When Should You Stop Swaddling Your Baby with a Blanket to Sleep In?

Hi J.,

My twin boys are three and I swaddled both of them in blankets for sleeping until they were too big to swaddle. Now, they DO like to sleep with what they call "my bebe banket".

Hope this helps! K.

Swaddling my twin boys was the best habit I ever started - I swaddled them all the way up until they were about 7 months and could roll over and sit themselves up. I was starting to get a little worried that they would be like 12 years old and I would still have to swaddled them but they just wouldn't stay asleep when I didn't wrap them up! They had gotten so big that the only part of them that would stay in the blanket after they wiggled a little was thier arms - but then when they started crawling and pulling up they got themselves tired enough that they could go to sleep and stay asleep without being swaddled. I wish now that I had swaddled my first two kids.

J.,
lots of responses here, I just wanted to add my 2 cents. I am an RN pediatric and lactation consultant. I have also studied the Dr Karp and TBerry Brazelton recommendations. I do use the Miracle Blanket (no velcro just great wrapping) because when used properly and tucked in it prevents the blanket from sliding up around the face like some of the other swaddlers or a regular swaddling blanket can do.
According to the studies babies really need the confines of the blanket and gentle pressure on the abdomen to allow them to sleep without stimulating the moro reflex on an hourly basis causing them to startle themselves awake. For some babies 3-4 months works well. For others they may need to be swaddled for naps only after 6months or so. If they can roll over while swaddling, you need to make sure the arms are at thier sides, then you must stop swaddling. To wean them try swaddling with 1 arm out, if they don't wake themselves then try the other arm (again this is safer with a miracle blanket because it doesn't ride up around the neck and face) and then go to the Halo sleep sacks.
thanks,
K. @ The Nestingplace

I swaddled with the miracle blanket until about 6 months. I started trying to put my daughter down without a swaddle around 3, but she just didn't sleep well without it. Finally, around 6 months, she was starting to get one arm out so I started swaddling her with one arm out for a week or so...then two out for about a week...then we were pretty well done with it! Good luck!

My son started wanting his arms out to sleep when he was about six weeks old. I didn't get much use out of all those velcro blankets that I bought!

Good morning J.,

I have two boys, one turning 9 and the other one just turned two. I don't think there is a rule of when it is best to stop swaddling your baby. I believe it depends on you baby's level of comfort. Both my boys let me know when they wanted to stop being swaddled. One did it in a matter of three to five weeks. The youngest (who weight close to 9lbs) pretty much after a couple of weeks, if that long. He liked to move. He didn't like to be confined. He was that way in the belly too. They will let you know.

Hope this helps,
M.

I think you should swaddle until they don't need to be swaddled. It is different with each baby. My daughter slept swaddled until 6 months. She then started rolling onto her tummy while swaddled and that made me nervous. At that time, the Dr. said it was fine to put her to sleep on her tummy.

I stopped swaddling pretty early. I just didn't think my kids liked it. But, I know babies that love it. So, just do what feels right to you. Congratulations on the twins!

I stopped swaddling when they were able to remove themselves from the swaddle on their own. Then, I didn't want them getting it all wrapped around their own heads or anything, so I switched to the footed, zip-up blanket sleepers, which were great.

J.,

For us we stopped using the blanket when they (twin boy and girl) started to wiggle out of it during the night. After that they seemed to be fine going to sleep without being swaddled.

My pediatrician told us 6 months...or sooner if your baby starts to rollover. We swaddled our youngest b/c that was the only way we could get him to sleep for a couple hours straight. We did it until around 5-6 months.

I think it is more of a readiness thing than an age to determine when to stop swaddliing. We too used the velcro type swaddler blankets and when our daughter was wiggling so much that her arms/legs were out of the blanket, that is when we stopped.

I didn't use a blanket, I used Swaddlers - they were like little velcro papoose wraps - got them at babies-r-us. I swaddled till he was too big to fit in the largest size - about 5-6 months, but you can swaddle as long as they like it. Most babies start getting their arms out around 5-6 months, but some love it. He liked it - very comforting for them usually. Congratulations! You might want to check out the book/DVD (check your library so you don't have to buy it if you don't want to) "The Happiest Baby on the Block", Dr. Karp. GREAT stuff for crying babies, and good for comforting them in general.

My son LOVED to be swaddled. I can't even remember how old he was but I think he was about 6-8 months old when we stopped and it was because he was finally at the age where no matter how tight we made it, he got his hands out and slept fine. Let your baby tell you when he's ready to stop being swaddled. That's what we did. We found that using two receiving blankets to swaddle when they got bigger worked really well.

I've used that miracle blanket once (that velcros) and my son somehow got it up over his head. It made me a bit nervous to use it. Maybe it was my inexperience but he seemed to like the tight wrap of both big receiving blankets better. We learned that swaddle with two blankets from his nurse :)

Good luck!

All the research states that swaddling babies provides good autonomic stability and containment. There is no rule about how long it should be practiced. Your babies maintained tight quarters for some time and they are used to boundaries provided by your placenta. If they were early, it is especially important to keep them swaddled to provide the all over flexion positioning that your womb provided. There is new controversial information out about co-bedding twins. Check with your pediatrician to make sure how they feel about this. I swaddle many of my patients during bottle feedings if they are having problems. If they are arching, flailing, or pulling off the bottle nipple, the swaddling helps them remain calm and organized so that the feeding goes smoothly.

R. Elkin, MOT, OTR/L, CKT

We stopped after a month or two. It's great for the adjustment from the womb to the world, but you don't want them to get too dependent upon it. Plus once they start wiggling it could become a liability. Like everyone has said, you just have to judge what's in your childs best interest.

Just keep swaddling until you cannot do it anymore. The babies will become too mobile at some point to be able to swaddle them any longer, and this will be the 'sign' you need to stop trying to swaddle them. Take Care!

I would try the Miracle blankets, my twins used them until they were about 4 months old, they loved be swaddled up really tight, but they can still break out of it easily, my pediatrician recommended it and said the velcro ones aren't as good because they weren't as easy to break out of if they choose to.

I read to stop around 3 months or when you baby finds his/her hands. We stopped around 4 months cause it was a train wreck when we first stopped, but then we started noticing that he was crying out of frustration at night and would finally settle down once he had gotten all of his arms free. I think each baby has preferences so you can try stopping one night and if he/she doesn't sleep as well then go back to the swaddle until you notice it is not a benefit anymore like it was for us. I have heard of babies swaddled up to 6 months...Best of luck!

I swaddled all 3 of my boys until they would get out by themselves, around 3-4 months. After that they didn't like having their arms confined though I still swaddled their legs. :)

Swaddling works because it simulates being in the uterus, making the baby feel snug. Initially, if you did not swaddle your baby, it would probably cry more...typically as babies move and their arms and legs find no resistance they feel insecure (unfamiliar)...a new experience. Quickly as you bath, dress, and change a baby's diapers, they are experiencing their bodies "free" in the air. Some like it...others don't. So try holding your babies and putting them down without swaddling and see if it works. If they aren't comfortable, you'll know it...they will fuss. Their comfort is the only reason to swaddle.

Take cues from you baby. If you baby is always trying to break free of the swaddle, then let them be free. I did not have a good experience with the velcro blankets, to me they were a waste of time and money, again your babies like to be swaddle and don't fuss leave them be.

If your baby sleeps swaddled in the crib then as soon as he starts trying to turn over stop. My baby turned over swaddled and his arms were swaddled so his face got stuck against the matress because he could not use his arms to push his face up off of the matress and thank God I walked in to find him struggleing in time to get him out.

One of my other sons slept swaddled in his swing for 9 months because he had severe colic and reflux...

GL-
A.

J.,
I think that this should be left up to the parent to decide. I stopped swaddling my baby (7 months old now) when he was about 3 to 4 months old. Once the baby gets used to the surroundings and sleeps well with out the comfort of being wrapped up tightly, is usually when we would stop swaddling our boys. Try putting the babies down with out a swaddle blanket and see how they sleep. If they sleep just as well as before, then it is up to you, whether u decide to continue to use the swaddle blanket or not. I hope this helps! Good luck!