15 August 2010

i have a quick question about swaddling and would so love your reply...

do/did you swaddle your little one for nap time(s) and night time? or just one or the other?
sweet baby g sleeps so soundly at night (swaddled), i am just wondering if i should try using this technique beyond the night time hours...

also, how old was your wee one when you stopped swaddling?
how did you know when to?

thank you to anyone who responds, i promise you it will be much appreciated :)

*non mommy's with ideas please feel free to respond, your thoughts are greatly welcomed!

10 comments:

anne said...

I don't have any babies, but I have heard this discussion many times.

A few friends had kids who were swaddled up until 6ish months. Now, the doctors don't typically recommend allowing it to continue that long, but it's what worked for them.

Some had to quit cold-turkey and another found it helpful to slowly loosen the swaddle.

Oh, and when this has come up in conversation, it sounds like most of them swaddled their kids anytime they laid them down to sleep. Guess it's up to you. ;)

P.S. I'm anxious to see the other suggestions. :)

Anonymous said...

Haz had to be swaddled because she wanted to suck her thumb, but hadn't mastered it yet. She kept whacking her face in frustration. I must have stopped once she got more control of her hands.

And like Anne said, I'm pretty sure we swaddled for naps as well, in fact the first month or so, we wrapped her about 24/7. I've also read the idea of slowly unswaddling. Like leave one arm out, or loosen it, ect.

Me... said...

Madeline just a few weeks ago started sleeping without being swaddled. We used it for both naptimes and night. It really helps for naptimes, then they don't wake themselfs with a startle reflex. Logan was also swaddled for about five to six months.
sometime they will squirm and be fussy when you are wrapping them up but they'll calm down, it doesn't mean they don't want it.
I would for sure try it during they day, she may even like it when she is awake and just chillin(maddie was a happy girl all day being swaddled). And don't be afraid of wrapping it tightly, you won't hurt her or sufficate her :) the older she gets the tighter you'll have to make it so she doesn't wiggle her arms loose. hope it does wonders for naptimes :)

Stacy said...

Hi Nicole! I found your blog off of Kara's and have been reading about your little girl - so adorable! Not sure if you remember me from LBS/Christ's Church days but I thought I'd say "hi!" Swaddling is WONDERFUL. We swaddled my little guy for 5 months for both night time and naps. It totally calmed him down, got him to sleep longer and he loved it (even if he found it for a few seconds at the beginning). We stopped cold turkey around 5months when he started being able to roll from his back to his tummy in his sleep. I thought the transition would be tough, but it was really smooth...he woke up a few times that first night and then we were golden after that. Once he mastered the rolling over to his tummy and was able to sleep on his tummy it was SO great!.

A to Z said...

Hi Nicole! I swaddle Paisley for both naps and night time because I found that she slept a lot longer for naps while being swaddled. I'm kind of in the same boat as you as far as when to stop. I'm not sure? Paisley is almost 6 months and is breaking free from her swaddle, so I am assuming she is ready to not be swaddled. BUT.. she pulls her paci out when not being swaddled and then cries, cries, cries! So I will be checking back here for advice as well :)

christy said...

We swaddled Case at night and for naps. I stopped around 7ish months. He would have gone longer, but I wanted him to be done. It was a process - just trying different things until he could sleep without it.

kel said...

We swaddled both kids during any sleeping hours, until they were ready to sleep on their stomach. LOVED the method. Ian was 8 months when we switched to sleeping on his belly, and Ana was 6 months.

I'd say on the "pro-swaddling" end, not only does swaddling comfort the baby, but it also aids the sleep thing. :)

On the anti-swaddling end, I wonder if you should avoid "going backwards" by starting swaddling now. Since she sleeps at night without being swaddled, I'd say don't go back to it, and let her figure how to self-soothe during the day. That may mean putting her down when she's tired enough, so she can cry herself to sleep without too much strain.

Hope that helped. Us moms are all so different, its all up to your own mommy instincts! :)

CMC said...

We swaddled Harper for naps & bedtime, but not really consistently. She was pretty "take it or leave it", and usually broke her arms out. I used the "Happiest Baby on the Block" method of 5 S's a lot when she was fussy and that involved swaddling - but some nights she'd go down without needing that and I'd just put her in a sleep sack. Sorry, I'm not much help! I tried to go read back on my blog to see if I had written about it - but I honestly can't remember when we stopped :) We quit pretty much cold turkey (transitioned to full time sleep sack use) right around the time she started rolling over though (so 4-5ish months, maybe?)

Anonymous said...

I swaddled my son until he was 7-ish months for naps and bedtime. He would startle awake and take mini naps otherwise (unless being held). As he got bigger I just swaddled his arms, leaving his feet free. I'm a baby nurse and am BIG on swaddling! It's the only way I got him to take naps on his own!! It ended when he would wiggle loose and stay asleep. : )

Anonymous said...

I swaddled all my babies at naps and bedtime. Have you tried the Woombie. Alicia uses them with her son (5 months) and they are wonderful. I admit, at first I made fun of them calling it his straight jacket, but I really do like them. Debbie