Alternative to Swaddling in Warm Weather

I had a similar problem - here's how I swaddled without wrapping my little one up....

put a light recieving blanket down in the crib with a corner at the top - fold the top corner down and lay baby with his head above the folded corner (just like doing a regular swaddle)
then take the free corners at the sides and fold each over his arm and tuck it under his back - this way his arms are tight to his sides so he can't startle himself, but his body and legs are uncovered.
then he can be dressed in as little or as much as needed to be comfortable.

My babies both loved to be swaddled, and my youngest wanted to sleep that way until about 7 months. I don't see any reason to try to get them out of it if it makes them feel cosy and sleep better....they all out grow it eventually when they're a little more mobile.
Good luck!

we had this problem with my son... I ended up cutting a pillowcase to make a makeshift swaddle blanket - it kept him wrapped but was so light he didn't get too hot.

I too was worried about swaddling when it got warmer so I decided we probably needed to stop swaddling my 4 month old son. We just started doing naps without swaddles. At first, his naps got cut down to 20 minutes but soon they got a little longer. Then I tried putting him down at night without a swaddle. Some times, he'd wake right up, so I'd try 3 times and if he wouldn't sleep at all, I'd swaddle him. I'd say within a week, we were no longer swaddling. Good luck!

why don't you swaddle him with only a diaper on underneath, and maybe put a fan somewhere in the room - (not to close to him) just to circulate the air....????

We had the same issue when our 3 year old was a newborn. She would only sleep is swaddled but was way too hot for a blanket. I went to Wal Mart / Target and bought a cheap twin size flat sheet and cut it down to the size of one of her receiving blankets and had someone sew binding around the edges. We stipped her down to her diaper, swaddled her in her sheet and she was happy. Good luck!

We bought some Aden + Anais swaddling blankets for our baby (born last July). Lightly dressed, fan on in the room, wrapped in this muslin swaddling blanket = happy, sleeping summer baby.

Here's a link to what they look like: http://site.adenandanais.com/aa-pop-image.html?http://sit...

Added bonus: our daughter was born big and tall, so these were better than the standard receiving blanket at keeping her swaddled (since they are larger than average). She, too, was one who wanted to stay swaddled until she was 7 months old. And like someone else who posted here, we were happily surprised when we read about new research that suggests that a fan on in the baby's room might help to reduce the risk of SIDS.

Happy swaddling!

I swaddled my son through the summer and we live in Redding. We did not have bumpers on his crib, to allow more air circulation. Maybe set up a fan in his room to keep him cool without cooling the whole house.

Just another fan of Aden and Anais blankets!! My son was born almost 3 years ago, it was 116 degrees the day he was born. A friend told me about these blankets and we used them religiously. So much so, that they are now his "bitzys"... very much loved, lightweight, and super cuddly. Great for everything from swaddling, laying baby on, nursing, etc.

S.,

If its warm, put your baby in a diaper and onsie with the swaddle blanket-- if its really hot,just a diaper and the swaddler. Good luck!

molly

Hi S.,

First, the good news is that as your baby continues to grow and develop, he will begin to startle less, and to sleep better.

In the meantime, try dressing him in just a diaper and a onesie if you are swaddling him, and/or try a sleep sack, which comes in different weights ( fleece or cotton), and leaves his arms free, which will give him the feeling of being "held", but will leave his arms and hands free- meaning he will be cooler.

The sleep sack may help him to adjust to sleeping without being totally swaddled. He may even be able to find his thumb or fist to suck on, while wearing a sleep sack, which could also help to soothe him! Halo makes good, inexpensive sleep sacks.

A fan can help to cool a hot room, and sometimes little ones find the sound of a fan very soothing as well.

If your son is sleeping in a crib,you might try switching him to a cradle, or pack and play for the next month or so- sometimes a full size crib just "feels" too big to a very little baby.

Hope some of these ideas help, L. S.

You could try a silk blanket like the one on this link:

http://www.atoygarden.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.di...

Pricey, but lasts forever.

I had the same problem with my daughter- I just had my mom sew me a smaller square made from a thin bed sheet, and wrapped her in that and a diaper. She didn't seem overheated, yet she still got the "security" she needed from being swaddled. Good luck!

Hi S.,

I used to have the same problem and concerns about swaddling and overheating.

Here is what worked for me:

I swaddled for nap time and once he was asleep I undid the Velcro and allowed him to loosen it in his sleep.

After a week or so I cut the “wrapping/binding” part of the swaddle off and used that while I rocked him to sleep. Once he was asleep I was able to remove it without disturbing him.

After a few weeks he was fine to be rocked with a blanket around him and then placed in his crib to sleep without any cover.

He still moves around the crib a good bit but he sleeps well too.

Best of luck,
D.

With mine when it was warm I would just swaddle them with a diaper on or just a short sleeved onsie. They will not get too hot. If you have a ceiling fan in the room that helps too.

Overheating is associated with an increased risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. There have been studies that indicate having a fan on in the babies room seems to lower the risk of SIDS. Baby's sweat glands are not as developed as adults and it is harder for them to regulate their internal temperature. Excess heat seems to be one of the stressors that may set off SIDS.

When my daughter was a new born (6/29/07) we would put her in a long sleeve onesie and swaddle her with her arms out. That worked for us. If your baby boy needs his arms swaddled too, try swaddling with just a diaper on and a light blanket. When my daughter was a new born I also bought really light pjs at babies r us.
Best of luck and congratulations!

I have some friends that used some really, really light weight swaddle blankets from Goore's in Sacramento during the summer. I see that you're in San Jose, though. You might check out the Goore's website and see if they are available there.

Hi S.,
I agree with the other suggestions about swaddling in a sheet cut down to size. My other suggestion would be to get an Amby (they are pricey but you may be able to find a used one on Craig's list.) The Amby is like a hammock so it kind of keeps the baby swaddled and also, when they "jerk" around in it, the bouncing/swaying motion sometimes lulls them back to sleep. Good luck and enjoy your little ones!

The recommendations I was given for keeping a small baby warmer, was to add socks and more clothing layers. So I would recommend the opposite for warm weather. You could try swaddling him, but keep the bottom of the swaddler open with his feet out and take off socks if he has any. Also remove any clothing underneath the swaddler cloth, so he is only wearing the swaddler and the diaper.

I've asked the pediatrician about swaddling in hot weather, and, yes, babies can get overheated, and it can be dangerous. You could try a wrap or a sling. Although your hands are free, you would be carrying your baby and not putting him down. Most babies seem to love it.

I agree with all these suggestions. My second son was born June 18th 08 and was a preemie so he really wanted to be swaddled. My older son had nothing to do with it since birth but was born in Nov. I would just put my baby in a diaper and swaddled him. I had a fan the first year with both my boys and a hepafan sometimes to keep the air clean. I later found out after doing this in 2005 it helps reduce the risk of sids. I also put my youngest baby in a papasan for 3 months which he loved and slept in for a long time in the summner.

Good luck