Swaddling

[esinclair]

My son is 3.5 months old and I have been swaddling since birth. He naps well and sleeps well through the night (one night feed). I am hoping to remove the swaddle soon, but am unsure of the best way to do it. When he gets himself out of his swaddle it really startles him awake. Any thoughts?

[lauradj]

There are a couple of options for you.  You could leave one arm out so he can have a little bit of freedom.  You could get a Houdini-proof swaddle (I used the Halo Swaddler for my little magician), or you could wean him off it entirely.  It's totally up to you.  I think I ditched the swaddle around 4-5 months, and started with the day time to see if it interrupted his sleep.  When that was successful for a week, we ditched it entirely.

[esinclair]

Thanks for your response. I'm also using the Halo swaddler. He has managed to get a hand or arm free and it did disturb his nap, so perhaps I need to wait a but longer before we try.