When did everyone stop swaddling ds/dd and how did you do it? I would like to stop swaddling ds, but don't know if he is ready yet. He always breaks out of the swaddle, but sleep so much better when he is swaddled. When he is not swaddled he wakes himself up with his hands.
We stopped swaddling when she was about a month old. She never stayed in it, she ALWAYS has to have her hands free. She occasionally woke herself up, but she eventually stopped.
We stopped swaddling at about 1 month old as well. We had the special swaddler blankets so he could not kick out of it, but we just stopped doing it. I was always so afraid of getting him too hot and him overheating...that scared me.
As far as stopping, we just stopped. We did not swaddle him for naps and we put him in footies at night. He did just fine, but like I said we stopped early.
I swaddled my son until he was about four months old....but I never included his arms....I just wrapped his lower torso. Then one day I just stopped at night.
Sometimes when my son is really upset, I still swaddle him and rock him...and he is ten months old But he is a little snugglebug He likes it. So it really depends on your baby and if they like to snuggle or not.
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He is richest who is content with the least, for content is the wealth of nature.
Have you considered swaddling with a ribbon or scarf? You pretty much tie them up, gently of course. I did it a few times and it worked great, but I was too nervous to let her sleep like that incase it came loose and somehow got around her neck. I doubt it would happen, but I'm a first time mommy.. LOL
Between a month and a month and a half. She was beginning to move much more and she wasn't fussy or had sleeping issues so it was practical for us to stop.
I stopped swaddling ds for naps around a month or so but still swaddle his lower half for bed time. He is almost 12 weeks old now. He likes the secure feeling it gives him but he is the opposite of these other babies! He has to have his arms free to sleep. If he can't get them to his mouth then he starts to wiggle and cry.
With our first we stopped swaddling him all together around 4 months when he started wiggling out of it on his own. He also needed his hands free though!
I swaddled dd until she was nearly 6 months old. I would diagonally fold a cloth nappy and swaddle her tightly around the arms. I used a safety pin also to make sure she didn't come out.... I would try every so often to put her down without wrapping her which usually ended in both dd and I in a frazzle. Then she got to the stage where she wanted her arms out and there was no way I could keep her swaddled. All of a sudden there was a switch where she could be put down unwrapped and not get herself in a state. Your baby will let you know when they're ready to be free in bed. I also found that she slept better without the swaddle... until she started teething
Let your baby guide you. Try not to feel like you're doing something wrong by still swaddling. Some babies need the security and others don't.
If your baby is breaking out of the swaddle some other options that will help him sleep better and longer are:
The Miracle Blanket (I've heard its hard for them to break out of it)
Co-sleeping
Sleeping on the tummy
Sleeping on the side in a positioner
Sleeping in the carseat
Sleeping in the swing
Sleeping in the bouncy
Robert Michael Born on 3/20/06 
But he is a little snugglebug 
He likes it. So it really depends on your baby and if they like to snuggle or not.
Re: when did you stop swaddling? 
