HELP! Stopping swaddling??

Any advice?? I have looked thru some previous threads but wondering if anyone has any good suggestions? My DD is 3 months and has been swaddled in the Halo Swaddle sleepsacks since birth. She sleeps about 7-8 hrs at night, but the past few nights she's been breaking free (one hand sticking out the top, one peeking through the bottom!) which then wakes her up. Even when she doesn't break free, she wakes up struggling to get loose. But, of course, when we don't swaddle her, she won't sleep. She'll generally fall asleep but does not stay asleep. I tried the one arm out but that arm still flails so much she won't stay asleep. I tried putting her arms inside the sleepsack itself but she manages to poke one arm out the hole.
How long did it take your DC to wean off the swaddle? She generally won't all out cry but just rolls around and gets no sleep. I end up going in and swaddling her bc I just stare at the monitor and cant stand watching her whimper!!
Help!!

Re: HELP! Stopping swaddling??

I am interested in getting advice as well!!

DS is the same way. He is the Halo Swaddle Me, too and has been breaking free lately. He even brings his arms up and his hands poke out the top so he can suck on them.

We tried unswaddling him for 2 nights about 2 weeks ago and they were not fun at all. He did not stay asleep for my than 2 hours, when he usually sleeps for 6ish at a time.

Re: HELP! Stopping swaddling??

Have you tried swaddling in a regular swaddling blanket, a big square one. I found that my DS didn't do well in the Halo Swaddle Sleepsacks and would break free (around that age I think). I felt he still needed to be swaddled and so went to BBB after posting here and bought everything I found. I ended up using a big square blanket made by Swaddle Designs I think and that did the trick. I was able to swaddle tighter and he slept great until he eventually stopped being swaddled. Once we did stop swaddling when he was older, we just stopped. The one arm out didn't work for us. After about 2 nights he did better and then was sleeping fine again. BUt those 2 days were hard bc he would wake himself up. GL!

Re: HELP! Stopping swaddling??

Maybe the swaddles are too small for her.

We had to size up around 4mo. We really liked the Summer Infant swaddles.

Re: HELP! Stopping swaddling??

I stopped swaddling at 3 months cold turkey per my ped. I started with naps though....she was fine by nighttime!

Re: HELP! Stopping swaddling??

Ugh, this is like a thorn in my side. I can't stop thinking about the day we are going to stop. I truly feel the only thing that keeps her asleep is the swaddle. We don't swaddle for naps and she flinches and wakes herself constantly

I am trying to hold out until the 3rd week of april because I am off of work for a week. But we did buy the size large and have been using it for a few weeks now. I think I am going to transition straight to the sleep sack with arms inside for a few nights and then its cold turkey.

How did your children adjust when you all stopped?

Re: HELP! Stopping swaddling??

Re: HELP! Stopping swaddling??

We stopped cold turkey and it took about a month for her to get used to it- and now she's rolling over getting her hand caught in slats

Re: HELP! Stopping swaddling??

Re: HELP! Stopping swaddling??

They have these blanket/sleeping bags... its like a sleepingbag with arm holes.

Maybe you can swaddle her so she can fall asleep then let her stay warm with the sleeping bag blanket?

I have to admit - when I saw them in the store i thought they were the most stupid thing - then when DS was breaking free from swaddles and it was still chilly...they made sense!

Re: HELP! Stopping swaddling??

Re: HELP! Stopping swaddling??

we tried cold turkey at 5 months, but it was such a disaster. Cold trurkey will work if you're willing to let them cry all night for a few nights, but we just weren't ready for that. So a few weeks later we decided to do it slowly and it worked pretty good for us. We did one arm out for 2 nights. The other arm out for 2 nights. Both arms out for 2 nights and then we were swaddle free. DS cried a lot the first 2 nights, but it wasn't nearly as bad as the cold turkey cries. By nights 3 and 4 it was just some whimpering here and there.

Re: HELP! Stopping swaddling??

Honestly- I kept DD swaddled until she was like 7 months old.
It was the only way she slept well
Then I started just keeping her arms out for a few night and once she was ok with that, she went to a sleepsack

I saw no need to stop swaddling too early- if it helped her sleep I was all for it.

Re: HELP! Stopping swaddling??

UPDATE:

Well we stayed strong last night and just used the sleepsack with no swaddle...and she slept from 8-5:30! I had to just stop watching the monitor and tell myself only to go in if she started crying (I tend to get her if she starts whimpering and grunting...which I need to stop doing!!). And she didn't cry at all, not once during the night!! She did flail her arms a bit at first and I heard her tossing and turning for a little while, but eventually slept really well.

Now naps are another story! She is a terrible napper, even when swaddled, so I think we got really discouraged the past few days bc no matter what we tried, it was a disaster. I guess we should have tried nighttime first!

Keeping fingers crossed naps go better today!