Last month about two weeks into life sans swaddle, Charlie started flipping himself over in the night. It was strange because he wasn't consistently rolling over during the day, and when he would roll himself over in the night, he was none too pleased with the result. It seemed like a hunger reflex. We tried feeding him - he wasn't really hungry, we tried barricading him with a rolled up blanket - he definitely wasn't into that, and finally after sleeping on his floor one night (not sure what I thought I was helping), I decided to swaddle him from the armpits down. And voila! it worked. He stopped rolling over and slept soundly. I was feeling very foxy.
On Thursday of last week, Charlie rolled over to grab some shoes in my mom's bathroom. Seemed purposeful. By the time we got home that night, Charlie was rolling all around his little mat. Absolutely purposeful. Grateful for the swaddle, I put Chuck in bed that night, and he stayed on his back. Easy. And then Friday night happened. The swaddle failed us. We were up and down all night, flipping Charlie back over and soothing him to sleep. By morning, we were all cranky. When Charlie started his same routine on Saturday night, John, in a moment of sleep-deprived genius, placed Charlie up against the right side of his crib. You see, we have our own little Derek Zoolander on our hands - he can't turn left, and with the new placement, there wasn't room for him to turn right. And voila! it worked. He stopped rolling over and slept soundly. John was feeling very foxy.
Last night before I went to sleep, I walked in to check on Charlie, and oh my lord! he was on his stomach up against his bumper with his face planted firmly in the mattress. After having a minor mental freak-out and checking to make sure he was breathing, I decided to let him stay on his stomach and pulled him to the middle of the crib. When he woke up at 2:00 to eat, I promptly placed him on his back in the right side of his crib and watched him flip right over swaddle and all. Charlie, for now, is the foxiest.
ok mom question! how did y'all decide at what point to stop swaddling? Libby keeps getting out of her swaddle (multiple times a night) but has trouble calming down to fall asleep without it. Major dilemma b/c i sure as heck don't want to keep reswaddling her 3 times a night :)
ReplyDeleteOof, I know. We went through the same thing with Charlie, and after asking Mindy what she did with her girls, I decided to take his breaking out of the swaddle as a cue to start weaning him. We started with one arm out (more of a gradual weaning), but I really felt like it was making him angry to have one arm out and one still in, so I just left it off altogether. I started with naps and then graduated into our nighttime routine on the second night. It was definitely hairy few days (probably about three total) with short, frustrated naps, and he had a hard time settling down at night, but ultimately, it was better than reswaddling him several times a night.
DeleteIt wasn't until he started flopping around in the night that I decided to wrap him from his armpits down, and now I wish I would have done that before dropping it altogther. I think it would have made for an easier transition - if nothing else, I think the swaddle was an easy cue for sleep, and he probably wouldn't have been as shocked when he didn't have it at all.
Honestly, the entire process was another parenting reminder for me - the short-term struggle is often worth it in the long run. So we struggled for a couple of days, but ultimately, he was sleeping more soundly without it.
Hope this helps! Libby is absolutely adorable, and I love reading your posts. She's quite the little gymnast! ;)