Swaddling scare

[emz1907]

I have been swaddling Callum for all his naps and night time sleeps for a while now and I do think it helps him settle. I was mindful of my midwifes advice not to swaddle at night as you cant monitor him as much and he may overheat. I asked that question on here and everyone said it was fine so we carried on anyway. I woke to a big scare the other morning though, my lo had wriggled down into his blankets and he was completely covered I was beside myself incase he had suffocated but he was fine. Thing is, despite being put to bed foot to feet he always wriggles down. his mattress is on an incline due to his reflux which I think makes him fall further down but also from day one he has ended up with his legs coming up. I think its because he was breech, the midwife said at the beginning that was why he kept his legs up so much. He would actually end up lying with his bum against the bottom of the moses basket and his legs up in the air! How can I stop this happening again, Im so scared he suffocates.

[Lolly]

Very scary! Have you tried a sleep sac? There is one available which has a section for swaddling their arms. We didn't often use extra blankets when we swaddled, or if we did, I tucked another blanket over him quite tightly and right under the mattress so it was like a "strip" over his tummy and legs.

Laura

[gleek]

his legs will eventually straighten out. i think that all babies do this in the very beginning. i have a picture of my LO doing the exact same thing at around 1 month. what are you using to swaddle? most swaddling blankets are made of cotton and are breathable so if it gets over his face, you should be ok. it's the around-the-neck thing that is most worrisome and i can see how that would happen if he is wriggling down into it. have you tried not inclining the mattress? i know that you do it for reflux. we did it too but my LO would always end up way down at the end of the bed so i stopped and it didn't seem to make a difference back to swaddling, i strongly recommend the miracle blanket. we loved ours so much that we bought two! my daughter rarely ever broke free of hers and we swaddled her for all naps and nighttime until she was around 5.5 months old.

[kate585]

I second the Miracle Blanket.  It's been a life saver and we have 2, too.  I spent about $40 on 4 cheapy ones that kept stretching out and not closing and this one is only $28.  Well, worth it. Charlie rarely gets out of it and this kid can move!  

Also, one of my friends on here recommended doing something with a blanket that makes a sort of a pocket so he can't slip down.  I'll ask her to come here and explain it.  

I would have been scared, too.  

[mickymuscles]

k...by kate's request...   both my boys have/had reflux.  I am unfortunately well versed in swaddling, incline greater than 45 degrees for the mattress, wiggling, getting out of the swaddle, medicating, etc....   So, my experience has taught me how to make a good little "nook" so that your lo can't wriggle down the mattress and you can put him on very steep incline too.    Use rolled up receiving blankets to make a square (but with one end open...so really a "U")  I rolled two receiving blankets together for each side (6 in total) then placed a blanket (like their crib quilt) on top so that it made a nice little "nest" then settled their little bums against the bottom edge so that they were good and snuggled feeling with the two sides butted up against them.  The roll under the bum helped to keep them in place (especially when a blanket is placed over the whole thing....then the rolls can't roll away IYKWIM??).  HTH!    It gets better every day.


also...since your lo likes his legs up the roll under the bum should be extra comfy for him. 

[emz1907]

Cool tip thanks! Ill give it a try and also check out the miracle blanket. We've just been using his normal moses basket cellular blankets but despite following instructions I can't get a tight swaddle on him and his arms always wriggle free. I put him down in his swaddle and wrap another blanket tight around him to keep it all in place. Doesn't always work though