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Offline muddyfeet

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When swaddling leads to screaming...what to do?
« on: January 29, 2012, 17:20:50 pm »
I have a toddler and a 7 week old. DD1 loved swaddle. DD2 hates it. Swaddling, woombie, even a loose swaddle she won't settle. Just strains at it like the Incredible Hulk, and moans or cries and won't settle. Sleeps well at night with arms up over her head. My issue is naps, where she's flapping her hands in her face and waking up. Anyone else have this problem?
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Offline Diana1981

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Re: When swaddling leads to screaming...what to do?
« Reply #1 on: January 29, 2012, 17:25:25 pm »
have you tried the australian swaddle? babies can move their arms more freely with it... you can read all about it in the props forum
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Offline muddyfeet

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Re: When swaddling leads to screaming...what to do?
« Reply #2 on: January 29, 2012, 19:20:03 pm »
Will check that out
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Offline ellen109

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Re: When swaddling leads to screaming...what to do?
« Reply #3 on: January 30, 2012, 21:39:12 pm »
i used to swaddle after mine fell asleep with a halo sleep sack swaddle.  i'd leave the wings unfastened till he was asleep, then lightly fasten enough to keep arms down once asleep in crib. 

had to phase this practice out around 12 weeks when i started trying to teach him to fall asleep in crib, but by then the arms were improving and we weaned leaving one arm in and one out, which he tolerated.

my sympathies, a swaddle hating baby is rough.  mine also hated pacifiers, ugh! 

oh and make sure she is tired when you try to swaddle for naps.  mine didn't resist that or the pacifier as much if he was sleepy, then it relaxed him a little.  but if he wanted to be awake, no swaddle, no pacifier, no way.

if i had to do it again, i might try weaning into a swaddle the same way i weaned out of it.  swaddling one arm at a time.  no idea if it would work, but after seeing it work to get him out of it, it might be worth a shot.
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Offline ellen109

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Re: When swaddling leads to screaming...what to do?
« Reply #4 on: January 30, 2012, 21:40:01 pm »
oh and if she will take a pacifier, give it to her before you swaddle her. 
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Offline muddyfeet

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Re: When swaddling leads to screaming...what to do?
« Reply #5 on: February 01, 2012, 16:18:45 pm »
Finally found a paci she likes. She seems ok now with the Australian Swaddle, but only for naps. I'll take what I can get and I like the idea of placing pacifier before swaddling. I'll try it, thank you!
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Offline ellen109

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Re: When swaddling leads to screaming...what to do?
« Reply #6 on: February 01, 2012, 17:02:15 pm »
it took me a while on the paci too, we landed on the soothie from avent.

when mine was very little, i used to feed him swaddled at night to try and build a good association and to get him to keep it on.  he often fell asleep.   as he got older and i tried to break the feed to sleep habit, the paci worked well but he will only take it when he is tired.  before that and it just makes him mad to even offer it.
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Offline muddyfeet

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Re: When swaddling leads to screaming...what to do?
« Reply #7 on: February 01, 2012, 20:37:11 pm »
DD2 likes the Avent as well. Just got a 2 1/2 hour nap from her, with a calm and stretchy waking, instead of a screaming waking! Keep it up, girl...
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Offline LouiseV

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Re: When swaddling leads to screaming...what to do?
« Reply #8 on: February 01, 2012, 21:07:45 pm »
Apparently, from all the stuff I;ve read, babies only hate swaddles at this young age (because remember they were only recently swaddled 24 hours a day inside you!) if they are not tight enough and they can still move their limbs. Have a look for the Happiest Baby on the Block method of swaddloing and try adding some white noise which can help enormously.

Swadding itself doesnt calm babies but it does set the scene for other calming things to take place - eg rocking, white noise - they can 'pay attention' to those things when swaddled.

To me it sounds like you need to add some other calming things for naps and sleep to assist with the swaddling and I bet you have enormous success :)
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Offline ellen109

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Re: When swaddling leads to screaming...what to do?
« Reply #9 on: February 01, 2012, 21:39:15 pm »
personally, mine squirmed no matter how tight you made it.  he broke out of the nurse's double swaddles in the hospital at one day old.  at home we used halo sleepsacks and they have very large velcro strips which we could get tight enough and he couldn't get out, but then he looked like houdini trying to break out of a straight jacket-  to the point that he would start sweating.   i think for him it was that his hands were up by his head in the womb (saw on ultra sound pics) and that is where he wanted to sleep with them.  but they would flail and wake him up.   now he is thrilled to be unswaddled but also not constatly assaulted by his arms and they are totally spread out while he sleeps.

i swear i think he would have been happiest if they made velcro sheets and pajama sets where we could stick his arms to the bed so they woiuld be over his head but not flailing.  :)

he was also a leg thrasher and would only tolerate loose swaddles on the legs.  that is why the sleepsack worked for us.
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Offline muddyfeet

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Re: When swaddling leads to screaming...what to do?
« Reply #10 on: February 01, 2012, 22:48:40 pm »
If i put a regular swaddle on her like the hospital did, she works herself int a lather trying to get out. One time she threw up. She had her hands behind her head in the womb on every ultrasound, so she basically spent 9 months swaddled with her arms up. I think that's the situation I need to get closest to. An arms-down swaddle makes her livid! The Aussie swaddle's working for now, along with the paci, and she's on her second hour of her second nap. Hoping this is our breakthrough.
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