Stopping wrapping

Hi All,

My DD is 17.5 weeks (just 4 months) and we have wrapped her in a Miracle blanket since birth. She temporarily learned to roll 2 weeks ago (did it twice and then hasn't repeated it!) so I have started to sleep her un-swaddled in the daytime. I was going to leave her unwrapped the whole time, but she will only go through one sleep cycle of 45 mins without the swaddle. Also, it takes longer for her to fall asleep, because although she likes being able to suck her hands, she also still startles herself.

So currently, I'm still wrapping her at night and not during the day (well, perhaps once every 3 days or so, when I really need her to sleep).

I probably should have started this earlier, but she's such a good sleeper (has been doing 9-10 hours straight through at night since she was 9 weeks) that I didn't want to change anything. Also, since the rolling has stopped, I figure it's not desperately urgent.

Anyone else who has gone through the process of stopping wrapping, can I ask how long it took you? And did you start with night or daytime sleeps?

Thanks in advance for any advice,
Helen

Hi Helen

I stressed about this so much with my first DS - he just lurved being wrapped. And he ended up being wrapped until he was 12 months old. Of course when he started to be able to roll and later push himself up to sit - I wrapped very loosely and actually used a cot sheet - he could push his way out of it easily enough, but to actually go to sleep, wrapping it was. None of my friends bubs were either a) ever wrapped or b) wrapped after about 3 months so I felt very weird :)

My daughter started sleeping out of wrapping but not until around 6 months.

This one baking, well,, considering he will be going through summer, am hoping he will like freedom a bit earlier.

You just reminded me how much I stressed about this with my DS ... to reflect now I really like that you have to go with the flow.

Hope any of that helps!
Sam

Thanks for this thread i have no advice my DD2 is 6 months and wont sleep unless wrapped. She is rolling but only when on the floor playing. I do not know how to get her out of the habit and like you dont want to disrupt her as she is a great sleeper at the minute. I will keep an eye out for any ideas the other lovely BB'ers may give you.

My DS was wrapped until around 6 months, when he started to consistently get himself out of the wrap, so I guess it was Baby-Led-Unwrapping. My nephew was rolling by 4 months, but he definitely wanted to be wrapped until nearly 8 months, wouldn't go to sleep otherwise. I have to confess that I didn't worry too much about it (the rolling/wrapping combo), because it was obviously something he wanted, and I was happy to have the sleep.

My DD was wrapped until 9 months. She absolutely loved it, but by that time I was wrapping in a cot sheet and getting sick of it - so then we just stopped one night and she was OK. My DS wasn't sleeping through the night by 4 months (DD did by 10 weeks) and mum looked after him one night and couldn't wrap him, so put him down unwrapped and it was the first time he slept through the night. So we tried it the next night too, and lo and behold he slept through - from that moment on he wasn't wrapped!!!!

Personally, I would keep wrapping! (You can buy positioners if you are worried about the rolling, or else like someone said, you can wrap loosely.) If it really makes a difference, I'd stick with it. (9-10 hours a night is looooovely!)
When we stopped wrapping (at about 10 months) we went to a sleeping bag with a light wrap around her arms, then gradually stopped wrapping her arms when she stopped wanting it (can't remember when that was, but she made it clear enough after a while). She still goes to bed with the wrap (she's 17 months) but she cuddles it as she sleeps.

I wouldn't worry too much about the rolling. DS has been rolling for 6 weeks now - but can't roll with a wrap on. I do wrap very tightly (and I actually use a sarong because he's a big boy) - so he can't kick his leg over /swing his arm over - which he needs to do to roll.

I have been wondering about when to stop - I am planning on a similar strategy to Snacks - Grobag + light wrapping until he gets used to no wrap.