When should my baby transition out of the swaddle
I was one of those parents that could never get the swaddle perfect. When I was at the hospital, I would ask each nurse to show me, and I still couldn’t do it. Now my husband, on the other hand, was a pro. And I would think to myself, when he returns to work, what will I do.
Swaddling takes practice and patience.
Swaddling reminds babies of when they were in the womb. They like to be tight and warm. Swaddling can honestly calm a fussy baby. Here are a couple of things to consider when swaddling.
- Use a large Square blanket
- Don’t cover up babies head
- Don’t swaddle all day long, only when baby is fussy or trying to sleep
- Make sure all lose ends are tucked in
Here is a video showing you how to swaddle correctly:
Please keep in mind not all babies like to be swaddled. From personal experience, my son hated it. I wanted to find a swaddle that was not using a blanket. My son liked his arms free but he also did not like mittens and he would scratch himself. Here are some different options for swaddles for babies.
- Dreamland weighted
- Love to Dream (my son’s favorite)
- Halo swaddle
When do I transition my baby out of a swaddle?
Around 3-4 months, your baby will start to roll. The AAP recommends transitioning out of the swaddle once they can roll from back to front. It is vital as when they are swaddled, their arms are stuck, so if they roll, this can become very dangerous. Here are some options for transitioning out of a swaddle.
- Love to Dream Transition bag- This is a great transition option.
- You can start by having one of your little one’s arms out. I recommend doing this for a couple of nights. Then transition to the other arm is out. And then transition to both arms.
- Kyte Baby- I love how soft these sleep sacks are. These are my absolute favorite. They are also long and will last your child a long time. My son switched to this at three months old and is still in the same one, and it goes up to 18 months old before I need to buy the next size.
- Dreamland Baby
- Halo
How long will it take for my little one to transition out of the swaddle
This is hard to answer. Every child is different. It would be best if you stayed very consistent. It could take up to two weeks for your little one to get the hang of having their arms out while sleeping. Some babies will take two nights and others will take longer than two weeks. Remember to be consistent at nap time and bed time and your baby will eventually get the hang of having their arms out.
If your baby is still having trouble sleeping, please reach out to strugglestocuddles@gmail.com so that I can make a personalized sleep plan for you and help you transition your baby out of a swaddle.
Sweetest dreams,
Meghan
