swaddling

[red crayon]

My 5 month old has now reached the stage where I'll need to stop swaddling him. It's not helping to settle him anymore and he spends most of his settling time doing a houdini and escaping his wrap. Have mums found that settling babies without the swaddle is different? Will I need any new techniques? Thanks.

[razzle]

Hi Jacquie

I used to wrap Eloise until she started to fight it, then I just let her do her own thing. I didn't have any problems at all with her settling without the wrap.

[red crayon]

Thanks, Rach. I appreciate your response :o

[andrewsmum]

This is a bit embarrassing but I was still wrapping my son when he was 11 months old. He seemed to understand that the wrap meant it was time for a sleep.

I then progressed to the GroBag (a sleeping bag without sleeves) and he has adapted to it very well and is still using it at 18months old.

[alicesmum]

i stopped wrapping alice at 8 months because she started to fight it. however, she started to kick off the blankets and, when over-tired, would thrash around a bit , so I now use 3 light blankets and VERY QUICKLY tuck them tightly into the sides of the cot mattress to make sure she can't kick them off. I also sometimes push extra bunny rugs down the side of the mattrtess so she really can't kick them off. This has worked beautifully, however, by morning she has still completely worked her way out of them, but it works sufficiently to get her to settle. :p

[madvoice]

Raleigh started fighting against swaddling at 2 months (now 11 weeks). She actually settled better without being wrapped. Go figure?

I make sure she has warmer clothes at night and drape a blanket over her. She does manage to wriggle out of it but usually doesn't wake until feed time. She's been surprising me by shuffling from one end of the cot to the other. I also found that she only sleeps on her tummy. I know this goes against all SIDS advice but its what works for her.

[cleighsa]

i still wrap my little girl and she is 10mths. it is her routine and knows its bedtime when she gets wrapped. she can get out if she wants but i think she is quite comfy and cosy and happy to be wrapped.

[lilsmum]

I was dreading my DD's wrapping coming to an end as she settled so well when wrapped and definately didn't if she wasn't. I ended up getting a sleeping bag, the ones you always see in Big W, Best & Less etc and started tucking the sleeves in to start with when I put her in it. It was the best thing I ever did. She sleeps so well because she must still feel secure enough. I put the arms out after about a month and she was absolutely fine.

It's worth a try as the sleeping bags are only about $12.

Let us know how you go :)



Kylie

[H&B'sMum]

I was worried about the same thing and in the end I had to wean Harry off his wrap. A sleeping bag is a great idea. They still feel secure and don't kick the blankets off in winter. Once I weaned Harry off his wrap he sleeps beautifully and I didn't change my settling techniques, just kept with the same routine.

Good luck

[funnyfarm]

My daughter Briana is still being lightly wrapped, but her arms are out. She is just over 12 months old. I went through the dilemma at around 5 months whether to not wrap her any more as she was always unwrapping herself but she got past this.

Now, as soon as i wrap her and walk out the room she unwrappes herself anyway, but it seems to tell her that it is bedtime.