Swaddling - Lake Wales,FL

I swaddled all 4 of mine, and the one I swaddled the longest actually crawled & walked the earliest!!

1st, swaddled for 6 months, crawled at 7 months, walked at 10
2nd, swaddled for 4 months, crawled at 10 months, walked at 13
3rd, swaddled for 3 months, crawled at 9 months, walked at 12
4th, swaddled for 3 months, about to crawl (she's 8 months)

I swaddled all of mine for naps as well as at night.

Hope this helps!

When my son started breaking out of the swaddle was when I stopped. He was about 3 or 4 months old.

I think you can swaddle till they're 8-9 months if they like it that long. Honestly, I don't understand how it can hinder motor development cause they're asleep. It's not like they're jogging or something LOL. Usually they start getting one arm out on their own. I swaddled till about 6 months cause by then my son decided he didn't want/need it anymore. Swaddling is about comfort for the little ones. They've been cozy in the womb for months; it feels like home for them. Helps with the startle reflex not waking them, too.

We swaddled our son until he broke out of it every night! It really helped him to sleep, but after about 3 months or so he started wriggling out of it at night and then we stopped. Your baby will tell you when they don't like it anymore.

I swaddled my son until he indicated he was ready to stop, by breaking out of it or fussing when in it. I think he was about 5 months old? It didn't interfere with any motor development at all (he is now 18 months old and has better motor skills than many kids his age, able to run and jump with both feet off the ground), and when I talked to my doctor about it when my son was 4 months old, she was not at all concerned that it would cause problems anytime soon. I only swaddled for naps and nighttime, too. During his waking hours, he was mobile and working out those muscles. He decided on his own that he was done with swaddling long before it could really interfere with his progress. I would talk to your pediatrician, but I think 1 month old is waaaay too early to worry about it.

Swaddle until the little one can turn themselves over by themself.

I run a daycare out of my home and I have done plenty of swaddling over the years for the newborns up until close to 5 to 6 months depending on the baby. I have seen no delays in their motor stills at all as they at growing up. A newborn baby will hit himself unexpectedly while sleeping because the message from the hand doesnt get to the brain fast enough to recognize he is doing it to themselves yet, and in the end waking up the baby. By swaddling you are allowing the baby to sleep longer and deeper as they believe that they are in the mothers womb again making them feel safe.

I swaddled at night for 5 months. Everyone gave me grief about it but my daughter liked it and it helped her sleep. She is almost 1 2/1 now and she is perfectly developed and if I'm allowed to brag - extremely bright!

I am such a fan of swaddling that I have kept all 3 of my swaddles waiting for the next baby. My sister has a 5 month old and they told her in the hospital not to swaddle. Seems like rubbish to me - you should do it or not do it depending on what your baby likes. Just be safe and make sure that it's secure and that the top lip of the swaddle is under the baby's chin so it doesn't interfere with breathing.

Good luck and try not to listen to others too much!

D.

When your baby starts to kick around at the covers, you'll know it's time.
Little pajamas with feet are nice and cozy and he'll be able to start mobilizing...You may want to call the pediatrician, speak to the nurses and ask what they think. Don't let just one mom's opinion rule your life, just like you'll take my and the other replies into consideration.
Congrats on the new baby!

I'm sure the lady at your daycare place had good intentions, but if it were me, I would have politely told her to butt out. Your baby loves it! Why change a good thing. It's not like you are swaddling your infant so tightly that she is bruised. Right? My second daughter LOVED being swaddled and the tighter, the better. She loved it and I swaddled her until about 6-7 months when she no longer liked it. Your baby will let you know when it's not working for her. Sometimes it's best to not share these things with outsiders because they tend to tell you worrisome information. Besides, a baby is not using their "motor skills" during sleep. Swaddle away! : )

My son is 10 months old and he still occasionally likes to be swaddled for a nap. It makes him feel secure to fall asleep. He can and does get out of it on his own mid-nap as he turns over. I am sure his motor development has not been delayed- or if it has I am grateful; I can only describe his activity level in two words: shock and awe. :)

Please swaddle your baby for as long as he needs it, this could be for many months. I think I swaddled for 6 months. My daughter was a thumb-sucker starting at 8 weeks, so I would have to keep one arm out so she could suck her thumb! It was really cute. She developed right on target, hit all of her milestones on time or early and was walking at ten and a half months. The swaddle has been a soothing technique for centuries and is considered comforting for restless babies who need the sense of physical contact. Also, babies have a tendency to twitch while sleeping and the jerking motions of their arm and legs will wake them up, causing them not to sleep well. By swaddling you are giving your baby comfort and the ability to have restful sleep that he needs to be happy and healthy. As long as he gets lots of tummy time and other opportunities to stretch when he is awake he will develop just fine! Go with your instinct and follow his cues, you are doing great! And congratulations!

** I wanted to add, my daughter came home from the hospital swaddled, I got my first lesson on swaddling from the nurses there, she was born at Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies.

I had the same questions when we first brought our daughter home. Our pediatrian said "she will let you know when she is done with the saddle." and sure enough at 6 months to the day, she busted out of it like she was going but bust her shoulder! That was the end of that. She still slept through night, just wanted to move around a little bit more. Good luck!

If I remember well, I did until she was 4 months. I actually stop first at 1 month because I couldn't swaddle tight enough and she would always come out anyway. Until my mom came and swaddle her, she did it amazingly well and teach us, but even if we got better we never could do as well as her. Oh mothers, wonderful gems that we appreciate the most when we have our own kids.

We swaddled our daughter so long that she was bigger then the receiving blanket. So we used two. As she got older she didn't want it all the time - just when she was over-tired or cranky. We have had no problems with her development.

Use your mommy instinct. If you thinks he wants to be swaddled, then do it.

I did swaddled my son until about 5 months. He is perfectly fine!

That mom is 100% right! Lack of movement is the number one cause of early motor delays. He does not need to be swaddled and needs to learn self rgulation. Put your baby on tummy all waking hours if possible so he/she can move, groove, rock, roll, crawl, slither, airplane and do whatever the body needs to do in order to develop a normal intgrated brain for life and school. Typical style crawling needs to take place for 4-6 months to have a totally integrated brain and central nervous system, vision, auditory and vesibular. What a smart Mommy you had give you that warning. Babies move like crazy at night making new connections so it is importnat to let that take place and tummy is the best position to "wake up" the central nervous system. Buy one of those monitors that go under the crib mattress. They are well worth it and then you can resell it when you are done with it. Good luck.

A.,
I swaddled both of my sons until they were 5 mos old. Like your baby, they both slept really well swaddled. They are 2 1/2 & 14 mos now & do not have any motor development issues at all.
Take the solicited & unsolicted advice with a grain of salt...I get a lot of it too. I say, go with your gutt.
And congrats on teh new baby boy!!!
H.

2 wks full swaddle, and then 2 weeks under the arms swaddle, my little guys always hated having his arms restrained, plus he always got hot real easily (seriously I can be freezing and he will be sweating in just his diaper!)

I think it was around 4 1/2 months. You usually can tell when they don't want to. My son would be able to break through and try and roll over, so I slowly transitioned him one arm at a time. With only one arm in I could tighten it so his other arm wouldn't get out. How come you only swaddle at night? Yeah there really is no way that it can hinder motor development. If you are really worried about it, use a woombie swaddle.
www.thewoombie.com
I love it because I didn't have to swaddle him tight, but it's a bag that you put his arms in and can't get them out but keeps them nice and warm like in the woomb. . . go figure.

I swaddled my daughter until 9 months. The doctor said as long as she was sleeping all night, it was ok to swaddle her.

Why in heaven's name would you want to swaddle a baby? My sons (now mid 30's) were always allowed freedom to move, and they developed good muscle coordination quickly. They were pushing over from tummy to back in just a few weeks, sleeping through the night in 4 and 6 weeks, crawling and walking fairly early. I seldom used a playpen during the day, and I often put them on a pallet on the floor, moving them from room to room as I did chores. I think the more freedom of movement you can give a little one, the better - but not in contraptions that seat them upright before they can hold themselves upright and before their neck muscles are strong enough to hold their heads erect.

I think we swaddled our little girl till she was 4 months old. We used the kiddopatamus because we never could get it tight enough using a regular blanket. She slept through the night at 6 weeks old and I credit swaddling, because I nursed exclusively. I think she was 4-6 months when we stopped only because she would squirm out.

The mom at the daycare must have been mistaken-- My children were both swaddled until over a year of age- they loved being swaddled. I have had no problems whatsoever. My little one still likes to be swaddled and he is 15 months! I would take what she said as worth a grain of salt--- You can and should swaddle as long as your baby wants it- makes him feel much more secure and will sleep longer!

Congrats on your baby!

Molly

I've never heard of there being a problem, but I think most babies just reach a point where they don't want to be anymore. Two of mine didn't ever want to be, they would scream at the hospital until unwrapped. Another liked being swaddled until he started putting his hands in his mouth. Even then, he was swaddled from the waist down for a little bit. It seems like he was around 4 months when he didn't like it anymore at all. My daughter had days where she was comfortable being swaddled, and days where it upset here. She also seemed to stop liking it altogether around 4-5 months. It was actually one of my boys that hated swaddling that crawled and walked later then the other 3, so I don't think there's any effect.

We swaddled our firstborn. It was the only way for her, that she would sleep.
But we only did it for maybe 2-3 months.
By that time, she was not wanting it.
And, her motor movements, were changing.
So again, perhaps go according to your baby's motor development....
all babies/newborns have a "startle reflex" whereby their limbs 'flail.' It is involuntary and they cannot control it. They being a baby. But this is normal.... and normal development. It does go away when the baby is older.

Ultimately, ask your Pediatrician.. not what other Moms are telling you... get the opinion of your Pediatrician....

all the best,
Susan