How to get away from a swaddle?

I can’t get My daughter to sleep at night without being swaddled. She’s 5 months and the time has come that she needs to learn to sleep without one. She only wears it at night. I’ve tried to get her to use a sleep sack instead (they are safer) but she hates them. She has to be legit “newborn” swaddled. Arms tucked and all. Her doctor told me I have to stop but she will not sleep without it. I’ve spent hundreds of dollars on transition swaddles and she hates them. HELP!!! Any advice is appreciated.
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Just let her swaddle. I’ve NEVER heard of a Dr telling someone their baby HAS to stop swaddling. And please don’t use a weighted blanket. That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard to use on a baby.

Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. How to get away from a swaddle?

You honestly just have to do it and not give in to going back to it. It’s going to take time and patience and possibly rocking them to sleep for a few nights.

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Just like a pacifier, the first few nights will be rough then she will adapt. Stay strong mama :muscle:

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Start by one arm out, then, 2, etc and slowly transition out

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Gotta let her cry it out. To self sooth . Hard to hear them cry. But they will learn quicker.

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Just do it and it will cease soon!!!

Wrap it around her chest leave arms out I did when my son was 6 months old it took 4 days of him crying but he got used to it.

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Maybe try a KYTE sleep bag . They’re super soft

Just do it. A few rough nights is all it’s going to take. It’ll make both of you stronger. Just do it.

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My son was 7 months when he stopped needing to be swaddled. He has stopped using a pacifier and his baby bottle this month. All on his terms. Every child is different. The only thing I had to fight my daughter on was her baby bottle.

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Mine was the same way she’s 7 months old but once she started rolling it was over for. First I had bought a woombie and her arms were inside but able to move and a week with that an slowly after she was asleep I pulled on arm out did that a few days then both arms and she adjusted

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I’d keep her swaddled. I had always let me daughter do things in her own time. She was done with the pacifier at 11 months, but slept in her crib until she was almost four. Doctors repeat what they have been taught. Fortunately our pediatrician told me to just follow my instincts as a mom.

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Let her self soothe. If you know she’s fed changed n just wants to be swaddled then let her self soothe she’ll b fine. Yes it’s hard

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Just stop doing it. She may not like it for a few nights but she will get used to it. Try comforting her but she has to learn to soothe herself without it.

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Sounds like separation anxiety … she needs to feel that close comfort

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Try the old fashion way. We didn’t have swaddles. We used a baby blanket

I’d ignore the doctor. Eventually they outgrow everything. She won’t be missing sleepovers with her friends because of that.

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I use to walk in my room back and forth for however long it took to get my little man to sleep. Worked everytime. Put on relaxing sleep music and walk with rythym

I didnt swaddle mine at all. They didn’t like it so its not a problem I’ve had to deal with.
Id say a gradual loosening of the swaddle would be the way to go . Gradually doing something is a lot less traumatic and upsetting for everyone

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We swaddle my son till 1yrs old cause he liked it and wouldn’t stay still ever long enough to sleepore than 15 minutes

Swaddling needs to stop cold turkey. There is no other way to do it. Swaddling should stop by 8 weeks or at the first attempt to roll, whichever is first. Please consider joining the group Safe Sleep and Baby Care – Evidence Based Support

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We did this. It took 3 days at. Each step but it wasn’t horrible

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I bought my daughter the swaddle that is very soft and it keeps their arms free because she was also a baby who wouldnt sleep without being swaddled but she loved this and they can move their arms if they roll over but it still gives them that feeling if being swaddled

I’d say let her swaddle as long as she needs it. Does she get tummy time on the floor to strengthen her muscles

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Sleep sacks! Or zippate zip

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I would use the swaddle, she will outgrow it eventually

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My daughter started flipping on her stomach at 3 months so we had to stop swaddling. She obviously still had the Moro reflex so the first few nights she kept waking up, eventually she stopped. You just gotta bite the bullet and stop cold turkey

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Slowly wrap her looser til transitioned

Looks like you’re gonna have some sleepless nights ahead of you. Bite the bullet and just make the transition.

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Just stop. Your baby will adapt to the difference. Might be rough for you both at first, but so many things are when it comes to babies and children.

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Never did it with my daughters

Sleepingbaby.com We have been using the Zipadee Zip since my son was 5 months old (now 14 months)

What your doctor actually told you to stop? I just kept doing it until my kid was actual too big. They aren’t babies forever.

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You are supposed to stop at 8 weeks or when they start rolling. You need to stop cold turkey. There’s a huge risk of death.

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My youngest wouldn’t sleep unless swaddled we transitioned him by one arm out for a week and then 2 arms until eventually he felt secure in his sleep sac

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My 10 week old is still swaddled, but she is more like burrito she doesn’t like it tight but she likes the blanket around ber.

What a waste of money

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Keep using the swaddle for now but loosen it a little at a time till she doesn’t need it anymore

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Why does she have to stop? Swaddle her if that’s how she’s comfortable.

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Music helps my son sleep I suggest you give it a try :blush:

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Sometimes doctors have their own opinions not based on medical opinion. I’d ask other doctors if it’s truly unsafe. My ex was insistent on not swaddling our kids. I think it did a disservice to them. My daughter never slept well & has horrible anxiety. My son seems out small places to sleep like cabinets he can barely fit in & toy bins. It freaks me out because if there’s a fire I may not be able to find him fast enough among other dangers. I’d keep her swaddled as long as she sleeps well that way. It makes her feel safe & secure.

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I used to unwrap my daughter once she had been asleep for 30 min

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Weighted sleep sack!

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Once your child can roll on their own its a HUGE suffocation risk to have them swaddled. Please just stop. Wrap everything but her arms and maybe just tuck her in good with a blanket.

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Wrap it a little looser each day, and take it off or at least loosen it more once she’s asleep. Mine wanted to swaddle but with her arms out, but she had to be elevated at the shoulders for reflux anyway, so I wrapped a blanket at her waist and underneath the bassinet mattress on both sides. Her bassinet was right next to me all night though. I slept with one hand stretched over her so if she moved I woke up. :sweat_smile:

I swaddle my kids like a new born but would leave one arm out (once they were able to roll) and would alternate arms and eventuality after a week or 2 they were happy to go in a sleep sack :slightly_smiling_face:

We swapped to a Merlin magic sleep suit… game changer

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My son was the same until 6 months but summer came and he couldn’t deal with the heat and started weaned himself from it. He was walking by 8 months.

Music, lavender lotion, fuzzy blanket and lavender or camomile oil in diffuser works for my son

God bless some of y’all are just fucking rude for no fucking reason what so ever. Yet we sit and wonder why mom’s suffering from ppd will sit in silence and won’t say a word. We wonder why new moms are scared to ask for help. How about some of you practice the golden rule if you can’t say something nice then shut the fuck up and don’t say anything at all. Or orrr even better idea learn how to communicate without being a total asshole about it. Some of these comments make me sick to my stomach.

Everything takes a little time. She will adjust eventually but it might take a week or two. Be patient

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Swaddle her but do it just a little looser each night.

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Put her on her belly

Have you tried a weighted baby blanket?

Yo. I’m 33 years old and twist and whirl till I’m swaddled. It’s comforting. I’m a big fat burrito.

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She should have been out of that by 2 months or signs of rolling. She could suffocate.

You transition and go through the motion. She will adapt

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Just stop. Stop doing it. The first night will probably be hard but that’s it.

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Little by little loosen it up one day at a time.

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Alot of the Indian and native American people swaddle their kids until they are two. As long as its not causing your kiddo breathing issues it should be fine

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Go cold turkey, she will sleep eventually when she relapses swaddle has gone.

Tell your Dr to Fuck Off.

Swaddle her but loosen it as you go, let on arm come up and out, the other arm until she doesn’t need it anymore

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She can’t sleep because that’s just not what she’s used to she has to adjust it will take time

I wrapped my son up until 8 months because of this. Eventually I just wrapped only one arm in for a few nights then both arms out for a few nights as well. After that I didn’t need to wrap him.

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Have you tried the sleep sack with the wrap thing on it?

After my son got out of it he insisted on long sleeved shirts to go to bed. Would NOT sleep without a long sleeve shirt on

I started loosely swaddling my son and eventually he slept without anything

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My children are in their 30s so I know that things have changed. I was born with congenital hip dysplasia and not long ago read an article in regards to swaddling babies. Mine was an actual birth defect and I was not swaddled as a baby. I read that swaddling, especially with the hips in the same position can cause the hip/socket not to form correctly.
I don’t know how true this is but it does make sense as congenital hip dysplasia can be caused by how the baby fits in the mother. If the hips are kept in the same position for long periods of time, the femur head causes the socket to form incorrectly. I don’t know if there are any other health problems that can be caused by this but this one makes sense to me.

In my opinion a weighted blanket is an adult swaddle… I think it’s fine… if I remember my child swaddled till 6-7 months… I still like to be wrapped up tight in my blankets… I say relax… they’ll stop on their own… Mom of 4 11-30 yrs, healthy, happy, good, productive, young people.

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Is she rolling around in her sleep? If she isn’t then I’d continue if it’s her comfort way.

My daughter was swaddled with a blanket till she was about 3 and a half she wouldn’t sleep any other way we used the wraps u get from kmart and big w u can breathe through them

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Girl, my now 9 year old daughter had to be swaddled up until about 15 months. And we’re talking newborn style swaddled. Finding a blanket big enough to swaddle her was a pain. Eventually I just gave up on it and she adjusted. She wasn’t a sleeping roller or anything and ALWAYS had a damn binky in her mouth. Sounds to me like you’re just going to have to stop swaddling. If your baby didn’t roll, I’d say keep going, but since baby does, it’s a safety issue. It’ll get better. Maybe start on a Friday night so you can work through it on a weekend.

My daughter was the same way. I swallowed her with one arm out for 3 or 4 days then 2 arms again for 3 or 4 days. Then just took it off her.

I had mine swaddled til she decided she didn’t want it anymore. She didn’t twist and turn and to this day she barely moves when she’s sleeping. The one I hadn’t swaddled sleeps all over the place. I wasn’t told to stop swaddling.

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We went with one of the sleep sacks that was more form fitting and instead of putting baby’s arms through the arm holes we zipped it up with the arms inside. With the baby’s sleep wiggles and rolls eventually the arms would find their way to the arm holes and after a couple weeks as soon as we zipped up the sleep sack with the arms inside our baby would immediately poke arms through the arm holes and be fine sleeping with arms out.

If your doctor advised you to stop. Then stop. Your child will adjust and sleep without it after a few nights. And you’ll need to soothe and lose some sleep probably for those couple of nights.

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Around that age it becomes a suffocation hazard… definitely something to cut cold turkey the moment your baby starts rolling.
It just no longer becomes an option.
The sleepless nights will suck. Honestly… but hopefully it only takes a week for them to get use to it

Sleep sack and use ergo pouch sleeves with fold over cuffs (or Bonds pjs with folder over cuffs). My girl transitioned no issue

Co sleep and get yourself and her a good night sleep.

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Hmmmm…we Indigenous people have swaddled our kids since time immemorial and continue to do so. We use many different ways…babyboards, moss bags and just swaddling with a blanket or material. Swaddling makes the baby feel secure as if being held and helps their body temperature both of which helps them sleep longer.

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Why is that a problem? I think her comfort is not a problem, this is your problem or your doctors problem so let the child sleep in peace. This is a first time I ever heard about this kind of control issue!

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Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. How to get away from a swaddle?

ahhh I was going to suggest the sleep sacks my son was the same and they helped. The first night without one he cried for like an hour and finally settled in. I really hope u find something.

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Start swaddling one arm out for a week or so. Then two arms out for a week. And then she may be used to no swaddle.

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Just dont swaddle her at all and let her start falling asleep without it even if she fusses, she will eventually pass out every time.and get used to it, my 2 month old doesnt even care about being swaddled I just kinda tuck him in at night so he doesnt kick the blanket off by accident

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Have you tried the zen sack? My little one sleeps with that, but she also falls asleep with no sleep sack or swaddle.

Just stop swaddling. . Put her to bed. Let her fuss.

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Honestly you are just going to have to stop. It will be a rough few nights for sure. Maybe add something else like this aquarium. All 3 of my kids loved the sounds it makes and the dim lights. Put them right to sleep. It mounts very easily on the crib and is movable.

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She is still little. I swaddled my daughter like that until she was 10 months old I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it if it helps her sleep.

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I saw someone transition into a sleep sack by leaving out one arm at a time and gradually working out both arms.

But if I’m being completely honest, I remember a lot of sleeplessness when transitioning my first out of a swaddle. I never used sleep sacks with him I just cold Turkey got rid of it because he rolled a lot around 3m. Eventually he would exhaust himself enough to sleep but that wasn’t a stretch bc he never slept much anyways :rofl:

I swaddled my son till almost a year. He is 2 now and diagnosed with autism so I understand now why he needed to be swaddled so long. The pressure of a swaddle helped his sensory. But we switched him over to the sleep sack at one year and he wore it literally till there was no room left in it and he was forced to sleep without one.

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Does the doctor say why to transition her? It doesn’t hurt her…

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Why, though? She’s still so young.

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Not all children are the same. She might need for reasons you are unaware of. I’d listen to your child.

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Maybe a blanket wrapped around her. Mom said I always had to have a blanket over my shoulders lol
Still do

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Have you tried cuddling with her until she falls asleep? My son is two and hated swaddling from day one, but loves to be snuggled to sleep.

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I would start by using a blanket to swaddle, then from there you can try to do one arm out, then both arms out.

Swaddle her and let peace reign.
Maybe let the swaddle get looser and looser over time. People are always so quick to take away a kids comfort.

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Honestly, I swaddled my son till like 9 months lol none of my girls enjoyed being swaddled but he did. His doctor never had an issue with it :thinking:

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