Question
Can't swaddle my 6 week old
Hello everyone!
Still trying to get baby Hank to sleep - we have a really hard time swaddling him. He hates it! He screams and fights. When he falls asleep it is okay but as soon as he gets a little wakeful he struggles and I feel like that contributes to him waking up. How can I put him to sleep (or try to) in a crib or bassinet if he isn't swaddled? Any help would be great.
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9 Answers
Personally, I don't think it's a problem if he's not swaddled. My son never liked it, so we just didn't do it. I just made sure he was dressed in weather appropriate clothes and he slept better without the swaddling.
Anita Burnham
www.anitaburnham.com
Anita Burnham
www.anitaburnham.com
Same here, my daughter wouldn't stay swaddled either. She would just kick and wiggle until she came loose. I guess maybe one of those blankets designed specifically for swaddling may have helped, but I never tried it. I figured if she wanted out that bad there was a reason. And I think I remember reading somewhere that it's best in the first few weeks and there's no need after that, but of course opinions vary.
Patti
SAHM in SoCal and administrator of the Sleep Forum group, http://www.mothersclick.com/group/sleep-forum
Patti
SAHM in SoCal and administrator of the Sleep Forum group, http://www.mothersclick.com/group/sleep-forum and Tri-Counties Moms, http://www.mothersclick.com/moms-club/tri-counties-moms-sb-ventura-slo-c...
Same here-I could swaddle Avery for about 2 weeks and that was it. She wanted her arms free. I just started dressing her warmer and she was perfectly fine. Personally I would say, don't waste your money on those swaddling type blankets and just dress him warmer and he should be fine.
Mommy to beautiful Avery Jane
Mommy to beautiful Avery Jane
One thing we tried was putting our little guy in a really close, confined space, like a Moses basket. Even though the bassinette is more cozy than the crib, he needed to be more snuggled than that. My sister even used a large laundry basket padded with blankets. And, I've actually heard of people placing a baby in the car seat/carrier in the crib to get them to sleep. It made him sleep great....then...
Now it's a whole different story! 
Both my kids loved swaddling, but they eventually grow out of it. I never tried one of these, but I've seen foam (or something similar) formed to hold the babies in snuggly. You can just put it inside the crib. They look really comfortable and they don't let them roll over as well.
Good luck.
My six month old has slept in a swaddle blanket we bought at babiesrus almost since day one. It has velcro, which works way better than the folding technique I learned in the hospital nursery. He struggles with it a little bit when I first put him down because he's tickled by watching the mobile spin around and it makes him giggle and squirm. I just keep going back in, replacing the pacifier and re-velcro-ing the swaddle blanket as he quiets down and settles into stillness. Usually, after three visits, he drifts off to sleep. I also play white noise for him (also from birth), an mp3 reording of my own blowdryer looped over and over again. He LOVES it! Sleeps through the night!
Good luck!
My personal thoughts on swaddling are that it really does help. I feel like just because they are able to wiggle their way out, doesn't really mean that they don't like it... it means that they are wiggly enough to get out!
My daughter needed it until almost 3 months. She still had quite a startle reflex and would wake herself up if she wasn't swaddled. I just focused more on her arm/chest area and let her feet hang out (she is tall anyway).
Slowly as I noticed her being less "jumpy", I would just swaddle in one arm... then a few days later I let both out, but still swaddled around her chest... The one night I just layed her down in a sleep sack... and she did it!!!
Everyone is different, but this worked for us. Good luck
Ps. The swaddle blankets are nice, but a little pricey.... I used one (that was a gift) but she quickly grew out of it...
Swaddling only helps if your baby likes it. My baby would immediately quiet and close her eyes when swaddled tight. If your baby fights it, let him sleep however he is comfortable, which, if he is nearly 6 mos old, may be on his side. My little one is comfortable when she can roll from side to side in her sleep at 6 mos.
My daughter didn't like to be swaddled either. She was a winter baby so I put her in warm PJ's with a receiving blanket. When she started rolling around I put her in warm PJ's and this bag sleeper with velcro tank top straps that zippered up the front. It kept her warm enough. But when it got really cold I didn't hesitate to put a blanket over her.