5 week old bursting from Swaddle

[Adaias mom]

Didn't escape but woke up anyway grrrrr I think she was a bit OT. Had visitors so she went up at well gone the 3rd yawn!

Took her for a walk in her new blanket though to finish her nap off and she went straight to sleep in the pushchair.

Will see how tonight goes though.

[cazzieclarity]

Thanks for link Anna, you're a diamond!

[ryates71]

Adaia's Mom - Let us know how you get on. 

I have also ordered my miracle blankets and should arrive today or poss tomorrow.  Had a much better night last night using a cot sheet firmly wrapped around.  And so far two good put downs (only slept 45 mins on first nap but that seems to be the norm for our little man).

By the way - the Happiest Baby DVD has good instructions of how to swaddle a baby.  It's definately the arms escaping that are upsetting my LO so the Aussie swaddle doesn't work for me - maybe change to this when he's a bit older.

[Giorgina]

I tried the Kiddopotamus Swaddleme and it didn't work for Laura.  She broke free (her legs) on the first day.  Will definitely try to locate the Miracle Blanket!

[Adaias mom]

Ooops forgot to let you know how i got on.

I think the miracle blanket is fab!!! Only two escapes in over a week and was a godsend in the warm weather as its so light, and i could just wrap in round once and she was fine.

I love this blanket, but so glad i got two for when one gets sicky as i couldn't go back to usual sheets now!!!

Definately recommend it, even though my LO seems to be touching the bottom already so will be making some feet holes soon!

[Giorgina]

I located a vendor of Miracle Blankets here in Canada and picked one up on Friday.  I do not think it works miracles but it is better than my using a blanket to swaddle her.  She has managed to escape from the Miracle Blanket a few times but it is way better than the old way.  The first 2 times I used it she slept 2hours - a godsend!  Haven't seen that since.  My problem is still that once she rouses from sleep - usually at the 45min mark, she is determined to break free from that swaddle.  She hardly ever resettles herself to sleep longer than 45 minutes.  She is a girl on a mission and won't stop til she breaks free or she starts screaming from the frustration.  There is no getting her back to sleep after she has exerted all that effort on breaking free

[maggie2]

I also loved the miracle blanket for dd2 - but I found something that is even better for my dd3 - at least for summertime when I thought the miracle blanket was a bit hot, plus - I can't stand having to unwrap so many layers to change a diaper without waking them too much.

Anyway, it's called a 'woombie' - http://www.thewoombie.com/ - it's a lightweight, zip up thing that keeps them secure and snug, but still allows for a bit of movement.  I can't imagine a baby getting out of it - it zips up to the neck, like regular jammies.  I love it!

[Giorgina]

A new problem related to the swaddle that I hope someone can offer advice on.  She wakes at night and desperately tries to break free from the swaddle.  She will go at it for what seems like an hour. I am not entirely sure how long as I can't keep my eyes open that long.  Whenever I come to I can hear her grunting and groaning attempting to get free.  Do I jump in or just let her be?  Sometimes she gives up and falls back asleep.  Sometimes she manages to get a limb or 2 free.

[maggie2]

My babe does the same thing (grunting, squirming, etc), but I it's more related to gas, poops, burps and reflux!  Are you sure that her motivation is actually to get out of the swaddle, or could she be uncomfortable in some way from gas or the need to burp or something?  It could seem that all she wants is to break free, but I think that she's more likely to be uncomfortable and squirmy for some other reason.

That said... have you tried letting her sleep without being swaddled?  Maybe you should give it a shot...

[Giorgina]

Hi Maggie,
No, I haven't tried leaving her unswaddled.  Will give that a try for one of her naps and we'll see how it goes.  I have tried leaving one arm out (earlier this week) and that did not go well.  She woke up after 10 minutes.
I am not 100% certain but I feel pretty confident it is the swaddle.  Before I got the Miracle blanket she would break free of her swaddle easily and then wind up crying when her arms started flailing and hitting her.  Lately, when I have picked her up, there has almost always been no gas etc.  If it were to be a gas issue, what would you do - pick her up?

[Adaias mom]

My lo used to grunt ALOT, and it took me a while but it was gas related, not her trying to escape the swaddle. She still does grunt a bit now when i feed her in the night, but i know its gas related as she won't wind when she falls back to sleep, so i get fed up and just put her down. She is normally so tired she just goes back to sleep.

I am still loving the miracle blanket, even though i have just put my very OT lo down without it, as it took me an hour to get her to sleep, and hadn't swaddled her so i wasn't waking her to swaddle her. Wonder how long it'll last as she had some pretty major jolts before i pinned her down with the sheet!

BTW, when my LO wouldn't settle because of gas, i used to just pick her up and wind her over my shoulder. Sometimes she wouldn't bring anything up, but i think the motion just relieved the discomfort a bit and she went back to sleep. If she doesn't bring anything up after 5 mins of winding, put her back down for 10 mins, and if she is still uncomfortable, pick her up and try again. Thats what i do anyway.

HTH

[Giorgina]

Hi there, maybe I'm wrong and it is gas??  How terrible of me.  The next time I hear her grunting away, I will pick her up and burp her, and we'll see if that helps.  
I was thinking more about this over a yummy Tim Horton's coffee and had some revelations.  Her NW is becoming pretty regular (between 1 - 2am) so that leads me to think it may not be gas - unless it's a pure coincidence.  I think that she is waking up at night and then realizing she is wrapped up like a burrito, she squirms to break free.  I think the issue may be NWs cuz if she didn't wake up then she wouldn't be trying to break free from the swaddle.  Make sense??  Plus if she had gas and was trying to expel it for that long she would undoubtedly start crying, wouldn't she?  She isn't crying just grunting.  It almost sounds like the I'm hungry grunt, kinda like a little cough.  She is not hungry because when I do feed her, she takes very little.  Plus she makes the same sounds after every nap.  I just realized that and am now putting 2 and 2 together.  It's gotta be the darn swaddle.

[Giorgina]

Ladies, you may be onto something with her possibly having gas.  Last night I awoke at 2:50am to hear her grunting and groaning as usual.  I forced myself to stay awake a little longer and sure enough she was passed gas a few times.  I have a busy 2 more days but I will post an update later on.

[Adaias mom]

For the past 4 nights my lo has been waking at all hours after breaking free of the swaddle!!! Miracle blanket was fab up until then but now she just seems too strong for it and kicks her legs that high that the arm restraints come from under her bum!!

So i have decided to go cold turkey with the swaddle. Plus its boiling at the moment, so am not keen of swaddling her. I have so far just had her in a vest and lightweight sleeping bag and for the past 2 naps she has gone down. Not slept very long, but to be honest, she hasn't slept very long for ages! Will see what tonight brings.

Wish me luck!

[maggie2]

For the past 4 nights my lo has been waking at all hours after breaking free of the swaddle!!! Miracle blanket was fab up until then but now she just seems too strong for it and kicks her legs that high that the arm restraints come from under her bum!!

So i have decided to go cold turkey with the swaddle. Plus its boiling at the moment, so am not keen of swaddling her. I have so far just had her in a vest and lightweight sleeping bag and for the past 2 naps she has gone down. Not slept very long, but to be honest, she hasn't slept very long for ages! Will see what tonight brings.

Wish me luck!

I'm telling you - if you still do want to keep her swaddled, get a 'Woombie'!!!  I posted the link in an earlier post - my lo kicks her feet out of the miracle blanket, too - goodness - I really love the woombie - here's a pic of her in it...  sometimes, she's even able to get her hands up near the neckline and suck on her fist a bit - but she definately can't break out of this thing - not with her feet or her arms, yet it still allows for a bit of movement - more than with a swaddle.