Breaking out of Swaddle and Waking

[Debi - James' Mama]

Can anyone please help me?

My ds is nearly 7 months old and is still swaddled to go to sleep.  However, he has now started to fight once he has been swaddled and will not stop until one of his arms is out, then he won't sleep.

He has managed to get to sleep a couple of times before without being swaddles but wakes up screaming about 30-45 mins later.

Last night (or this morning rather - at 4am) he broke both arms out and everytime i re-swaddled him he fought and broke out of it and then wouldn't go back to sleep!

Has anone else had this problem?  He's been terrible all week and he won't nap either so he is getting overtired and crying.

I really don't know what to do next and i'm at the end of my tether.  Is it time to un-swaddle and try pu/pd?

PLEASE HELP ME!      

[Jaime]

there is a version of the aussie swaddle where you can swaddle their arms around their face - any chance your ds might like that?  there are instructions at the top of this forum.

are there any other developmental milestones that he's hit recently?  sometimes that affects things too.

you could try just leaving one arm out for now & work to calm him when he does wake.  it could be that he's ready to make that transition but he doesn't really know/understand how to adjust to the change.

hope this gives you some useful ideas! 

[GG]

I think it may be possible that he doesn't care for being swaddled andso he fights to get out.  At his age it's all about starting to move on his own.  Of course, all this activity (getting free of the swaddle) wakes him up so he can't go to sleep once he's free.

Try not swaddling him at all but give him a few days to get used to being free.  Yes, you may need to do some PU/PD to calm him down and get him to that point.  Your lo is just growing up and asserting himself! 

[NKmommy]

My baby went through the same thing.  Swaddled until about 7 mos, and he would fight out of the swaddle, but couldn't sleep without it.  Unless you try to find a super-strength swaddle, it might be time to ditch it.  This is what we did - I would swaddle him before naps only since he slept a bit better at night.  I think that helped him get used to being unswaddled.  Then at naps, I would swaddle, but once he broke out, I wouldn't reswaddle.  I would return if he cried hard, and just do PU/PD or pat shush.  It was a very tough week or two, but we haven't looked back since. 

Let us know how it goes!  I know how frustrating it can be!!!

[Debi - James' Mama]

Thanks for all your advice guys.  It looks like ds is finally growing into a big boy 

I'll let you know how it goes - tried Aussie Swaddle but he hates it so i think it's time to stop!

Here's to a few more sleepless nights :!: