Baby hates swaddle!

SharLovesAlex · May 2015

My baby hates his swaddle. I swaddle him when he goes to sleep so he doesn't wake himself up. But when he does wake up and realize he's been swaddled, he gets so mad. Anyone else go through this? Suggestions?

noodlienoodles · May 2015

Maybe you can try to swaddle him with one arm out? I do this sometimes because my little one will wiggle her arm out either way. She likes to have her hand by her face, so it works.

jesslynnw90 · May 2015

Both my babies have hated being swaddled. My second daughter (7weeks) hates being swaddled so much. When I try to swaddle her, she starts angrily grunting which turns into a screaming cry and you hear her try to use every muscle in her body to break free which she usually does end up getting and arm out. As soon as I take her out, she's happy. I've just given up on swaddling at this point.

lhill88 · May 2015

My daughter liked it for the first 3 weeks or so and then constantly began wiggling her arms out. She likes to have her hands by her head when she sleeps, so I stopped swaddling her weeks ago (she's almost 9 weeks) and just put mittens on her so she doesn't scratch her face at night.

TwinsCitiesMomma · May 2015

For those who've stopped swaddling, did you have issues with LO sleeping? My guy hates being swaddled but wakes himself up when I don't swaddle. Trying to find a happy medium.

noodlienoodles · May 2015

TwinsCitiesMomma said:
For those who've stopped swaddling, did you have issues with LO sleeping? My guy hates being swaddled but wakes himself up when I don't swaddle. Trying to find a happy medium.

I still swaddle, but when she's being extra fussy about it, I leave an arm out - or both! I have the Aden and Anais swaddle sack thing and that works pretty nice when I leave both arms out. I think they just like feeling secure - even if it's just around the torso instead of arms.

SharLovesAlex · May 2015

TwinsCitiesMomma said:
For those who've stopped swaddling, did you have issues with LO sleeping? My guy hates being swaddled but wakes himself up when I don't swaddle. Trying to find a happy medium.

Mine does the same, which is why I swaddle him. I'd try leaving an arm free tonight, but I'm afraid to because he swings his arms so wildly, I know he'll wake himself up. I want him to have restful sleep, but I don't want him to be uncomfortable, either..?

lhill88 · May 2015

@TwinsCitiesMomma my daughter doesn't have any trouble going to sleep without being swaddled. I breastfeed her around 7:30, burp her when she's done, and usually hold her for about 5 minutes after she eats and she just passed out in my arms most nights. Then I lay her down and she's out until about 3-4am when she wakes up to eat again.

A lot of times I put a pacifier in when she's done eating and when she's sucking on the paci, she doesn't flail her arms. It helps her settle down to go to sleep then she spits it out usually.

chelsco13 · May 2015

I swaddle mine with her arms out because she sleeps with her arms up above her head

soxgurl · May 2015

My daughter hasn't been in a swaddle since the day she came from the hospital. She would just scream and cry until she got her arms free. She does sleep in a sleep sack though. It seems to keep her legs from moving so much and she sleeps well in it.

Lcasto · May 2015

A friend of mine says she's had a lot of success with the Mod Swad when her newbie stopped enjoying being swaddled with a traditional swaddle blanket.. Might be worth looking into?

SharLovesAlex · May 2015

@lcasto I looked at those. We still have a ton of Babies R Us and BuyBuy Baby gift cards...maybe we can get one.

TwinsCitiesMomma · May 2015

@SharLovesAlex Exactly my issue with the arms flailing.

Last night I put him in a wombie with arms out- did not work. He woke himself up with arms swinging. Put him back in Halo swaddle with arms in but I waited until he was sleepy again so thankfully he did not realize he was bring swaddled. Guess I'll do that going forward. He slept for a stretch of five hours! Success!

SharLovesAlex · May 2015

TwinsCitiesMomma said:

@SharLovesAlex Exactly my issue with the arms flailing.

Last night I put him in a wombie with arms out- did not work. He woke himself up with arms swinging. Put him back in Halo swaddle with arms in but I waited until he was sleepy again so thankfully he did not realize he was bring swaddled. Guess I'll do that going forward. He slept for a stretch of five hours! Success!

I always have to wait til he's asleep to swaddle, or else it's a struggle! Once he wakes up, he looks down at the Swaddle and back at me like he's been tricked haha! Boy, he sure hates it. He struggles against it once he wakes. He struggles so hard, he toots. I try not to laugh, but it's super funny/cute.

myjessesgirl · May 2015

My LO hates having her arms swaddled from day one, too. But she doesn't usually startle herself awake. I just leave her arms out at night which seems to work. She recently really found her hands, so while she's always been a hand-to-mouth baby, she's being far more purposeful with sucking on her fingers to soothe. Maybe your LO is going through a similar phase, in which case he should eventually be able to sleep better without the swaddle.

lauraj555 · May 2015

My LO hates to be swaddled but sleeps so much better when swaddled. I ordered a love to dream swaddle. I'm hoping she likes this one! Hope you find something that works!

aframe77 · May 2015

I don't swaddle at night because he sleeps best in a sleeping sack (which are awesome) with his arms over his head. During the day however I find he takes longer more restful naps when he is swaddled. He fights it at first, so often I walk him around in a carrier till he's good and drowsy and then attempt the swaddle. He still gives me the angry face while I'm doing it but once he's in he usually settles down pretty quickly. If you use pacifiers that sometimes helps initially as well. Good luck!

ngolimento · May 2015

Try a sleeping sack product. My LO hated having her arms in a downward position, so I got a Love To Dream transition sack. It swaddles her with her little arms up by her face, but still held so she doesn't startle. The best part is that the little arm pieces zip off so when she is ready to transition, you just take them off one at a time while she gets used to it. It's basically a miracle product. I can't recommend it enough.

SharLovesAlex · May 2015

Peledreamsofrain said:
Try a sleeping sack product. My LO hated having her arms in a downward position, so I got a Love To Dream transition sack. It swaddles her with her little arms up by her face, but still held so she doesn't startle. The best part is that the little arm pieces zip off so when she is ready to transition, you just take them off one at a time while she gets used to it. It's basically a miracle product. I can't recommend it enough.

Thanks! We have tons of gift cards, so I'll look into one!

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