# Do you swaddle your infant when you cosleep?



## twins+1 (Mar 8, 2009)

Just curious how your newborn/infant sleeps with you? Currently I swaddle our baby - he sleeps longer that way - but I'd love to be able to let him sleep freely. Maybe that comes as he gets older?
How do you and your baby sleep if you sleep share?


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

We never swaddled.

-Angela


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## javilu (Oct 20, 2007)

we swaddle and co-sleep. lately, we've only been swaddling when we go to bed, and about halfway through (at the first diaper change of the night), i unswaddle him and share the corner of my blanket.


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## Ruthie's momma (May 2, 2008)

I think that it depends upon the child (like with so many things!). It seems as though most babes enjoy being swaddled. It only makes sense, IMO. Swaddling not only helps to mitigate the startle reflex and maintain body temperature but it helps to replicate the coziness of the womb.

That being said, DD loved being swaddled while we coslept. As she got older, she wanted her arms kept "free." By about 6 moa, she was too wiggly to remain swaddled. So, I started dressing her in a wearable blanket. At nearly 2 yoa, she still wearing a wearable blanket (with little openings for her feet). Before her nap, she loves to snuggle with momma while being wrapped in her blanket. And, she still enjoys being worn in the sling (on my hip or back) when we are out and about.


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## SandraS (Jan 18, 2007)

Never swaddled here, not for a minute. Co-sleeping tummy sleepers (no startle reflex with a tummy sleeper!), and they liked to stretch out or curl up at their own volition.


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## PaigeC (Nov 25, 2008)

DD is still swaddled at night (not for naps) at 4 mo. It is the difference between 10 minutes and 4 hours of sleep! When we wake up in the morning I unswaddle her and she has this big smiling stretch! It is so cute. Then we cuddle before we get up. We use the SwaddleMe also, since she is hudini.


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## Burnindinner (Mar 11, 2008)

I think we swaddled while co-sleeping for about 6-8 weeks. After that he was WAY too big to fit in the blanket


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## jennifercp8 (Nov 10, 2005)

I swaddled my DS until he was 8 months for all naps and co-sleeping at night. He just needed it. My DD enjoys being swaddled, but doesn't seem to need that tightness like DS did. She wiggles her way out of it at her first waking, and then spends the rest of the night nestled into my side. So I guess she is using me as her swaddle.


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## tabrizia (Oct 24, 2007)

I swaddle DD for bedtime she just sleeps so much better swaddled. We do co-sleep and she sleeps against my back swaddled most nights. When I try her without the swaddle is up 2 to 3 more times during the night and wakes if I even shift, then when she is swaddled. I don't swaddle her for naps, but she naps on my lap most of the time and just relatches when she wakes up.

DS on the other hand we didn't swaddle past the first week or so, he didn't need it, DD does, each child is different.


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## GoGoGirl (Oct 13, 2008)

DD is 10 weeks old, and I've never swaddled her. It just didn't occur to me to try (she's my first







).

If I'm sleeping on my back, I kind of stretch out my arm and put her head in my arm pit and my forearm down her side. If I'm on my side, I curl up around her, with my boob near her mouth for easy feeding. She never really seemed to startle herself awake, I think because when she startled, she banged her arms and legs into me and knew I was there cuddling her.


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## CanBoo (Nov 17, 2006)

We swaddled DD1 until about 8 months.

However, I have never felt that swaddling was safe while co-sleeping. So it was swaddled in her bed and unswaddled when she'd join us in the middle of the night.


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## myrmom (Aug 19, 2004)

ds3 is still swaddled when co sleeping....he is 7.5 months


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## LiLStar (Jul 7, 2006)

i'm nervous about swaddling a baby in bed with me. I like ds to be able to use his arms and legs to wake me. Awesome thing about cosleeping babies, very little if any crying at night!


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

Moving from LWAB to Family Bed and Nighttime Parenting.


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## Nillarilla (Nov 20, 2007)

I use a woombie. But we sidecar


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## jaylily (Jun 10, 2009)

I think we did at first but it didn't last very long. We ended up just letting him sleep under the covers with us - well, making sure his head and face weren't covered. He was normally facing me and cuddling up to me (still does that), so he would get body heat from me.


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## mum23boyz (Feb 14, 2009)

you could try something like the muslin Peke Moe. we used it to transition our LO from swaddling, but it would be nice and light for a co-sleeping baby to wear.
all the best


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## paulamc (Jun 25, 2008)

We swaddled the first month and coslept. After that he absolutely refused the swaddle.


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## pantrygirl (Jan 5, 2009)

It depends on the baby, I think.

We swaddled our daughter and followed her lead regarding it. She eventually got her arms out and we swaddled only her lower half. Then she kicked her feet out and now she sleeps without covers (her preference).


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## georgiegirl1974 (Sep 20, 2006)

We swaddled DD for the first 3 months (she needed it), but she slept in a pack-and-play next to our bed. Once she was three months and learned how to roll over, I stopped swaddling her and we began co-sleeping.


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