newborn SCREAMS when swaddled

giggler25 · June 2014

My 3.5 week old baby screams hysterically when her arms are swaddled. Tonight we waited until she was asleep before putting her in the swaddle sack. We got her in okay and she slept for a couple hours but when DH woke her up to change her diaper she started shrieking. She was crying hysterically. This usually happens when we try to swaddle her but in this case she already was swaddled. Any advice?

*sparky* · June 2014

My LO was like that with the swaddle. I did not start swaddling her until she became more alert and had more trouble falling asleep because she would scream and kick so much it really defeated the purpose. Now that she is older she still gets mad sometimes and will occasionally wake herself up trying to break out of her swaddle. But overall it does help her sleep because without it she flails her arms all around and I can't get her to calm down.

So if you don't need to swaddle her now then I would say don't do it. But if it really does help her sleep, try different ways of swaddling. Some babies like one arm out, or a hand up by their face, or arms crossed over their chest vs. plastered to their sides.

I also always wait until DD is calm or sleepy to swaddle her. And once I do swaddle her I have to pick her up and hold hr to my chest with her head on my shoulder for her to settle.

Avion22 · June 2014

Ours has never liked the swaddle. He breaks out of blanket swaddles, and HATES any kind of swaddle contraption (SwaddleMe or Halo Sleep Sack or whatever we've tried). But he sleeps fine, and we found other ways to soothe him when he's fussy.

You don't HAVE to swaddle. If you've tried and it's not working, then stop doing it.

ncbelle · June 2014

Don't swaddle

I never have for several reasons, one being my babies like to be able to have their hands.

aleher15 · June 2014

Neither one of my kids liked having there arms confined they would flip. So we just wrapped a blanket around them leaving there arms out. Like pp said you dont have to "swaddle" them just wrap them in a blanket.

giggler25 · June 2014

Thanks, everyone. I know I don't HAVE to swaddle her -- we haven't been doing it since we've been home, but the problem is that she won't sleep during the day unless she's in my arms, and at night she's waking up every 2 hours or less. I thought maybe the swaddling would help her sleep longer, but I don't have the heart to see her so upset!!!

KariB509 · June 2014

Uh, don't swaddle? If your LO doesn't like it, then don't do it.
Waking up every 2 hours or less at night is pretty common in my opinion, as is only wanting to sleep in your arms during the day. Just have to keep trying.

kmdendy · June 2014

Mine didn't like it either..but I am so glad that I didn't stop swaddling. She sleeps SO well in it. She kicks and tries to get her arms out when I am rocking her to sleep but once she is asleep she is asleep for like 6 hours! I learned about the double swaddle at a mom's group. We swaddle her once with a blanket and then we put her in one of those sleep sacks that have velcro over her arms so it locks her arms down. We just have her in a diaper when we do this. When she falls asleep not swaddled.. her arms fly everywhere and wake her up! But do whatever you think is right!

blair&justin · June 2014

We have always swaddled or used swaddle sacks but left her arms available. She's never really woken up when her arms startle and is much more upset if her arms/hands aren't available to her.

giggler25 · June 2014

blair&justin said:

We have always swaddled or used swaddle sacks but left her arms available. She's never really woken up when her arms startle and is much more upset if her arms/hands aren't available to her.

How do you swaddle with her arms out? I've seen sleeveless sleep blankets but not sure I get how to swaddle with arms out.

Elf2718 · June 2014

We swaddle and LO struggles at first, but ends up sleeping better. He does break his arms out though. Only reason we swaddle his arms in for.bedtime is BC he flails his arms so badly that he hits himself in the fae which startles him and leads to a screaming baby.

blair&justin · June 2014

We just pull the swaddle down in the front and pull her arms out (sorry maybe I made that sound more complex than it is). The swaddle sacks actual work better for this and are what we put LO in to sleep. With the Halo and SwaddleMe sacks, you can just put the outside flaps underneath the arms and still secure the flaps on the sides. The Halo swaddles actual have instructions on the inside flat as to how to do this.

NoodleM · June 2014

Mine fights and screams when being swaddled, but once he's in he will instantly calm down. It's worth it for how calm he is after and how easily he falls asleep.

I found this site really helpful: www.troublesometots.com/2011/swaddling-tips-and-tricks/

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newborn SCREAMS when swaddled

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