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Swaddling is a common practice among parents of newborns for good reason. It helps keep your baby comforted and helps them feel more secure and can even help them sleep longer and better. While swaddling has many benefits, knowing when to stop swaddling is key for your baby’s safety and continued development. In today’s article, we’re going to talk about some best practices for knowing when it’s time to stop swaddling your baby. If you have any stories or experiences in this realm, please don’t hesitate to share them in the comments or on social!
General Timeline for Swaddling
Most newborns are swaddled the day of or at least very shortly after birth. Some hospitals will even swaddle them for you as they give your child back after delivery or if they are keeping an eye on them in the nursery. The typical swaddling sweet spot for when it is most effective is from birth to around 3 months, however, with many things in this area, it depends on the child. Many children will grow out of this at their own pace.
Signs It’s Time to Stop Swaddling
If it’s been about three months and you are thinking it is time to start transitioning away from swaddling, here are some things that you can watch out for.
- Rolling over. If your baby is starting to roll over after being swaddled while they are still awake, and ESPECIALLY if you notice them trying to roll over while sleeping. This can be a safety issue because if they roll over while sleeping and they are fully swaddled, then they may suffocate, so be very careful.
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- Increased movement. Is your baby fighting or fidgeting after you’ve swaddled them? It may be because they are growing uncomfortable in the swaddle, are needing more room to move and trying to break free.
- Discomfort or being fussy. Is your child becoming quickly irritable, fussy, or fighting you as you try to swaddle them? Then it may be time for a change.
- Self soothing improves. As your baby’s ability to self-soothe improves, the need for a swaddle diminishes.
How to Transition Out of Swaddling
While a swaddled baby all wrapped up in a snug bundle is one of the cutest things there are in this world, they have to grow out of it sometime, lest they be wearing a swaddle to their high school graduation! Here are some quick tips for transitioning them out of the swaddle.
- Swaddle them, but leave one arm out for a few nights and then free the other arm so that they can move more freely, but still get the general benefits from having their body swaddled.
- Use a swaddling transition product like a sleep sack or wearable blanket.
- Establish a strong bedtime routine. Why do we swaddle our babies to begin with? To help them fall asleep faster and in a more relaxing way. One way to help them transition out of the swaddle is to provide them with a strong bedtime routine.
- Create a dark environment
- Make sure it is not too warm or too cold in the room
- Fill the space with calming music or white noise as they drift off to sleep
- Try bathing them before putting them down for the night so they can feel clean, warmed up, and comfy
- Sing them a song as they go down to sleep. Just knowing you’re there and are soothing them with your voice can go a long way towards getting them off the swaddle for comfort
Before You Go
We hope you enjoyed learning about tips for when to stop swaddling your baby. If you would like to know more about this, our sleep learning, consulting or training programs or any of our excellent newborn care services or overnight newborn support, we are happy to help. Just contact us and we can go over your options and help you find the best path for your little one.
We hope these tips have helped you along your journey. If you have any questions about helping your baby to sleep better, or about your baby in general, please reach out to us HERE. We are experts in all things baby and sleep and would love to help!
Katie B.
Expertise You Need:
- Certified Master Pediatric Sleep Consultant
- Certified Advanced Newborn Care Specialist (2016-2022)
- Board Certified Holistic Healthcare Practitioner
- 16 years professional childcare experience
- Certified Postpartum Doula (2015-2022)
- Travel & ROTA Nanny
Katie has over 16 years experience working with children of all ages. As a Pediatric Sleep Consultant and Newborn Care Specialist, she has professionally supported families and babies worldwide over the last 10 years. Her mission is to help the entire family unit get better sleep, utilizing a holistic approach that supports the baby or child’s natural biologic drive to sleep. She has personally served hundreds of families, holds 20,000+ hours exclusively caring for infants & babies and has 69+ 5-⭐️ Google reviews.
The content contained in this blog is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended as medical advice or to replace the advice of any medical professional. It is based on our opinions and experience working with newborns and their families. Other’s opinions may vary. It does not represent the views of any affiliated organizations. The reader understands that the term “Babynurse” is often a word used to describe a newborn caregiver. However, unless otherwise disclosed, we are not licensed nurses in any state. By reading and/or utilizing any information or suggestions contained in this blog, the reader acknowledges that we are not medical professionals and agrees to and waives any claim, known or unknown, past, present or future. This blog may contain affiliate links.
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