bought several swaddlers, then out of nowhere she started screaming every time we put her in them. She doesn't even like having a blanket over her. So picky already lol.. I don't care though. As long as she sleeps, I'm good.