Need Bed Time Advice

[CT_Michele]

I was really suprised this morning to find Ella on her tummy in her crib. She is 3 and a half months old. I swaddle her at night with those velcro swaddlers because it really helps her sleep through the whole night, but now i am worried because she flipped from her back to her tummy while in the velcro swaddler. This means her arms are not free to push her face out of the sheets if she needs to or to try and flip back. I am worried about suffocation hazard. I am also worried if I stop swaddler her that she will not sleep well. Also, if I stop swaddling her, I know we are not supposed to use blankets or quilts, so how does everyone dress their litle ones for bed? Use warm sleepers or sleep sacks? Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks.

[Cla]

HI Michele!

I had to stop swaddling my little one around the same time for the same reason. Have to say it DID make a difference to how well he slept (he did not seem to settle as well as when swaddled) BUT I think you do have to consider the safety risks first and foremost. I used a baby grobag which looked huge on him at first (!) but did the job (i.e. keep him warm!). We used a grobag (I think you call it a sleepsack!) right up until he was 2 and moved to a big bed - I think they're a great idea and allows them the freedom to move but still stay warm.
Oh, and eventually he settled much better and got used to the new way!

Best of luck!

Cla
xx

[Mandy J]

Hi,

I stopped swaddling around 2 months, I used blankets for a little while, but found that I didn't sleep very well, getting up several times to check Ellie hadn't moved under them. I was given a sleepbag and have never looked back, she now knows when the sleepbag goes on, its time to settledown for the night.

Next time I would like to get a sleepsuit with a hole half way down, then it would be easier for the times I need to go out in the car for the seatbelts to slip through without waking her.

Mandy

[Warren Dew]

We put her in a jumpsuit with long sleeves and legs. She was in a cosleeper in our bed for the first couple of months; when she moved to the crib, we went ahead and used baby blankets. She's more than capable of kicking them off if she wants to!

She does wake up a few times a night to nurse.

[woodcliff]

YEs, time to stop the swaddling, you're right, she needs her arms free. Very scary for you indeed...

Get a Halo sleep sack. I used those from months 5 to almost 9 months...now, my babies are standing up and crawling and the sac makes it unsafe for them to stand in their cribs...SO, now I use footed PJs.

It's always something...