Alternative Sleeping for 3 1/2 Month

I agree with the sleep sack.

I have a 7 week old and I have been swaddling him in his crib and standing by his side as he falls asleep. I'll rock his little body gently while he lays there and drifts off. Not sure if it would work w/ a 3 1/2 month old, but I thought I'd share my experience.

I swaddled my son until he was 6 months old, and it worked wonderfully. My son would wiggle out of it as well at times, but we would usually find him asleep like that. I would try to get a new swaddle, assuming you are using that and not a blanket. I found the velcro on the swaddle gets worn and losens easily and the new swaddle helped my son. It wasn't that he didn't like it, but that the velcro was too loose. You can also tranisition her to a sleep sak, but I would try a new swaddle first. Hope this helps!

H.

I kept my daughter swaddled until 4 or 5 months. We used the 'swaddle me' which made it easy to keep her swaddled. Eventually she started getting one hand out and we swaddled her with her arms out. then eventually she became okay without it.
I was worried I was swaddling her for too long but it all worked out okay.

I swaddled my daughter until 9 months. The only reason I stopped was because it got warm out. Do you swaddle her with the receiving blanket or an actual swaddle blanket? I switched to a swaddle blanket because my daughter wiggled alot too. Put a radio in her room, that helps reduce/distract noise. My daycare provider layed her down in bed she would go right to sleep for her in a very dark room. After that I started laying her down for bed. I had to let her cry it out for about 45 minutes. Today I'm glad I did.
Good Luck!

Here's a good article http://www.babycenter.com/0_swaddling-your-baby_125.bc related to swaddling (how to and when to stop). You might find it helpful :)

They have a blanket you can buy at babys r us called a swaddler it velcros so its harder for them to break free, even tho its not advised I ended up putting my chikdren on there stomachs about that age and they slept thru the whole not, I felt kinda safe because studies have shown that children with pacifiers are at less risk for sids.

my daughter was a strange one....she didn't want to be swaddled....it took us a while to figure that out...because what baby doesn't?? she was also one that wanted to soothe herself to sleep, and not be held or rocked or anything...she wanted to be propped on her side, with a blanket touching her cheek.
a friend of mine has twin girls...one wanted to be wrapped tight, the other wanted a small washcloth size blanket, placed over her head...wouldn't fall asleep until it was there...
instead of forcing her to sleep with the swaddler...try other things you never know...

My 2nd daughter NEEDED to be swaddled until she was almost a year. When she out grew the baby blanket I went to the fabric store and bought a yard of flannel and sewed a seam around it and used that to swaddle her. My 3rd daughter, who is almost 6 months is the same way! Sleep is good I will swaddle her until she goes to college if I have too!!
Blessings, K.

Most babies get up during the night, no matter what you do. They don't have a clue that adults want to sleep. You can try putting her down later to coincide more with your schedule, but that may not solve it. If she only gets up once, you're very lucky.

P.,

My son (who is now 21 months) use to fight out of his swaddle all the time. I would lay him on his side and sometimes in a positioner, but I know not all children like the positioner. What I would do was to just swaddle everything but one arm and or everthing but his arm. Sometimes just the blankets wrap securly around her may help her sleep. My son slept OK doing that. If that does not work try getting a thin blanket that you can tuck in the sides of her crib and lay her on her back with the blanket up to her shoulders tucked in. I tried everything and it is not until they get out of that stage when they do that reflex jumping at night will they sleep more soundly. Good luck.

Two out of three of my kids loved to be swaddled for the longest time. I found that the stretchy fabric swaddles were great, I use an Australian one from Pumpkin patch, but I know there are others in Carters. I found they were great because I could stretch them tight. As they got older I put them in a sleep sack and would just Swaddle there shoulders and arms as I found it was the kicking that was un-swaddling them. hope it helps.

Maybe try buying the swaddle type blanket it velcors so I dont think she will be able to wiggle herself out. Walmart has them either Halo Swaddle Blanket ($29.98) or
a Kiddopotamus Swaddle Blanket($9.95 up to $19.95))
No she isnt to old to be swaddled just getting more active and maybe she is getting a little too warm. You can also try lighter pj's or a onesie to see if she is just too warm

In this warm weather, I hate to even mention it. But, have you tried a heating blanket. We never used one... I just get up with the baby (groggy ;o)). Some moms I know swear by them, though.

Try putting her in a sleep sack. My kids loved them.

Well really the only thing I can suggest is wrap her up and lay her down and let it go from there, she should adjust to it. I'm a first time mom as well and I can't keep my little one covered up at all and she is now 7 1/2 months. She starts out all snuggley and when i check on her here and there before I go to bed she has the covers kicked off and in a new position from where she started.

I swaddled my son until he was about 5 months old, he loved it and felt very secure. Even after that I would still wrap him up tight if he was crying a lot. Something I did before I stopped swaddling him and putting him to bed was to sleep him in a boppy. You can move the sides of it close to your daughter so she feels secure. This worked GREAT with my son. Once he was used to that I stopped swaddling him, it was summer and getting too hot! It was a little rough the first night but after that he did great. He has slept with the boppy until he was about 11 month old. I have heard a few people tell me he shouldn't have that in his bed but his crib was next to my bed and he always remained in the same place while sleeping. I knew he was safe - you may feel different if your daughter moves a lot. My son is 13 months old and sleeps on a pillow in his crib now and is just fine! :) Good luck!!

HI!

I swaddled my daughter for almost 6 months. She too liked to wiggle out... I would just wrap her back up. Eventually I started swaddling with one arm out. Then evetually moved to two arms out and just swaddling around her body. Finally we moved to nothing.

We did it this way because she had a hard time settling down without being swaddled. She's getting out because she is getting more wiggly and mobile.

You can swaddle pretty tightly without harm. As suggested the stretchy muslin type swaddle blankets are REALLY good for this. Also, if you make sure you sort of get it up over her shoulder... it helps as well.

Good luck.

Our son always got his hands out of swaddling. We actually started just having him in a sleep sack for warmth at about 8 weeks, and then stopped that at 4 months. It really didn't change his sleep pattern. In the middle of winter we just wanted something warmer on hiim.

When I read this I had to smile because we were in the same situation with our little girl, knowing we needed to stop swaddling, yet not willing to sacrifice a good night sleep (my daughter would sleep 10 hours straight!!)....Anyways, she is 6 months old now and has officially broke herself of swaddling without our help! We still swaddle her to get her to sleep and soon after she breaks out of it on her own and stays asleep! Looking back I am glad I didn't try to fix the problem because it took care of itself without any sleep lost!
I hope you have the same luck. And besides, who cares what other people think you should be doing, they don't live at your house at night!

J. B.

You can continue swaddling her for quite some time now, but leave her arms out - that's the new "rule" now, anyway. And this may give you some added time. Good luck.