How long until your LO was used to no swaddling?

[momma s]

My LO is a *ferocious* hand sucker--when he can get them to his mouth, but he gets so frustrated because he doesn't have enough control of his hands yet.  He started breaking out of my swaddles about a week ago (only does this at night though), so I bought the Kiddopotomus "Swaddle Me" which worked great--until last night.  I went to calm him after he woke up at 12:30am, and he had managed to get one hand out under one layer of blanket while it was still velcroed, and the blanket was pushed up around his neck!!!  Talk about scary...  He's a strong little chunkster (16 lbs), and I just don't think swaddling is going to work anymore.   

So, I'm going to try 1 arm out for a few naps to see how it goes, and I'm just wondering how other's LO's did with transitioning to no swaddle, and how long it took before they were fine sleeping unswaddled...  Anyone stop swaddling around 3 months?

Thanks for sharing your experiences!

[Colin Macs Mom]

I think it would benefit you a lot to try the Aussie swaddle.
https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=1439.0

It's quite difficult for a LO to break out of, yet the hands end up under LO's chin so he or she can suck fingers or what not. A win-win!

[Fiona (Leah & Kians Mom)]

I started with ds at this age or a bit younger with the grobag, actually started with one arm out of swaddle for a few days for naps only, then 2 for naps only but still kept him in the miracle blanket at night. Once he got used to 2 arms out of the swaddle I went to a grobag for naps. I'd say it was about 2 weeks then until I went to a grobag for nights.
I decided to wean early so as not to run into problems later. Ds was notorious for getting out of any swaddle, Aussie included and often went in his room to find him out of it and at the bottom of the cot completely under his sheet, it happend 2 then I decided to switch.

[Melej]

I kinda did the same way as Fiona but started at night and kept swaddled for days. For some reason my DD coped better at night for gradual weaning from the swaddle then to sleeping bag but not so good for naps. I had done 1 arm out for a while then she started to try and roll so I went to 2 arms out so she can push her up. She would pretty much escape it when it was wrapped round her body so I just went without. That was about 1 or 2 weeks ago and naps haven't recovered from it yet but there have been other factors i.e. teething and reflux that have interferred so I can't blame it all on losing the swaddle.

Good Luck!

[preciousb]

My little one was exactly the same at 3 months- the good news is that now she soothes herself to sleep independantly by sucking her hands!

We weaned her off the swaddle over 2 weeks.  First 1 hand out for naps (the hand she likes to suck), then two hands out for naps, then one hand out for nights and two hands out for nights.  When we got to two hands out we started to swaddle her more lightly round her middle - more for the routine really.  Then a couple of days lightly swaddled both hands out in a sleeping bag.  Now sleeping bag only and she is fine!

Hope that helps.

[jenjordi]

I went cold turkey for the night time swaddleing.. He flipped over one night and I thought he was going to suffocate.. eh.. so I said no more   That was around 3 months or so.
It only took one night of restless sleeping and he was fine.  I still swaddle during the day because I have tried taking away the swaddle and he will never sleep more than 45 minutes.  Anyone have any tips for fixing that? 

[emz1907]

I always thought we would NEVER get rid of the swaddle. My lo took ages to gain control over his hands and if one became free he would hit his head and face until he woke up. He would break out of his miracle blanket all the time and end up with it just wrapped round his middle and legs and arms free! His left arm was always the first to come out and after a night or re-swaddling like 50 times I vowed in the morning I would begin to wean this damm thing. This was at about 4.5months. So for his first nap I left his left arm out of the swaddle, I did have to hold it down sometimes when he was drifting off as he would wake himself with it but it went suprisingly well I was over the moon. After maybe a week of this I tried swapping which arm I left out, then both arms out then eventually his legs out. We progressed to a sleeping bag and this was at about 5months. He still seems to need to do something with his hands when he's falling asleep so I give him a lovey blanket to hold and stroke which stops him hitting himself so much.
I still can't believe we made it so easily but once you've got rid of the swaddle you won't look back!

[Belladonsah]

I was wondering about this as well.  My LO is 4 months old and is a very good sleeper (he's been sleeping 7:30-7 for almost 2 months now) and we've always swaddled him in a Miracle Blanket.  However, he would always break out of it -- sometimes in the first few hours.  Both arms and at least one leg would be out, but it never seemed to bother him (he wouldn't wake up).  So tonight I've put him in a sleeping gown with the elastic hem at the bottom.  It's his first time ever sleeping in his crib without a swaddle.  We'll see how it goes!  He's been down for 3 hours now but the night is still young...