Unswaddling and rocking to sleep - 4.5 mo boy

durhammama · December 2013

Yesterday morning we awoke to find DS cooing and gently babbling to himself, but he had rolled over onto his belly in his swaddle. He is able to roll from belly to back in tummy time, but not the other way around yet. This meant the end of full swaddling! We tried to nap him in just a sleep sack the rest of the day, but because he is incredibly alert, he is very hard to put to sleep. My husband and I have been rocking him to sleep and then oh-so-gently lay him in his crib trying not to wake him. This often took 2-3 attempts swaddled, so it was ten times harder with the arms out. Last night after an hour of screaming, though, I caved and reswaddled him fully. Anyway, he rolled back onto his tummy. Today he napped once while breastfeeding and then now I am napping him with one arm out and one arm in the swaddle. It was not as hard because he was so tired. But it's really tough to get him down because he's used to being rocked and then laid down and now even more difficult with the free hands. The slightest movement will startle him and he'll awaken. What tips do you have for sleeping a previously swaddled baby who needs rocking?

durhammama · December 2013

Not even one arm out and one arm in? As I mentioned, it's so hard to rock him and then get him down in the crib without waking him up. I don't mind the rocking at all, but it is so frustrating to think he's completely asleep and then he's not. We have tried a zillion times to just put him down and have him try to sleep but he cries to no avail so we come back and rock him. It takes forever, and longer with no swaddle.

Erinruns262 · December 2013

I am right there with you trying to break my 4 month old's swaddled addiction. She's not rolling yet, but I know it's coming and am trying to be proactive. I usually cave and swaddled her after she wakes a few times. I'm going back to work in a few weeks, and once she rolls, the daycare won't swaddled, so I am determined. It's really hard though!

JilllyBean · December 2013

Id stop swaddling mainly bc he needs to learn how to sleep without it. We stopped at 2m and I am glad it was before he started rolling. You can't get sleep positioners to keep him from rolling but I'd knock the swaddling habit ASAP since you will have to eventually anyway

JilllyBean · December 2013

^sorry meant CAN get sleep positioners

redhead610 · December 2013

Sleep positioners are not recommended and can be unsafe. Usually the one arm out swaddle is to wean them before they start rolling. We transitioned using the rnp - ds still felt comforted since it was cozier that the crib. He also had a cold and was in the 4month sleep regression, so his sleeping couldn't have gotten worse anyway.

Drowsy but awake does not work for ds yet at 5 1/2 months.we still rock to sleep. I have started putting him the crib drowsy, then picking him up when he starts getting upset. It used to take a long time and a ton of rocking, but we are down to less than 5 minutes. He still naps in the rnp but sleeps in his crib (we are working on it!). Please do not let your baby cry for an hour.

pantsarella · December 2013

You can try the Magic Sleep Suit, too. DD can roll over both ways when she's not in it, but she's just starting to be able to roll to her side in it, so we'll have to leave it behind soon, too. She's also teething right now so it's not like anyone is sleeping anyway.

Texasmomma13 · December 2013

Once DD started getting out of her swaddle a few weeks ago I ordered a sleep suit. Her startle reflex is still pretty strong, but it keeps it muffled enough that she STTN. I still rock her to sleep too.

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Unswaddling and rocking to sleep - 4.5 mo boy

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