Weaning from the Miracle Blanket

[Mia and Lily's Mom]

Hi Everybody,

Our dd is almost 8 month old and still sleeps tightly swaddled in her miracle blanket.  I have moved it down so that it is halfway down her arm to get her feet in it, but I have tried a few times to just swaddle her with a normal blanket and as soon as she starts moving and gets out, she wakes herself up.  I know dd#1 was swaddled but that was before the miracle blanket, and she just slowly started to get out of it more and more until she did not need it anymore, but with the miracle blanket it is eather all or nothing it seems.
I am having visions of taking her to sleepovers at friends houses at 4 or 5 and saying "OK, let me just wrap Lily up realy quickly so that she can sleep"  :-).

How do I start getting her to sleep without the blanket?
Thanks

[home alone]

Hi
I am trying to unswaddle my lo 6 mth old.  Her name is Mia .  I am having a terrible time.  I tried it with one arm out  and it didn't work so I decided to do 2arm out instead ( i know it doesn't make any sense but I thought i would go through less trouble in long run).  She's just scratching her bed like crazy! 
Have you succeeded yet?  If so, how long did it take? 

thanks

[chell]

Personally, I wouldn't worry about trying to wean them off a swaddle or miracle blanket, unless there is a real problem, such as it's affecting their ability to sleep. I think they will let you know when they no longer need it and it will become a natural process. I don't think it'll become a prop.

[home alone]

I wasn't too concerned about getting rid of the swaddle Until now (6mth) he's able to come out of it and wake up in the middle of the night.  (She has been sleeping through the night )
Is this a cue for me to get rid of the swaddle or do a tighter job with swaddling?
  I was hoping that she would make a natural progress out of swaddling but she refuse to suck her thumb and seem to find her arm to be a distraction.  I have changed her to Aussie swaddle. 

I am little lost about how I should guide her or read her.

[Sydney]

My dd uses the miracle blanket as well and the thought of having to wean her of this makes me cringe.  I do agree that they will let you know when they are ready.

Do you need to have her feet in the blanket.  I know that my dd will be too long for the blanket soon, so I will just leave her feet out and still swaddle her arms.  Could you try that?

HTH

[home alone]

She has no problme sleeping with her legs out.  If her arms are out she wakes.
 I have tried letting her sleep with both arms out.  She does fall asleep but wakes after 45min. 
I haven't had 45min nap problem for the last 2mth so I am guessing it's to do with swaddling. 
Anyway,  today I left only 1 arm out for her naps and night time. I hope tonight she won't wake.

[Gage and Sophie's Mom]

I was just there ladies! oh my word, I was having a terrible time trying figure out how I was going to get him out of the swaddle. I tried one arm out, cold turkey, holding his arms down through the WHOLE nap, and the Aussie Swaddle and nothing worked. Gage just seemed not ready to be unswaddled as he was hitting himself in the face.

So here is how I did it. I gave the Aussie Swaddle another go as the first time it didnt work because I panicked (Sp?) and went back to the miracle blanket. I tired the A. Swaddle on catnap (in case it was a disaster) and preoccupied myself with a chore or something for about 20 min, and came back and Gage was asleep Gage loved the a. swaddle because he had more room to move, and he could suck on his hands. Gradually the swaddle would become loose through the nap or night sleep until it was like he wasnt even swaddled. He got used to it. Then I bit the bullet the same way and put him in a sleep sack and he went to sleep. Yesterday I was brave and laid him down in his clothes, and he went to sleep. I think I didnt give Gage enough credit as he is growing up and can handle a lot more. He is still in the a. swaddle at night, but that is my next adventure.

The directions to the Aussie swaddle are located at the top of this board I think.  I made some adjustments though as Gage was escaping it at first. I put a tiny stitch in the fold under where his neck would sit, and I put a safety pin to hold the crossing of fabric across his chest.

HTH 

[home alone]

Thanks Gage's mom for encouraging words!  I have been putting my lo in Aussie swaddle and also having been sort of cheating by wrapping the sheet around her bum and tucking the edge in the front very tight.  She likes it also since she can suck her hand but the funny thing is when she's unwrapped she doesn't want to suck her thumb but wants to suck her sleeve or her PJ.  ( Maybe she's too used to sucking on fabric?)  Anyway, I was successful with one arm out during the naps so I tried one arm out during the night and she woke up 4times btn 7pm-12am.  So I put her back in Aussie swaddle. 
Please let me know how things are progressing and if you could give me some tips.

[Gage and Sophie's Mom]

Oh I forgot, initially I put gage in a long sleeve sleeper and put mittens on to mimic the A. swaddle. The first couple of times I did it I think he thought it was the swaddle Gage is not a thumb sucker either, but he sucked on the mittens. Good luck to you. If you need anything just holler.

[SylvieA]

Hi
Have you tried without the miracle blanket for naps. My DS seems fine without for naps(45 min-1hr max) so I never really used it then as it never made him sleep longer. you can always try to put it loser. I know it's just a matter of time to get rid of it completely, but when they sleep so well at night you don't want to do anything to ruin it.