Swaddle, swaddle, swaddle...

[shinysarah]

Hey Laura, well done you!! (or your lo I should say!!) It's v exciting when it works I know!!! (God we sound sad! )
I think we're on night 5 of '1 arming' and still so far so good.Keep me posted!
Sarah x

[shinysarah]

Hey Laura, night 2 of both arms out and so far so good!! However, he is not coping with it v well throught he day and his naps have reduced in time by half hour as he can't seem to settle himself through the day!!
Sarah 

[mokey_cat]

Hey Sarah

Thats great about the nights    We are still on 1 arm swaddle (bit scared to go for the 2 yet) but its going great!!  She is settling really quickly and can get herself back to sleep at night ok as well.  Did your LO manage just as well when you let the 2nd arm out? 

I have found that we still need to fully swaddle during the day as DD doesnt nap well and wakes after 30/45 minute jolts so swaddling is a must in order to get any longer out of her.  Im quite happy with that for just now though.  Maybe you could keep swaddling during the day for a bit longer until your LO is a bit more used to it??   Our LO is prone to becoming overtired and it is scary  so I will do whatever to get her to sleep during the day 

Laura
X

[shinysarah]

Hey Laura, how's the great swaddle adventure going? 
My lo is sort of ok with 2 arms but is still waking, I'm hoping that it won't be too long until he's use to it! He's still waking and having a bit of a cry but only had 1 horrendous night with him so far and I remembered what it was like to have a (shudder shudder) new born again!! 
Sarah x

[mokey_cat]

Hi Sarah

So far we have stuck to the 1 arm - her right one just seems to keep her awake  but she is now in bed fully deswaddled and I am going to persevere.  Even with 1 arm swaddled, she would get that arm fee and wake up so we really need to get her used to it!!  She fell asleep well tonight but Ive heard her up and fussing a bit so I'll see how it goes.

How are you getting on?  Is your LO ok with it all now?

Laura
X

[shinysarah]

Hi Laura,
He's not doing too bad to be honest.  We have the occasional 'death cry' (well is sounds like that when he does a random cry for no reason  ) but at the minute, dare I say it, he is manageing to settle himself down but I'd say it's taken 1 solid week for me not to be on pins about it. 

I did notice that your little Holly is only 3 months, Joseph is almost 5 1/2 months, so he is getting better at contolling his arms (those god dam flailing arms!!).  So maybe it does take longer if they are younger.  Saying that, at some point (not yet!!) I'll have baby number 2 and I don't think I'd swaddle it for as long.

Keep me updated!!
Sarah x

[mokey_cat]

Thats brilliant!!  Well done you 

I had thought Holly was a bit young but we have so many night wakings when she bursts out of it but all I had to do was reswaddle and she would sleep again!!  Now Im thinking that was a lot easier than last night    She did not like both arms out and was awake so many times during the night.  I eventually gave up after her babbling for 45 mins at 4.30am, swaddled her and she fell asleep right away 

Now I dont know what to do - maybe I should wait until she is a bit older and has more control over her arms and just keep reswaddling at night??  I think I might keep trying for a week and see how it goes - I would really like to get rid of it before summer as she is in a sleeping bag with a thin blanket on top which would be too hot for her room (its always so warm).  She has been totally fine with 1 arm free for 2 weeks so I thought maybe she was ready.  I will maybe try just leaving this pesky right arm out tonight - it seems to have a mind of its own  to see how she copes.

Oh the joys!  Congrats to you though - looks like you have got through the hard part.  Its all worth it in the end 

X

[AmeliaLove]

Have any of you heard of a Peke Moe?  It's a sleeping bag type thing, but the arms are inside. I ordered one (from New Zealand) and it's wonderful!  My baby was breaking out of her swaddle.  And every time I'd swaddle her, she'd cry.  But she would also cry without it.  Now with the Peke Moe, I put her in it (and it's only day #2) and she gets all happy.  Her hands are covered, but she can suck on them.  And she's sleeping great.  She is almost 5 months old.  I just wanted to mention that because it has been really helpful for her.  And they're so darn cute!  I haven't seen anything similar to it...maybe I'm not searching right for it, but all of the sleeping bags seem to have arm holes, which didn't work for my LO.  The Peke Moe gives her just enough restriction, plus she doesn't scratch her face with it.  It seems like a good middle ground between swaddling and complete freedom.

[shinysarah]

Hi Laura,
It's hard to say isn't it but if it were me, and Joseph was breaking out of his swaddle every night then I'd continue with trying the arms out (either 1 or 2).  At the end of the day, it can't last forever and she will get used to it.  (That's what i tell myself when I'm going through a rough time with him!!)
The only reason I decided to take him out of his swaddle was because he kept breaking free (well that and I thought he'd be 12 years old and still in a swaddle!!  ) and I thought that if he was breaking free then maybe it was the right time, regardless of his age. 

Saying that, if you do want to hold off, I used a hippopotamus swaddle with velcro on it which used to work a treat. 

I do agree with the whole 'getting them in a sleeping bag' because at the minute he's still wrapped in his swaddle, just with his arms out! Next step, bag... 

Plus, Joseph is off to nursery at end of April and I think they'd think Iwas bonkers if he was still swaddled!!

As ever, let me know how your getting on!! xx

Amelialove, yep I got on but never used it so far but thanks for the tip!

[mokey_cat]

Well I tried to swaddle again last night to see what would happen......  We had the worst night ever.  She was up 11 times  - from breaking out arrggghhh thats even worse than normal. 

So I am going to have to persevere.  Amelialove - that is soooo cute.  We might give it a go as it seems good that it keeps the arms warm too 

Holly is going to nursery soon too so we really want to get rid of it before then as well 

X

[shinysarah]

11 times, my God!!  Poor you!!  That would be it, I would persevere with arms out!!  It can't last forever Laura! xx

[shinysarah]

Hi Laura,
How's the arm battle going? 
Joseph is now in his bag, yipee!!!  Well sort of, think his 6 month growth spurt may be kicking in!!!
x

[rach321]

We had the same problem with our very touchy son - we started doing the short catnap unswaddled and slowly progressed to the rest of the day naps and then we worked up the courage to do the night sleep! For the first few times I put him in his sleeping bag and wrapped a muslin around his arms so he didn't knock himself out! Then slowly loosened it and he got used to it - now he sleeps in his sleeping bag all night.  We still have night wakings but I think that's dummy related - another battle that I'm not brave enough to fight just yet!
Just thought I would share our experience!
xx

[mokey_cat]

Hi Sarah

Thats great news 

We now have Holly in a sleeping bag with a sheet swaddling up to her chest so both arms are out!!!  We did try just removing the swaddle completely after 1 arm but she just couldnt get used to it so I think the tightness of the swaddle round her body calms her.  We had 4 full uninterrupted nights when she woke but put herself back to sleep quickly. 

Last night she was a bit OT so had crazy arms but I just have to hold them down for a minute until she is sleepy so I can cope with that - then had a wee crib party from 4-5 am  - dont know what that was about but she wasnt crying so I just left her.

I think in a week or so she will be ready for just the sleeping bag  .  Then I may tackle deswaddling for naps which I dont think she is ready for yet.  How are your naps going?  Did they go back to normal?

rach321 - we weaned dummy and swaddle together, but it was too much for her so we started with swaddle 1st.  Then she started waking 8+ times a night for her dummy!!!  I was so fed up that we went cold turkey the next day.  She actually settled ok  for sleeps without it using shhpat but I do miss it during the day for awake times (she is quite a sucky baby).  It definitely has made a difference to night wakings.  The 1st night we didnt give her it she woke 3 times, then the 2nd night she slept through  . 

Hope Josephs growth spurt doesnt last too long or disrupt things too much!!  Just when we seem to have one thing sorted - something else comes along 

Laura
X

[shinysarah]

Laura, that's fab news!!  I bet it's such a relief for you!! And I've seen her picture, what a cutie!!

Joseph is not doing too bad at all.  Daytime naps are now normal again and I think the growth spurt has subsided but he's started waking the same time every night so don't know what that is about!!!! 

Sarah x