I am wondering at what age did you stop wrapping your baby and how did you go about it?
DS is coming up to 4 months (corrected age) and I would like to stop wrapping him to sleep. Firstly, it's too hot and secondly he won't even sleep in the pram unwrapped which makes it difficult when I'm out.
If he has fallen asleep in my arms, I will put him in bed unwrapped, though find he will wake up in 20 or 30mins, thrashing around, and is hard to re settle.
Should I 'wean' him off the wrap? Or will he simply outgrow it when his startle reflex is absolute?
Hippiemummy, I know they have a startle reflex till 4/4.5 months so I haven't bothered trying to stop wrapping before now. I wonder if they get use to being wrapped KWIM.
it's interesting, cos my DH started waging a "don't wrap" campaign at about 10 weeks lol (I think it was because he's not a very good wrapper!)... but also X LOVES to sleep with his arms out. So we just put him in a sleeping bag, and he was out like a light with arms outstretched OR above his head in muscle-man pose. Based on what you said, we were probably a bit early, but he didn't seem to startle. I think he doesn't sleep as well without the bag, I assume the weight of it on his body still feels reassuring mebbe? When I tried sleeping him with sheets & a blanket he just travelled up his cot and left all bedding behind him, then cried cos he was cold.
Have you tried something like a sleeping bag for a day sleep to see how he goes?
I stopped properly wrapping my DS when he started rolling, so maybe 4.5 months... I would go into his room, and find him all tangled in the wrap, so decided it was too dangerous to keep using. I was worried about him and the startle reflux, cause that did bother him, but it seemed to be OK. However, DS likes the wrap for sucking and it is really a good sleep aid for him, so I just really loosely wrap him for day sleeps (he is 8 months, and he can get out of it), or put the wrap in the cot with him at night and he will cuddle it falling asleep.
With regards to other ways to wean, than just loosening the wrap, I think you can try to put one arm out, and see how they go, then the other arm etc... Hopefully someone else can come in and help with that for you.
And for the heat, we use a reallllllly thin muslin, I got from spotlight, and made into wraps, and DS doesn't have any other sheets covering him if I wrap him in this weather...
I only just recently stopped wrapping N, there was no way she would go to sleep and stay asleep without being wrapped, and for us it was always double wrapping
We had a friend baby site her two weeks ago and it was her first time wrapping, and we have always had to uite firm with our wrapping and N got out of her wraps and when we got home she was sleeping with her arms above her head. That was on a Wednesday night, I decided that I would try her cold turkey on the Friday night. I put her is a soft streatch Osh Kosh sleep suit that a friend gave us, she played around in her bed and just fell to sleep, we gave her a little blanket thing with a teddy attached as security/to hold. I had the wraps ready to go and wrap if she woke, but we didn't need them, she slept exaclty as she would have being wrapped
She also kicks off sheets at the moment as it is too hot, but she does like to hold on to them, last night was a bit cooler and she held on to them, but if is too hot she will hold onto the blanket thing, but I might switch it to another one as this one had a bell in it and I think it makes her up sometimes when she finds it in her sleep
So N was almost 7 months or 5 1/2 months corrected. At the reflex is finally gone as well.
BEEMA - That's interesting that N went cold turkey. I guess at 5.5 months that reflex is truely gone. I have always had to wrap BJ real tight. Lucky I'm a good wrapper. DH is hopeless so I always do the wrapping. I have one of those blanky's with a bear thing. I did plan to use that. Good to know
RUF - Good idea to try with one arm out. Why didn't I think of that?? I don't use sheets or blankets either. Just the wrap. I do wrap him in the muslin ones but I have to wrap it around a few times so he doesn't get out
BELFIE - No I haven't tried a sleeping bag. I will do though, good idea... But gotta buy one first
PP - That's interesting re sleeping in the womb. If only I knew how he did... I'm worried about trying to let him sleep unwrapped at night cause I don't wanna sacrafice my sleep
Thanks for the replies ladies... You've been very helpful.
He fell asleep in the car on the way home this morning so I transferred him into his bed, unwrapped, and he slept for a further 20mins. So not too bad I guess
Georgi -
in experience they will grow out of the need to be wrapped.
DD hated being wrapped and was in a sleeping bag on her back from 5 weeks - it was the only way she would sleep as she always wanted her hands at her face. (they say the way they often sleep in the womb - see by ultrasound) is how they like to sleep out!.
Anyhow about 4-5months i started to wrap her again as she would wake often in the night and i kept her wrapped until about 6 months she she started rolling - once rolling and she was on her belly she slept sound.
DS i have to wrap on his back - sleeping on his tummy he is fine as the startle reflex is less.
You can try no wrapping for a few nights and if he is waking frewuently then perhaps go back to it for another few weeks. - try putting him on his back with the sheet firm across his chest
When & how did you stop wrapping?
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks