# how long did you swaddle?



## CableGirl (Oct 18, 2006)

My DD can't sleep (even if she's napping on me) for more than about 10 minutes if she is not swaddled. I'm really looking forward to the day when that is no longer an issue... so here's my question to you mamas...

how old were your DC before you stopped swaddling?


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## mamanurse (Jan 22, 2006)

Oh you've got a long time until it's been "too long" to swaddle. I swaddled dd for naps until she was about 5-6 months old.


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## GooeyRN (Apr 24, 2006)

about 4 months old. She would just bust out of the swaddle then. She didn't sleep too good for awhile after giving up the swaddling.


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## mamameg (Feb 10, 2004)

DS is almost 9 months and he is still partially or totally swaddled for all naps and for going to bed at night. He usually wiggles out of it throughout the night, so sometimes I have to rewrap him around 5 AM or so. It makes a IBG difference in how well he sleeps, and I've never seen a compelling argument for why it might be a problem to continue, so we will continue to swaddle until he doesn't want it anymore.

DD was a terrible sleeper as an infant, and she _needed_ to be swaddled or there was no nap at all. We eventually stopped around 10 months and she's developed into a perfectly normal toddler, who actually sleeps quite well now.









Swaddling has been a lifesaver for us - I always look in awe at babies who sleep without it. How do they do that????









ETA: we use a mircale blanket. LOVE IT!


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## CableGirl (Oct 18, 2006)

I have no problem with swaddling at all for the sake of swaddling, t hat it. My problem with it is that I find it nearly impossible to change her diapers without her waking up into a full blown temper tantrum and screaming fit that last 30 minutes when I have to get her out of the swaddle to do it. I've been using a miracle blanket for the past few weeks and that does make it better (read: easier) but only by a margin. DD is so sensitive to a wet diaper that I have to change her so frequently the swaddle becomes difficult. As I said, she flips out when I redo it.


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## mamameg (Feb 10, 2004)

Ah, okay. Now I understand your concern.

What kind of dipes are you using at night? Have you tried a pocket dipe?


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## AlbertaJes (May 11, 2006)

For a long time, she's worked her way out of the swaddle shortly after i put her to bed. About 2 months ago, I started what we're still doing now. She gets angry if I try to put her to sleep and she's not swaddled, so I still swaddle her to sleep. Then when I move her to her bed, I unwrap her and just leave the blanket tucked around her. It makes her happy and she's sleeping better with it.


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## CableGirl (Oct 18, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mamameg* 
Ah, okay. Now I understand your concern.

What kind of dipes are you using at night? Have you tried a pocket dipe?

e

i've been alternating btwn FB and BG... double stuffed


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## SandraS (Jan 18, 2007)

I never did - I unwrapped them from the minute the nurse burrito'ed them, and never wrapped them back up - but, my babies all tummy-slept, so I wouldn't have swaddled anyways. I figure they spent 9 months curled up, I gave them the opportunity to stretch or curl their arms/legs under themselves as they wished...

It's up to you...


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## CableGirl (Oct 18, 2006)

well, it's not really up to *me* since dd won't sleep if she's not swaddled.


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## mandy122901 (Mar 27, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *CableGirl* 
I have no problem with swaddling at all for the sake of swaddling, t hat it. My problem with it is that I find it nearly impossible to change her diapers without her waking up into a full blown temper tantrum and screaming fit that last 30 minutes when I have to get her out of the swaddle to do it. I've been using a miracle blanket for the past few weeks and that does make it better (read: easier) but only by a margin. DD is so sensitive to a wet diaper that I have to change her so frequently the swaddle becomes difficult. As I said, she flips out when I redo it.

We use the miracle blanket too and it has been a lifesaver. My ds is now going on 5mo and still needs to be swaddled. But, since he is so big, we now don't tuck his feet into the pocket. It took some time for him to get used to his feet being "free" but now it doesn't bother him. I will sometimes just change his diaper without unwrapping his arms and this seems to keep him asleep better. Maybe this would help you? I am hoping that ds will soon sleep without the swaddle....or maybe I can wean him off by just swaddling one arm or something.


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## puamama (Jun 12, 2006)

we single swaddled for the first 5 months then double swaddled till about 7-8 months. She couldn't sleep with out being all wrapped up but one day, she fell asleep without being swaddled so we just put her blankie on top of her and she snuggles with it.
We LOVEd the swaddle, it worked wonders!!!
good luck.
marcy


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## Barb36 (Mar 19, 2006)

I'm so glad to hear how long you all swaddled your babes. We're still swaddling our 8 1/2 month old and I just don't think he'd sleep otherwise. I feel much better now about doing it until he doesn't seem to need it anymore. We swaddled our first for a long time but I don't really remember when we stopped. He's 4 now and is a great sleeper, so it certainly didn't affect him negatively.


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## fico18 (Dec 20, 2006)

We only swaddled until 3 months, our dd just wiggled out of it everytime.


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## coobabysmom (Nov 16, 2005)

Until 4- 5 mos. then ds would just bust right out! No advice about changing the wet dipe without the wakeup...


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## Crunchie (Jan 9, 2007)

CableGirl--I saw a super cute book at my local library the other day called Babygami (sp??). It was just a small, hardback little book--about the size of a small children's book (sorry, I have no idea of the author!) and it was full of wonderful pictures and dozens of different ways to swaddle! I distinctly remember one of the techniques was an above-the-waist wrap specifically for ease of diapering! Maybe, if your daughter doesn't mind having her legs "loose", something like this would work for you?

I would check your libarary for this book. If nothing else, it's great entertainment--the pictures are ridiculously cute!

Good luck!


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## Crunchie (Jan 9, 2007)

I'll attempt to paste the link to the Baby-gami book from Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Gami-Begi...e=UTF8&s=books

If that doesn't work, just search Amazon for "Baby-gami".


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## mamameg (Feb 10, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *CableGirl* 

i've been alternating btwn FB and BG... double stuffed

I've never used bg, but I can tell you that double stuffing fb was never enough for my kids are night. For us to get through a night with a fb, I have to triple stuff it with two microfiber and one hemparoos insert. Or I've also used a premium prefold with one microfiber insert. Try beefing up your stuffing and see if that helps.

Also, if the fit isn't quite right, fb can leak. They never fit my skinny DD quite right (lots of leaks on her), but they are a much better fit on my chubby DS (hardly any leaks at all).

Or you could do a completely different route and use something like the firefly sleeptight nighttime diaper. I have a couple that we wore to near shreds because we loved them so much and they worked SO well. I would layer the doubler it comes with, and then also layer another fleece lined hemp doubler (form a sugar peas dipe) to keep baby's skin dry. Cover it all up with a bummis wrap and I never EVER had a leak with this system. Used it every night for over a year.

So yeah, it seems to me your solution is to get a better nighttime dipe.


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## treqi (Dec 31, 2006)

wow! I tried to swaddle DD for the first month then gave up! I guess i have a very active baby though


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