Sunday, December 11

To Swaddle or Not to Swaddle...That is the Question

So Baby C is going to be six months old next week {and no I haven't posted her birth story yet...bad mommy!} and she is still swaddled.  And honestly, up until a week or so ago, I really didn't think that much about it.  But after reading a few blogs and checking out twitter, apparently I'm not supposed to still be swaddling her at this age?!!?  {Little M *hated* being swaddled, so we never did...so I have no experience with swaddling a baby} Well I should clarify it, they don't recommend that you keep swaddling a baby if they can roll over, because it's just not safe.  But while Baby C has been able to roll over both ways for a while, she never even attempted to do it at night.  At least not until last night.
I put Baby C down to bed at 7 pm, her usual time, all swaddled up, on her back.  Around 8:30 I was checking on the girls on the video monitor and I noticed that Baby C was now laying on her stomach.  I bolted upstairs and flipped her back onto her back.  But that stubborn little girl kept trying to flip on her stomach again!  So I unswaddled her and she thankfully fell back asleep.

An hour passed and before I knew it, Baby C had rolled her cute little face right into the slats on the crib {and since they're pretty much making bumpers illegal, we don't use them any more}  That act obviously woke her up again.  This time I couldn't calm her down again until I swaddled her.  So back to bed swaddled she went.

She stayed unless until Skip and I were getting ready for bed around midnight.  She was sleeping on her side, and I was waaay too paranoid to let her stay like that, so I snuck in her room and unswaddled both arms, but kept the swaddle around her waist and legs.  That seemed to work pretty good.  She did wake up one more time during the night, but that was to eat.  We fed her and put her back down with her arms out of the swaddle. 

This morning we swaddled her all the way for her morning nap.  She slept about an hour.  For her afternoon nap I left her arms out of the swaddle.  She only slept for 20 minutes.  Then I went back in her room and reswaddled her with her arms in and she slept for another hour and a half. 

So now I'm kind of at a loss as to what to do.  I don't really feel that comfortable having her totally swaddled since she can flip onto her stomach and I'm not sure she would be able to flip back. {Naptime I don't mind too much because I can watch her on the video monitor.  But at the same time...I do want her to sleep!  She barely sleeps much as it is, I don't know if we can take it if she wakes up even more. 

Anyone have any tips on breaking the swaddle and still managing to get some sleep?  Or any tips on how to get Baby C to sleep at all??  Thanks!

5 comments:

The Mrs. said...

What kind of jammies does she wear?

I'd have her sleep unswaddled... or just swaddled under her arms so she can move them freely.

Is there a possibility she is mine? I mean, I like to sleep all wrapped up in my blankets.

Lindsey said...

I am so sorry you are going through this!! Mama needs some sleep for sure!! Carter's and babies r us sell these awesome sleep sacks that are sleeveless but also come with long sleeves and can be bought in cotton or fleece depending on the season- my younger one loved to be swaddled and then we started using these and they're a lifesaver!!

5ohWifey said...

switching from the swaddle is SO hard! We swaddled 5ohBaby under her arms first and then went no swaddle after a week. As fot the rest of the sleeping, I swear by 2 things routine and a sound machine. We do the same routine EVERY SINGLE NIGHT even though the time varys. Sometime around 6:30 we take 5ohBaby up for a bath (every other night). She plays a little and gets energy out. Then we take her to her room (every night) and rub her down with some of that sleepy time lotion and change her diaper. She's still wiggling but more calm. Then we read a book and a baby bible story in her chair. She's even more still. Then we turn off the light and turn on the sound machine to the same sound- ocean. She nurses in her chair or sometimes 5ohHubby feeds her a bottle. Then we put her into her crib awake and she babbles herself to sleep.

It was a commitment at first but it has made our lives SO much easier! Same thing every night: bath-lotion-story-soundmachine-nursing-bed. The routine has really helped her and its designed to calm her gradually. I love it. Just my thoughts!

(http://www.target.com/p/Homedics-Sound-Spa-Lullaby-Relaxation-Machine/-/A-10707864)

Perfectly Imperfect said...

We broke BG out of the swaddle slowly. Just one arm out for a while, then both. Then eventually out of it. I would take one arm out at least so she can push herself up if need be. But just break out of it slowly. It worked like a charm for us.

Ashley said...

My son was swaddled for the first couple of months and then we switched to the fleece sleep sacks (he was born in the winter). Those are awesome. My swaddling skills weren't the best so I felt much better with him in the sleep sack than in a semi-tight swaddle.

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