It's recommended that you stop swaddling your baby once they can roll onto their tummy or if your baby does not seem to like it. If your baby doesn't like to be wrapped or if they can roll onto their tummy, you may prefer to use a safe infant sleeping bag.
Just because something works sometimes doesn't mean it's right for everyone or every situation — and doesn't mean you shouldn't think before you do it. Here's what parents should consider when they think about swaddling: Babies don't have to be swaddled. If your baby is happy without swaddling, don't bother.
Some child care centers may have a policy against swaddling infants in their care. This is because of the increased risks of SIDS or suffocation if the baby rolls over while swaddled, in addition to the other risks of overheating and hip dysplasia.
Swaddling should only be introduced when your baby is a newborn. As soon as they show signs that they're learning to roll over or they can already roll over, you need to transition them away from swaddling (Pease et al, 2016; The Lullaby Trust 2021; McDonnell & Moon, 2017; Nelson, 2017).
Your newborn baby will sleep better and sleep longer if you put them to sleep while swaddled. Swaddling prevents newborn babies from startling themselves awake with random arm movements.
Sleep suits can be a great alternative or swaddling transition. The suits keep baby's arms in a T-shape, to prevent rolling, while still keeping them comfortable. Make sure to keep the room they are in cool, as suits can be warm. Remember, swaddling (or an alternative solution) should end when your baby begins to roll.
If possible, do the diaper change before (or even in the middle of) the feeding. Avoid unswaddling, when possible- If your baby will still take a good, full feeding while swaddled, keep them wrapped up throughout the feeding. However, for some babies, unswaddling is the key to a full feeding in the night.
But according to the Contemporary Pediatrics guide, Swaddling 101, published by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), many babies can stay calm with no swaddling at all. The guide however, suggested that fussier babies can be calmed with the help of a swaddle.
Because of this, some child care centers refuse to swaddle babies. Some doctors suggest it could be dangerous for children to be swaddled after 2 months. Another danger of continued swaddling is the increased risk of SIDs. It is also possible that your baby could overheat if dressed for bed improperly.
Many Parents Swaddle Incorrectly!
Well, the most common swaddling mistake is not swaddling tight enough. Many parents are afraid of swaddling too snugly. When your baby is loosely swaddled, she will most likely bust her arms out and startle herself awake.
Babies don't need to be swaddled to be healthy and happy. If your baby is happy without swaddling, that's great news. Simply embrace it! Swaddling past the age of 2 months can potentially be harmful to their growth and healthy development.
If your house is below 65F at night, a long-sleeve onesie or one-piece pajamas worn under the swaddle should be enough to keep your baby comfortable. But if your house temperature is over 65F at night, dressing your baby in a short-sleeved onesie for sleep should work fine.
First is the developmental window of vulnerability. SIDS is most common at 2-4 months of age when the cardiorespiratory system of all infants is in rapid transition and therefore unstable.
A: To stop the Moro reflex without swaddling, you can try creating a calm and soothing environment for the baby, using gentle touch and rhythmic movements and gradually introducing more self-soothing techniques as they grow.
Do not swaddle while feeding, as this can cause the baby to overheat. Swaddling during feeding can also suppress some of the baby's important reflexes. During breastfeeding, a baby who can move freely can latch on better and nurse more effectively.
There isn't a universal age for coming out of the swaddle; instead, you'll want to stop swaddling when your little one is showing signs of rolling. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), we typically see babies begin to roll around 3-4 months.
The key message here is that it is ok to put a baby to sleep without burping. For many babies, parents find they don't notice an improvement in sleep if they purposefully relieve gas before putting their baby down to bed. However, some babies do tend to sleep better by burping their baby before falling asleep.
If your baby is not sleeping well unswaddled, try swaddling for an additional week or two. Transition to a wearable blanket- these are made specifically for the swaddle transition period. Keep an eye out for when your baby starts rolling on to their tummy.
Use a thicker crib sheet
You can buy thicker crib sheets for the winter. These will provide some warmth in the crib at night without the risk of having any loose blankets or sheets in the cot. I would recommend always going for 100% cotton sheets which are breathable and help regulate your baby's body temperature.
Yes. It is generally safe for infants to sleep in a sleep sack which allows their arms to be free and hips and legs to move once they start to roll over. This ensures that they are able to move about freely and can push themselves up when they start to roll over on their own.
Babies need to be able to move their legs freely, bending them and stretching them, swaddling the baby does not allow for these actions there for hindering growth.
SIDS is less common after 8 months of age, but parents and caregivers should continue to follow safe sleep practices to reduce the risk of SIDS and other sleep-related causes of infant death until baby's first birthday. More than 90% of all SIDS deaths occur before 6 months of age.
The peak incidence of SIDS occurs between 1 – 4 months of age; 90% of cases occur before 6 months of age. Babies continue to be at risk for SIDS up to 12 months.