Transitioning from Swaddle....

Hi!
Ok, try to make this short and to the point.... LOL.
My twins are almost 6 months old. Both are still swaddled at night and sleep FANTASIC that way. One weighs approx. 13 pounds and the other weighs approx. 17.5 pounds! Needless to say, the bigger one (the boy) gets out of his swaddle every few hours. So, I tried doing the sleep sack thing the past two nights and it has been horrible! He flails all the time and wakes himself up! The arms are going, hitting him in the face, knocking the binky out, legs are up and kicking/thumping! I can't have in the PNP with his smaller sister, because then she wakes up. SHE IS STILL SWADDLED AND SLEEPING GREAT! My husband wants us to keep doing the sleep sack, because he thinks eventually he will get used to it. Which I am sure is true, EVENTUALLY he will! I just don't want to not get any sleep for a month or so while he gets used to his body! Any ideas??? I was thinking of putting him in the crib, in their bedroom, and leaving his sister in the PNP in the other room, but with both doors open so I can hear any cries? How do I help him get used to it?? Is there a better way to do this? My first daughter was swaddled until about 7 months, but slept with us, so the transition was easier. Well, now with twins, and my daughter still getting in my bed, I really don't have room for everyone! LOL. HELP!!!

 

As soon as I unswaddled mine, they were flipping from back to front and front to back so they were given the okay to belly sleep. That stopped the flailing. If you're not comfortable with that, I also found that giving them a lovey while they were on their backs and that gave them something to grab onto other than their face!

 

What about if you tried swaddling him with 1 arm out?

Or what if you just go ahead and keep swaddling him. What happens when he breaks out, does he get upset? I was thinking maybe you could just put warm jammies on him and let him keep breaking out if he is okay with it.

 

Ours are 4 months and still swaddled and I am worried about exactly this scenario lol. I think 1 arm out was what we were going to try when the time comes. Ours just moved from the bassinet to their crib in our room, we had 1 awful night and the rest were better after we made their crib nice and cozy plus putting the shirt I wore all day in with them. Once they aren't swaddled anymore I will put their loveys (they use them in their swings for naps) in with them and hope that helps.

 

I agree with Aimee. I would try unswaddling him gradually. Maybe if you swaddled him with one arm out he wouldn't struggle so much & completely get out of the swaddle, but still be confined enough to sleep better? It's worth a try anyway. :hug:

 

Yeah, good thoughts, thanks. I was thinking of doing the half swaddle, but my husband is so stubborn... he keeps saying we don't want to drag it out, and that he will get used to it.... BUT I think the gradual half swaddle might be a better way to go, for ALL of us!

 

I did the one arm out thing for a while. ours were 6 mo. when we had to transition and I remember being woken up a lot...

a friend of mine just bought and loves this: http://www.pekemoe.co.nz/

a peke moe... its kinda like a sleep sack, but it not. it is enough weight in the material that I guess it keeps the baby feeling snug, but her baby is now fully unswaddled inside of this. (when she started a few weeks ago she had to fully swaddle her inside it still)... anyway, its pricey, but my friend loves it. good luck.

 

We tried to transition my two at 4 months and it was horrible. I bought bigger swaddle mes and made them tight tight tight. I would also go in before I went to sleep and reswaddle (gently so as not to wake them) so that it was all right again. I got another month out of it until Henry started rolling onto his front. I unswaddled them when they were almost 5 months and there were no issues. I say try to ride it out for 1 more month and then retry the sleep sack.

 

We had two that LOVED being swaddled and we moved cold turkey to the sleep sack and shortly thereafter to just footed pajamas. I wanted to just share the best thing I have ever heard regarding trying something new - the 3 day rule. Give it, anything, 3 days to change before you try something new because the majority of the time 3 days is all it takes. 3 days if you get off schedule or when trying to change something to either get them back on schedule or give them time to get used to something. I might try it for another night or two and see if it gets better!

 

We are trying to go to sleep sacks, too, but only during the day so we can sleep at night. As soon as they start sleeping well during the day in sleep sacks, then we'll do it at night.

It's hard for us, too- my boys are closing in on 13 pounds and 1 big-shouldered baby does not fit at all in the smaller size Swaddle Me. I put him in the 1 big one we own & he swims in it.

My motivation is like your husbands'- they need to start learning how to sleep without it. I also do not want to invest in the larger sized Swaddle Me's if possible. I guess we will bring it up to the ped today...