How long to swaddle?

Allisonz0312 · May 2013

I know each baby is different but STM's, I was just curious how long your baby wanted to be swaddled? Did you start with one arm out?

I was looking at registering for swaddling blankets and wearable blankets, but I'm not sure on sizing...

kje120 · May 2013

We did until he was consistently breaking out (3 months maybe?). We used the swaddle me wraps with the velcro and then once he kept getting his arms out we switched to the sleep sacks.

SweetPeaK26 · May 2013

Dd1, never. She even broke out of it in the NICU, and those nurses know how to swaddle tight! The nurses nicknamed her Hudini.

Dd2, we did it for a few months, but never consistently, we only did it if she was really having a had time settling down. A couple times a week maybe.

We didn't want to have to worry about going through the whole unswaddling process

NNGnome · May 2013

I used the Swaddle me blankets with the velcro, I had the Woobie too, but I liked the Swaddle me more. DS was in it until 5 months, at that point he would get out, so we transitioned to the sleeping bag, which he just stopped using this week.

AshleyPT · May 2013

We swaddled her for what seemed like forever since she liked it and slept so much better. When she started breaking out we did the two blanket escape proof one for a while. I feel like it might have been 4 months, but that sounds like a long time. She still is in a wearable blanket - it keeps her from climbing out of the crib.

Ecstatic83 · May 2013

This is good to know. Thanks for the post. I was just reading this article yesterday and was wondering what most moms did as far as when to stop. I used to work in a nursery and we swaddled a lot of the tiny babies but I never thought (back then) of doing it too long or becoming harmful... Here is the article if anyone is interested...

https://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/swaddling--a-common-parenting-practice-under-fire-195228977.html

LnR70707 · May 2013

We swaddled for a really long time. DS just wasn't ready to go without it so he was about 6.5 months (5 months adjusted because he was a preemie) when we finally stopped successfully. We did one arm out for a few nights, then switched to a sleep sack, which we are still using because he hates regular blankets.

Sleep sacks run pretty big, so a 3-6 month size will probably last you well past 6 months. For a swaddle I'd go with miracle blanket...I think they are one size fits all.

CalMum_Momma · May 2013

DS was in a full swaddle until about 3mos, then arms out for a couple more after that. He loved it, and the tighter the better.

DD was arms out within maybe the first week, and not long after that we gave up all together. She just didn't want ot be swaddled. Your LO will let you know what to do. Smile

magdalina.h · May 2013

Lucas hated it! We stopped swaddling around 2 weeks.

VTFutureMrs · May 2013

DS never liked it it, so we didn't do it with him. DD sorta liked it, but we only did it for maybe a few weeks to a month. Mostly DD slept in the rock n play, so she didn't need to be swaddled.

RedDDD · May 2013

mine hated being swaddled and so he never was. I sometimes wonder if it had to do with his short 2 week NICU stay because they do not swaddle in the NICU and so he really hated it when I tried when he was home so he never was.

RedDDD · May 2013

SweetPeaK26:
Dd1, never. She even broke out of it in the NICU, and those nurses know how to swaddle tight! The nurses nicknamed her Hudini. Dd2, we did it for a few months, but never consistently, we only did it if she was really having a had time settling down. A couple times a week maybe. We didn't want to have to worry about going through the whole unswaddling process

weird they did not swaddle my son in the NICU...he was just loosly wrapped in a blanket.

SevenR7 · May 2013

I didn't read the link from PP, but keep in mind that some daycares have rules on swaddling during naps. I don't know what your future plans are for your LO's care, but just something to consider.

RunningGal900 · May 2013

I think we swaddled until around 6 months. We started arms out around 3 months when we started rolling a lot.

Amusjh · May 2013

Parker loved being swaddled and we did it until he was about 6 months old.

EMLYNNLERETTE · May 2013

SevenR7:
I didn't read the link from PP, but keep in mind that some daycares have rules on swaddling during naps. I don't know what your future plans are for your LO's care, but just something to consider.

This is a great suggestion. I used to provide care for a family from my home and it was in my contract that I would not swaddle. It can be done wrong and it can also be a risk to the baby if it is done right. Who knows when the baby will decide they know how to roll right? I ddidn't want the liability.

DD was swaddled only in the hospital when they would come in for checks. I kept asking them not to but they would sometimes forget. I didn't want to wean her from something I didn't need to.