Breaking the swaddle
It’s end of an era over here…
Two nights ago was Liv’s first night in her crib and also without her swaddle. We figured it was time to stop since she busts out of it every night anyway and she can roll over from back to tummy. She’s almost too big for the bassinet, so we decided to try out the crib to give her some extra room.
Even though she’s literally 20 feet away from the bed –the nursery is attached to the master- the first night, I missed having her next to me in the bassinet 🙁 On the other hand, I slept really well since I didn’t hear the funny noises she’ll make during the night, just the legit fusses. It took her a second to get used to the crib, but she only woke up twice for food and snuggles, then happily back to sleep. She looked so sweet with her hands overhead, comfy and crashed out.
Last night, on the other hand, was the polar opposite.
It’s mostly my fault because I put a sleep sack on her to keep her feet warm, which she ended up hating, and then was up every hour. Not hungry, just overtired and not stoked to be in the crib. Eventually I brought her into the bassinet, and when her arms kept smacking the sides of it, back into the swaddle. That was only thing that stopped the insanity, but by that time it was 6am and I stayed awake, afraid that she’d roll over.
I’ve heard of these Zippadee Zips from a few different websites, and while extremely goofy –like a star wizard jumpsuit- they’re supposed to be a good transition piece from swaddle to nothing. I ordered one for Liv, but am wondering if she’ll hate it since she didn’t like the sleep sack.
For naptime, I’m still swaddling her – she sleeps better and it’s easy to make sure she doesn’t roll over
but I have no idea how to break the swaddle at night.
Any ideas?
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I’ve heard to wean then gradually- start with 1 arm out then the other, etc.
You just gotta do it. It gets better. The first few nights for us were rough too but things improved within 4 nights or so. He likes his sleep sack now. Helps prevent legs from getting stuck in the crib slats too. Your little one seems to be a really good sleeper so I think the transition will be ok.
like Heather mentioned, i’ve heard 1 arm out. then the next night both arms out. after that adjustment, no swaddle. but honestly, i think we went cold turkey with our boys. i dreaded it, dreaded it and dreaded it and then it was a piece of cake. i had dreaded it for no reason at all.
So, I’m not a mom, but I just took a business trip with my coworker who has a 6-month-old baby, and she put him in this thing called “Merlin’s Magic Sleep Suit” at night. She said that she started using it after he was done in the swaddle but was waking himself up at night, and it’s pricey but totally worth it because he’s slept through the night ever since they got it. (Which, you can’t put a price on that, haha.) BONUS: it looks like the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Baby Suit. I think the idea is that it is a heavier sleep suit, so their little sleep motions are kind of weighted down and they don’t wake themselves up? Not sure, but boy was it adorable.
I heard that Merlins Magic Sleep Suit is a life saver too!
Am I a complete ogre for putting my babies unswaddled, with a bumper pad, directly into their crib from day 1? I don’t get all the extra “stuff” required. I’ve got 3 kids (12, 10 & 2) all perfectly healthy with no near death sleep experiences.
Live & learn.
absolutely not…
it’s my first time so i’ll get to use these experiences with any future children. i love the advice that fellow moms have been able to share along the way
I’m an “old” mom with a young woman for a daughter now, but I never swaddled and she did fine. I do remember wanting her to be close in the cradle, but after a month my husband insisted that I move her to the crib so I would actually sleep and I did do better and had the baby monitor on, plus she was just a few yards away in her little room! I know there are always trends in caring for a baby whether it be sleeping on their back, on their tummy, on their side, etc and I guess the swaddling is one of those things. I imagine she will be fine whatever you do. Just relax and enjoy her! She really is a beautiful baby and I am so happy for you all.
thank you, logan! i’m a proud mama 🙂
same with my mom. she never swaddled any of us, and we always slept on our tummy, and we were fine 🙂
xoxo
I just put it loosely on my boys for a couple of nites and they figured out the rest…so good luck! 🙂
I swaddled for the first month and then stopped because well he wasn’t comfortable anymore/too big for it. Once he was used to sleeping without being swaddled he was fine. It took maybe two nights. I never bought any of the swaddles tho, I did blanket swaddling. I kept nothing in the crib with him, including no bumper. I heard they can roll near the bumper and then not be able to breath. So I took it right off even tho the crib looked much nicer with one. Rather safety than style. I don’t know how helpful this is =)
thank you, jani! we got some of the mesh breathable bumpers, so if she ends up next to one she can still breathe
that’s good to know it only took two nights.. hopefully it will be the same over here
We swaddled until 5 months, just using bigger blankets. If she’s not ready to stop, your probably ok to keep going. You will hear her cry if she rolls over and gets stuck. But other wise I would say, babies are pretty adaptable, you might have a few rough nights, but she will get used to being without it. Buying a bunch of different sleep apparatuses might just make things more complicated!
that’s a very good point
yes! We tried one arm out for a couple weeks and it just wasn’t working. We’re at 6 months and still swaddling because she still very much needs it. Our pediatrician told us that she’s confident in our daughter’s head control and loud voice, and that her getting good sleep was what is most important.
I say if she still does well with swaddling to an extent, and the only problem is that she’s “breaking” it, keep doing it…that’s what I did. I swaddled my son until he was 4 1/2 months and he turned out okay. 😉 Eventually it just becomes a non-issue, really.
could he roll over? or not yet?
My kids are in their 20’s now, we never swaddled them and (gasps) even put them to sleep on their stomachs!! Sorry, can’t help you with that one!
I’m sure after a few nights she will be used to it and be fine! But since you are going back to work…do whatever gets the 2 of you the most sleep!!
that’s what my mom used to do with all of us, too, and we’re all ok!
They have a sleep sac that has open arms- That is what I used to use. It was great. I would put a long sleeve onesie on and that over it.
Hope this helps!
Melissa
we tried that last night.. she was not a fan. haha
I guess it’s time for the big girl jammies!
Good luck 🙂
My son loved the swaddled and wouldn’t sleep at night without it. For a while there I thought I would be swaddling him forever. I just switched to a lighter one when the weather warmed up and kept him in it until he weaned himself. I dont remember when that was but it was close to 1 year. Good luck.
The double swaddle is harder to break out of ( search YouTube for a how to video). But if she’s rolling it’s probably not safe to be swaddled. I would swaddle her with her arms out for a while. At least then her legs are confined. That’s what we did with our Henry and then moved him to a sleep sack and he didn’t mind it. Hope you figure out what liv likes best! Every baby is different.
“but I have no idea how to break the swaddle at night. ” <– Rock the night swaddle or any swaddle for as long as you possibly can. I found everyone got a better night's sleep with the swaddle. They like that snug as a bug in a rug feeling and it helps them sleep (well most babies I think this is true). Good luck finding a sleeping arrangement that works and you all get….sleep….with! 🙂
My friend said the Merlin magic sleep suit worked really well
I swaddled but not for long, and breaking it wasn’t an issue. It’s weird to hear that it is for some. I’d never even heard of that. My daughter was born in late May in Phx though, so I imagine I didn’t think she needed all that body heat locked in. It seems like she was a night sweater and slept in onesies.
I vaguely recall sleep bolsters to inhibit rolling but I thought once they can roll themselves you just let them be? It’s funny how much you forget. I wouldn’t lose sleep over it. If they have the muscles to roll over, don’t they have the muscles to lift their head, if needed in bed?
We swaddled till seven or eight months. She was really small so it worked out with a Miracle Blanket until then. One weekend we just took it away, starting Thursday night. By Sunday, she was fine. We also did cold turkey with her paci at 5 months, worked like a charm.
I actually swaddled my 2nd until she was 8 months old! We were desperate and I would make larger flannel blankets and then we would double swaddle her. I didn’t know how to break it and then one afternoon I let her fall asleep unswaddled. The rest was history. So don’t fret, my motto is ‘This too shall pass…’ and it always does when it comes to kids.
I’m still swaddling my boy at 6 months. He can roll over but has to use his arms so I haven’t really worried about it… We don’t swaddle his legs anymore, but we double swaddle two blankets tight around his arms and body… It’s still working for us but then again, he never breaks out.
We swaddled our son on and off through 6 months, as it helped him sleep longer (especially as he was getting roll-y but would get stuck). It’s how we got him to start sleeping through the night and to nap well. A little after 6 months when he was rolling well we gradually stopped swaddling. Now he’s 7.5 months and we don’t swaddle at all and he sleeps 12-13 hours a night. I wouldn’t worry if you’re still swaddling if it helps her sleep.
Were doing one arm out right now fir bed time and no swaddle for naps. Next week we’re going swaddle free. With my son however we just stopped swaddling and he did fine. Each is so different!
Just have patience? I swear everything always took at least 3 nights for my kids. Even now – it’s like an unwritten rule for babies and kids.
You could always try to swaddle the bottom half (that worked for my son, but not my daughter) or the top half (whichever half she doesn’t break out of) and then go from there.
trying that tonight, thank you! for now, she’s happily snoozing with just her legs swaddled
I swaddled until 5-6 months. Honestly, after awhile, I think it was more out of habit than necessity. Finally, one night, my hubby just said,”enough with this thing!” This was about a year ago, but I honestly don’t remember much of a transition – she did fine without it. Maybe give her a couple of nights to adjust sleeping sans swaddle. If she’s really fighting sleep and it’s affecting all of you, then try one of the intermediate sleep sack contraptions 😉
I wouldn’t try to transition from bassinet to crib and swaddle to no swaddle all at once. Maybe put her in the crib with the swaddle and wait a couple of weeks to take the swaddle away?
that’s a good point.. it’s a lot to adjust to at once
Both babies insisted on sleeping on their stomachs as soon as they could break the swaddle. It took balls… but I let them. They never slept better. Some babies just have minds of their own, no matter what you do. Once they could sleep on their stomachs, there were not longer any problems with the arms… Took me a long time to relax about it though… (was a no-no at the time, 10 years ago, is it still?)
yeah but i think it’s ok if they put themselves in that position. can’t blame them- i’d much rather sleep on my stomach! 🙂
i have a merlin’s magic sleep suit, brand new with tags, if you’re interested in trying that.
we ended up just going cold turkey and it took about 4 or 5 nights for our son to get used to it. i just went into it knowing we would have some sleepless nights but it worked for us. actually better than i expected.
i can’t wait to hear what works for you!
i’ll definitely let you know if we need it- thank you so much!
there’s really no reason you have to stop swaddling. My son still likes to be tucked in tight 😉 Have you looked at the woobie? They have some in summer fabrics!
We swaddles till about 4.5 months. We found the Miracle Blanket to be the best swaddler and we used that when she broke free of everything else! It really was awesome because our daughter slept so well swaddled. When we transitioned out we used the Halo Sleep Sack Swaddle but would leave her arms out. Some say to do it one at a time but we just did it cold turkey. We would wrap the swaddle part around her torso so she still felt snug and swaddled but could have her arms free! Its a game of trial & error- you’ll figure out what works for her soon 🙂 And then it will change again…:)
The Zippadee Zip looks pretty much the same as a New Zealand made product called a Peke Moe. Being a kiwi, I bought a Peke Moe to wean my son off swaddling – I was actually pretty dubious as my boy liked his swaddle, but was too big and too old to still be swaddled (in my opinion 🙂 ). It worked, it looks nuts, but it seriously worked. I started him in it during the day, no worries he fell asleep and stayed asleep fine. Then took the plunge at night and boom, he was fine. I used them through the winter as they kept him nice and warm too, and then straight into a sleeping bag without any fuss. I lent them to a girlfriend – it took her less than a week and her little man was weaned off his swaddle and in a sleeping bag (it was summer by that stage so he didn’t need the extra warmth).
We bought Rowan a Woombie when she was 6 weeks old and she seemed to really like it. I personally, did not like to swaddle with blankets after she was a few weeks old and started moving because it scared me for them to come loose and her roll around in them. The Woombie was tight enough for her to feel swaddled/safe but stretchy enough for her to move her arms inside. When she was about 3 months old I started unzipping it a small way and letting one arm. It took only a few nights for her to eventually stop using it and not be “swaddled” at all.
we stopped swaddling at about 6 months and she could roll over, just never did while swaddled! i figured if she did i knew she could still breathe because she had enough head control by then but if she wasnt fine she also would definitely let me know! Doing the 1 arm out then both out didnt work for us i think it only confused her and made her mad! We went cold turkey and she decided sleeping on her tummy was what she wanted to do and from then on she slept way better!! it definitely took a few days tho! Its so hard to stick it out for those first days but babies are so adaptable usually they figure it out if we let them!
Hi in Italy we don’t use swaddling…at all!!!!…and babies are fine without,they don’t hurt themselves with the arms!!
Bye Mirtilla
thank you, mirtilla (your name is beautiful, btw) xoxo
Thanks Gina,actually “Mirtilla” is how my hubby and friends call me,my real name is Maria Vittoria!!you and your family are my inspiration,I’ll wait for you here in Italy!!
Since I don’t have kids, the only things I can share are the insights my mom has told me about how my bro and i were as babies/ kids. For whatever it’s worth (and this really isn’t direct, linear advise to you situation), apparently less was more with me. I was the first baby, and my mom just had to give in to the fact that I wanted NOTHING. I would tolerate pj’s, but rejected pacifiers, blankets, toys, mobile’s, etc. Once I was big enough, I would just toss everything out of the crib.
Only sharing to add another story to the “outside of the box” chapter.
You guys are doing great, I’ve referred so many of my friends to your family page- such a great community!
Wow, she can roll from back to tummy? And she’s not even 3 months old yet? Look out – you’ve got a superbaby! She’ll probably be teaching Zumba with you in no time.
I think my hubby needs one of those Zippadee Zips…. wonder if they make them in big and tall??
🙂 🙂 🙂
We just got a merlins magic sleepsuit for the same reason and it’s working great!
I suggest going cold turkey, worked for my guy! I also love how they sleep with their arms above the head, SO freakin’ cute. I could stare at him all night;)
Good luck I bet it won’t take long until Liv gets use to it!
We went cold turkey at 12 weeks with no adjustment period. I think she was just ready. Though, now, she is almost 6 months old and she has yet to roll back to front! I agree with April. When they sleep when their arms above their head its soo adorable! Liv will will put her hand dramatically on her forehead when she is falling asleep. I love it!
My son’s a big boy, so I was only able to swaddle him for about 2 months. He’d break free anytime after, but he was real good at moving the blanket away from his face. We just went from swaddle to nothing. If its cold, we’ll put on socks or footed pjs. She might actually prefer the freedom of movement. For safety, you can use breathable bumpers. Now my baby is at 5 months, and he sleeps spawled out, hands in the air and I put a boa blanket over him. In the morning, he’ll play peekaboo with the blanket over his head, but he’s strong enough to pull it off of him as well. In the summer, I think I’ll only be using the aden + anais mesclun blankets — since those are so light, and he goes nuts over the prints.
My daughter loved to be swaddled (even though she broke out of it all the time) and also started rolling over around 3 months. At that point, she wasn’t ready to sleep without the swaddle, she would flail her arms and wake herself up, so we started swaddling her with one arm out. That way if she did roll over, she would be able to push herself up. She never did roll over but it was a good way for her to get used to having her arms free. Eventually around 4.5 months she just didn’t need the swaddle anymore and we switched to the sleep sack. Good luck!
I didn’t read the comments so this may have already been suggested to you…..I know some swear by the Woombie as a sort of in-between full swaddling and no swaddling option. Might be worth a look!
Oh man, I know how you feel. We used the pack and play next to the bed for about 4 months and we kept her swaddled. But around 4 months I decided it was time to move her to her own room but kept her swaddled. The first night was great, until the next morning when my husband watched her roll on to her tummy while swaddled and then she couldn’t use her arms! So we stopped cold turkey with the swaddle, the first night without it was terrible. She was perfectly content sleeping on her tummy but I was a nervous wreck!
how long did it take her to get used to no swaddle?
She was seriously fine the first night without the swaddle. She just kept rolling on her tummy which made me freak out and run in there to put her back on her back…then she’d just roll back to her tummy. She made it through that first night and I just had to realize that if she is strong enough to move herself then she’s going to be ok. It was hard for me but easy for her. I think she sleeps better now that she is in her crib and not swaddled. I sleep better too….but I do wake up frequently and check the monitor! Good luck! She is such a pretty little girl!
Right there with you Gina! We went cold turkey last week for our 4 month old. The verdict is still out. We had a few nights of complete peace, but we have also had several nights of total chaos. My daughter doesn’t do well with sleep sacks either. I think they make her hot…? Anyway, please post an update if you find something that works. Not sleeping and trying to function at work are not a good mix!
we swaddled her last night in the crib and i watched her on the monitor.. and she didn’t try to roll at all. she slept from 7-5 ate, then back down until 7:15!!!
Loved reading all these tips.
My 4 1/2 month old is still swaddled and I’m afraid to put him to bed without it because he sleeps so well WITH it.
He is rolling over, too, but hasn’t at night, so I haven’t worried about that.
I may just try cold turkey.. I’ll let u know how it goes!
Good luck!
yes, let me know! we swaddled her again last night
If the Swaddle is done tight enough, she won’t be able to roll over. Ours has been rolling both ways since 11 weeks and at 20 weeks, she is not able to roll with the Swaddle on and goes out like a light.
We typically don’t use it unless absolutely necessary and I have the video monitor, so I can watch her every move, haha. She still wakes up more without it, 2-3 times a night versus about once a night. But I EBF, so that’s alright with me to feed her at those times if she is hungry.
One day they will just decide they hate it, that’s what we did anyway, she started busting out of it and that was the end and she seemed to sleep better without it and then sleeping got better AND THEN she decided to start sleeping face down, and I would wake up constantly to check on her and flip her over.
i have no idea since im only 18 weeks preggo hha but i like reading the comments!! love the wizard jumpsuit btw 🙂
My son has hated the swaddle since 1 week old! He has broken out of everything (Sleepsack, Swaddlemes, Miracle Blanket,etc.). At night, for the first couple of hours before he breaks out he grunts and fights like its no one’s business. Once his arms are free he is a happy boy! So, no advice here but good luck!!
Hi!
A girlfriend of mine who reads your post all the time sent me this link… I’m the mom that created Zipadee-Zip! You have such a great blog! 🙂 It was neat to see my little girl on your blog in her Zipadee-Zip 🙂 Your little girl is adorable! I know what you are going through which is why I created these things! I look forward to hearing how your little one likes the Zippy! My daughter was swaddled in a miracle blanket and when I tried to get her to sleep for a nap or bedtime without the swaddle and in a normal sleep sack she just screamed her poor little head off. I tried to think of a way to get her to feel enclosed like she liked so much with the swaddle but still give her the movement to be able to turn back over with her arms… and that’s when I came up with the Zipadee-Zip… I know it looks funny when it’s on, but it does the trick :). To answer your question about how to wean your little one off the swaddle at night, my daughter was able to sleep 12 hours the first night I tried her in the Zippy and that was after two weeks of trying everything else I could find (out of desperation to get her to sleep swaddle free!) If you go to the Zipadeezip Slumber Sack facebook page you’ll see more posts of actual moms that used the Zipadee-Zip to make the transition. Some moms have liked to try nap times first for a while before doing night time sleep… but it really is whatever you feel comfortable with. I wish I could ask my little girl why she likes the Zipadee-Zip so much but I really think it comes down to that extra resistance she gets in the “wing-span”. Anyway… I hope that helps! I know this stage can be a bit overwhelming! I remember being so deathly afraid to give up her swaddle because she slept so well in it for so long until all of a sudden she was waking up multiple times at night trying to escape and get comfy. It’s seems like once you figure one thing out with our little ones, they change on us! …. The challenges of being a mommy! 🙂 Let me know how it goes! 🙂
-Steph
wow, so great to hear from you! i’ll definitely let you know how she likes it 🙂
can’t wait!
xoxo
Your pregnancy posts always made me miss being pregnant!!!
Whoopps! Replied to the wrong post!!! Lol! Well, about this post, my daughter loved being swaddled but grew sick of it at around 2 months, I was glad I didn’t have to force her to stop using it.