Swaddles - When to stop?

missnc77 · July 2016

I'm surprised we don't have an all things swaddle thread at this point!

We moved DD out of our room and to the nursery two nights ago. She's outgrown her bassinet, so we've been trying the crib. Last night, my husband woke up and saw that she was still swaddled in her velcro swaddle me, arms were still inside swaddled moved/folded into a prayer hand type position at her chest, but she had turned on her side. I'm freaked out now. I'm sure she was thrashing around and the momentum made her end up on her side which she likes to sleep on anyway. I know it's okay if they turn there themselves, but her arms were still in the swaddle. Is it time to stop? She won't go to sleep and stay asleep without her arms swaddled, so I don't know what we're going to do. She still has the startle reflex enough to wake her up.

Not looking for other swaddle recommendations. We've tried them all at his point - miracle blankets, swaddle mes, halos, woombies, love to dream.

dshannah · July 2016

Sorry to say it but I think it's time to stop swaddling:( Rolling over is the moment it becomes unsafe to Swaddle, right?

I know you said no recommendations, but there are swaddles out there that allow freedom of arm movement and still quiet the startle reflex, like the zipadeezip : https://www.sleepingbaby.com/

tgortney · July 2016

I dread when the day comes and DS can't be swaddled anymore

startling themselves awake is the worst. Feels like the 30 minutes you spent rocking was wasted.

I would be freaked too. I'd probably stop. No other advice to give but good luck!

nerdymama15 · July 2016

Target has one. I can't remember the name of it. It cost around 20 dollars. You put their arms in a sleeveless portion of it. Then you have the option of swaddling with the arms in or out.

missnc77 · July 2016

We have it - but she startles herself awake with arms out.

Bellodomani · July 2016

Yeah, swaddling with arms out is totally pointless at this age. Everyone has varying levels of tolerance for what feels safe- I did not stop swaddling either baby when they rolled into their side, but as soon as my son rolled fully either way I stopped. I did use the zippadee zip with great success to wean him from the swaddle, but he was 4 months old and likely growing out of his startle reflex anyway. Do you have anything with sloped sides like a rock & play or the infant attachment to the pack & play that you could sleep her in to get through the next month or two? Virginia can roll onto her side on a flat surface but not in the rock & play. I think you basically have to balance your concerns about her potentially rolling further with the potential that she (and you!) may not get much sleep if you stop the swaddle before 3-4 months.

yogahh · July 2016

I dread this day as well. Baby girl will not sleep on her back more than 5 minutes without being swaddled. No advice just wanted to say I hope you figure it out, and then let us know what works. I have a zipadeezip for when the time comes, and hoping it doesn't now as even the smallest size is hugggggeeee on her!

Jenly17 · July 2016

Google Magic Sleep suit and let your life be changed. It. Is. Awesome.

missnc77 · July 2016

@jenly17 I ordered one yesterday. I should get it tomorrow!

We finally hooked up the owlet monitor I bought pre-birth and used one of her tighter swaddle mes last night. She didn't turn on her side and slept for 7-8 hours straight in her crib. We couldn't believe it.

But it yes ladies, the struggle is real for when you have to stop swaddling. May the force be with us.

kbrands7 · July 2016

I agree with @bellodomani that it depends on your comfort level in the decision. If sleep were to break down entirely before the Moro reflex settles (often around or after the 3rd leap) that could pose dangers, but so could her rolling fully on her stomach with her arms pinned.

I stopped swaddling arms in when my boys were able to roll on their sides. DS2 likes to be swaddled arms out, but his startle reflex doesn't wake him fully; he lifts his arms and puts them right back down again. He sleeps without a swaddle often at this point. I think he just likes the extra warmth around his waist from the swaddle sometimes.

tripledaggerWed95976 · July 2016

My doctor said to stop swaddling at 2 months. We use the halo swaddle and just leave his arms out- the doctor said as long as their arms are out its ok

JessicaB0627 · July 2016

DD is still in the halo swaddle. She hasn't started rolling over yet but I'm planning to try to wean her off of the swaddle before that happens. I'm going to try swaddling with 1 arm out for a week or so and then swaddling with both arms out before I stop swaddling completely. Once she's out of the swaddle I'm going to try putting her in the halo sleep sack and hope for the best! I'm nervous about getting rid of it though.

gamommyx3 · July 2016

We stopped swaddling at 5 weeks. What worked for us is feety pajamas and a bedtime routine so that he was very relaxed & less likely to startle awake. It took about a week before swaddles were phased out conpletely. He still startles himself awake if he's not completely asleep when he goes down. No idea if this works for everyone or if we got lucky.

Kurrant · July 2016

I'm really anxious to get away from the swaddles. It's so frustrating when she starts to fall asleep at the boob and I realize I didn't put her little sleep suit on yet. I would love to be able to just put her down no matter what she has on. We haven't started trying yet because it's just so great that she's actually sleeping more than 30 minutes at a time ... we want to enjoy it a bit more before we disrupt her routine.

I was thinking of starting soon during the day naps then removing it at night as well once she seems used to it a bit. She's 10 weeks.

LadySamLady · July 2016

We never had any success with swaddling but LO stopped startling herself awake eventually. Now she doesn't even wake up when she smacks herself in the face.

Sharra13 · July 2016

LO has rolled onto her side since day 1, in her bassinet. She just seems to alwaysxwant to sleep on her left side, though I've noticed her doing it a tony bit less lately. Still swaddling at almost 8 weeks. Her arms are in but bent with her hands out, near her face/head--that is how she just has to be! She'll nap in her footy pjs, so I've been thinking of trying that on occasion at night to start transitioning her, soon.

NinnyJean · July 2016

Pollie has only ever slept swaddled for bedtime, during the day she always naps without one and would be fine. When we moved her to her crib last week (six weeks) we stopped swaddling her arms in because I made me nervous to have her in another room with her arms swaddled in. She's now able to sleep in just her sleep sack with no problems!

lbachran · July 2016

DS is 13 weeks and still swaddled. His damn Moro reflex is still very apparent and he wakes himself constantly if not swaddled. We're going to have to move him out of the bassinet soon due to weight, but he'll still be sleeping in our room (just on the Dream on Me mattress in the pnp). I guess we're going to have to look into the zippadeezip because he doesn't make it more than 15 minutes in the Halo Sleep sacks without the arm wrap. We were considering the magic sleep suit, but this is Texas and that thing looks too hot for triple digit heat. Original poster, if you find a solution, please update us.

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