How Long Can I Swaddle My Baby for Sleeping?

My son was swaddled until he was 5 months old. He loved being swaddled & that's how he slept best. When he finally started breaking free from it every night, we stopped swaddling and he still slept well.

Swaddle as long as he finds it calming! I've read that many babies don't need it after four or five months, but my daughter still got swaddled as late as 8 or 9 months if she was stressed or overstimulated and had trouble sleeping. She had what my husband called "devil hand," where she'd start to doze off and suddenly whack her head with her floppy hand and wake up again. It calmed her to be wrapped, although not as tightly as you do a small infant. We cut an old sheet into quarters to have a lightweight swaddle blanket.

Basically, there's no age limit on it. Don't worry about spoiling her or ruining sleep habits--if it helps her sleep, it's a good thing. And you won't still be swaddling her when she's four, you know. :)

Whatever works for you is what I have learned along the way. My son is 9 months old and we don't do a traditional swaddle but I have this one thermal stretchy blanket that is pretty big and we still wrap him up because he likes to sleep with the blanket. I am not sure he would nap without it because he pulls a little piece up near his face, its so cute. So swaddle away!

J.,
Do it as long as it makes him comfy and happy! He will let you know when he doesn't need it anymore!

I swaddled my boys until about 7 months. By that time they were moving around a lot and wanted their freedom. As they got bigger I had to move to a bigger blanket. If your baby likes to be swaddled then I would do it for as long as possible!

J.--I always did it until they are strong enough to remove themselves from the blanket swaddling them....I would think about 12-16 weeks-ish....I have four....

wow...no offense but it seems the ladies on here have no friends with kids. didn't your mom tell you anything? gma's tend to forget the "bad" things when it comes to grandkids...you'll learn this in bout a year, lol! :)
you should START now!! he's going to get worse and worse. he'll wake up crying for a few days, but you'll just have to lose sleep. either that, or you're going to end up swaddling him until he's 2 yrs old. maybe more. dont' let it get out of control. yes they make them up to that large, but at 3 mo. he should already feel safe in his bed. the swaddle was only suppose to imitate the mother's womb for newborns. he's now an infant. it's tiem to let it go!!

I think I swaddled my children for a week or so. After that they would get hot and fuss. I think he's past the age of needing to be swaddled. He should be able to start moving his limbs a bit and the swaddling is not only unnecessary but it's preventing movement. It does look sweet and all, but it sounds more like confinement.

as long as they let you, mine before the swaddlemes only did a couple weeks at most b/c they just didnt like how i did it but with the swaddlemes i have gone to 3-5+ mo, they love it, we even had to get the large. theyll let you know when they no longer like it, as they get older they may fuss at first knowing it is bedtime but if they continue to fuss and not settle down it may be time

I asked my pediatrician the same thing and she said it was ok to swaddle as long as the child wanted it. I swaddled my son until he was about 8 months at which point he started getting out of the swaddle in the first 30 minutes of going to bed. But until then, he slept really well while swaddled.

I swaddled my baby when she was young and she slept so well with this. I don't remember exactly when we stopped but we stopped when she no longer liked it. She would scream and fight us tooth and nail when we tried to swaddle her and would calm down when we would take her out of the swaddle. I think that you should swaddle your baby as long as he seems to like it and sleeps well. Let your baby tell you when to stop. whatever works go for it!

A.

Hi J.! My son loved to be swaddled and initially only slept well when swaddled. I used a swaddle-me blanket (w/ velcro) until he was 9 months old. He let us know when HE was ready to stop being swaddled when he pulled his arms out and then started kicking his feet out. I would not worry that continuing to swaddle your son will cause him to have sleep problems...mine continued to sleep like a champ once he let us know he was done being swaddled. Each child is different and you have to do what ever feels right for you and your son. Good luck!

I believe my son was in it for 4 months. until he was finally strong enough to get out of it. i was the same way, did not want to give it up b/c he loved it so. the transition was not as bad as thought it would be. maybe bc we started the sleppsack right after. my son is 19m and still sleeps in his sleepsack..he loves it. halo sleepsack is the brand we have

You can swaddle it as long as he tolerates it. mine did not tolerate being swaddled for long , in fact my daughter had an arm out of the swaddle at the hospital.

At some point he will get uncomfortable and not like it anymore.

That's one to take to the pediatrician for the best answer but my answer would be that, if you son still likes to be swaddled -- so long as you're only swaddling for sleep-time -- go for it. I'm sure, once he gets more mobile, he'll start resisting and wriggling out of the swaddle. If you want to start weaning him from the swaddle, I'd suggest to start swaddling only the upper body (not the legs) as the first step. Then, make the swaddle looser until it's just not necessary. Still, my gut says if the baby's sleeping well swaddled, sing and rejoice you have a good sleeper!

I found some sites for you:

http://kidshealth.org/
http://www.adviceforbaby.com/swaddling.htm

There is no such thing as too long....if the baby needs the swaddling, then he needs it. My kids did NOT sleep very well unless I was next to them for the first 3 or 4 months. I'm sure that was do to not swaddling them. Keep swaddling!

i have heard it no longer has a really soothing effect after four months. i swaddled my daughter and stopped around 4 1/2 months with no major issues. :)

He will let you know when he is too big for it, because he will get himself out of it. I used the Miracle Blanket for swaddling two of mine. Some babies love the feeling of being snug and swaddled. It is fine to use it as long as it makes him happy! Congratulations on your new little love.

Call your pediatrician's office and ask.

Do it as long as it works and makes him happy. He'll start getting out of it (believe me, they can if they want -even the Swaddle Me velcro types)when he's older and tired of it. He'll probably get over it when he is old enough to turn himself over, try to suck a thumb or something. My first loved being swaddled until he was almost 6 months old, but my newest baby never really liked it. He's been in "back to sleep" zip blankets since he was about a month -even before we had to leave his arms out of the swaddle me and just use them for warmth!

if he still likes it, but you think it's too long, how about beginning to loosen the velcro each week, slowly, so it's not as 'swaddle-y'? you can slowly wean him off the comfort of it. kind of like nipping a small hole into a pacifier when it's time to wean a child off of that.

i don't know if it's beneficial or detrimental, but i could see where it might develop into a long-term necessity (sp?) if it's not broken - which could cause him to have sleep problems as an adult..

anyway, maybe try loosening the swaddle every couple days, until it's not swaddling so much as just covering him.

good luck!
jude