Swaddling - Tucson,AZ

I swaddled my daughter until she was about 5-6 months old. She gave us the cues when she could nap without being swaddled and when she could roll over on her own and we new she was old enough that if she woke herself up we could let her cry a bit without needing to rush in and feed her or help her back to sleep. I have a 12 week old and I still swaddle him for naptime and bedtime. if I don't he startles himself awake and is not old enough to get himself back to sleep. He is beginning to give us clues though as he wiggles his hands and arms out sometimes but I will keep swaddling him for another month or two. Each kid will be different. If you are brave, try putting them to bed without it and see how long she can go. If she wakes frequently you can always opt to swaddle her in the middle of the night to get her down.

First of all, congratulations!!

All babies are different....my oldest loved being swaddled for the first couple of months any time he slept and even sometimes when he was wide awake. My newest (7.5 weeks now) hates it! Even while we were still in the hospital he would fuss whenever he was swaddled. He's just a more active baby, I think, and doesn't like the restriction.

So just pay attention to how your little girl is responding. If she likes it and it is comforting for her to be swaddled at bedtime and naptime, then do it. If and when she no longer wants to be swaddled, try something new!

We used the same thing on our kids! Love it. They used them during naps and bedtime. We stopped using them when they could "break free". I wouldn't worry too much about it. They love it in there when they are small and when they get bigger and don't need it, they will let you know!

Swaddling at nap-time can help the baby sleep better and longer, especially when sleep-training to a specific nap schedule. When the baby starts pulling his/her hands out of the swaddle or kicking it off, it's time to stop swaddling. If you stop swaddling and the baby doesn't sleep as well, go back to swaddling. There's no set time to stop and some kids like it for many months. I switched to a Sleep-Sack swaddle with my daughter when she was about 6 weeks or so and un-doing the receiving blanket swaddle, then just stopped using the swaddle part a few weeks later and kept her in the Sleep-Sack only. She is 10 months old and we still use a Sleep-Sack for her at bedtime. Good luck!

Swaddle her as long as she likes it and it makes her comfortable. Most babies outgrow it naturally and they let you know that they don't want it. Both my kids liked to be swaddled for longer than 3 months. My first was around 6 months and my second around 5 months. So go with what baby is telling you. I liked the idea from Happiest Baby on the Block that the first 3 months of life is the 4th trimester and that's when baby is adjusting to life on the outside and still needs some of the comforts of the womb.

Hello,

I swaddled my twins at all naps and night with the miracle blanket until they were 4 1/2 months and began breaking out of the blanket. Yep, they figured out how to get out of that miracle blanket.

How long you swaddle is up to you and your baby. See how long she can stand being swaddled. Some like to go for awhile and others not at all.

Hope that helps.

Steph

There is no evidence that swaddling for sleep does any harm to the baby's development, but it does help prolong sleeping periods for some babies and calm them down (If you don't have the Happiest Baby on the Block DVD, consider borrowing it from a library or buying it). So feel free to swaddle your baby any time she is sleeping. I swaddled my oldest till 5 months and my son only to 3 months when I couldn't find a blanket big enough to contain his chubby body. Babies often will let you know when they are too big to swaddle because they will be able to get their arms out on their own. Best wishes enjoying your baby! R. Nurse midwife mom of 3

We swaddled our dd until she was 9 months, naps and all. After awhile she would unswaddle her arms herself, which was fine, but in the begining, she just couldnt sleep without it. there is no set time limit, we used the swaddleme's from Babies r us.

I swaddled mine almost all the time for the first month and then started breaking away a little which she inevitable made easy because she started moving and kicking a lot and didn't like to be swaddled as much. Mine is 9 weeks old tomorrow and now she just sleeps or naps in a full sleeper outfit and a light blanket over her from the waist down. I think your baby will just naturally grow out of it and by the way, mine is too big for the miracle swaddle blanket now (we had 2 and I loved them too). It doesn't seem like it, but your baby is going to grow fast~ lots of blessings to you and her.

I swaddle for each time I actually want my baby to go to sleep so that the routine is consistent. I usually do this between sides while feeding so he doesn't get woken by swaddling. I don't swaddle when he is falling asleep and I am trying to keep him up. I also swaddle for extremely fussy times. My last babies were swaddled until about 4 months. My youngest is 9 weeks and is currently being swaddled with one arm out since that is how he is happy and it still helps with the startle reflex.

I don't know if there is an average, but we swaddled out son for about 2 months anytime he slept. We just recently stopped swaddling him at night just this weekend, and he is now 6 months old. Good luck!

I think it is up to the baby. Does she have trouble sleeping at naps? My son stopped the nap swaddle at about 8 weeks, but continued nighttime swaddle. He loved it and we only stopped when he consistently broke out of it (he liked to fight it, but was so upset if he wasn't swaddled). It was also good when he starting grabbing and pushing during feedings. I could leave him swaddled and use it as a straight jacket to keep myself sane during breastfeeding. :)