Options Other than Swaddling to Help with Startle Relfex?

I've always had a radio in my kids' room and that seems to relax them more and also tends to drown out any other noises to help them not get startled.

My son was the same way when he'd sleep on his back like recommended. However, one time I let him sleep on his tummy and he slept through the night! Ever since then, he's slept on his tummy. Tummy sleeping was the recommended position not that long ago. If you talk to other moms, you'd probably be surprised at how many have tummy sleepers...I know I was! If you're not comfortable with putting your little one on her tummy, have you tried swaddling her with her hands up by her face? That way she could still reach them, but also have the feel of being cuddled.

I second the sleep sack that someone else mentioned. We used the sleep sack with the swaddle in the beginning to hold our daughter's arms down as she too had a strong startle reflex that would wake her up. Eventually she didn't need the arm swaddle anymore, but we still use the sleep sack for bed time and at every nap. Halo makes the sleep sack with swaddle - you can get this at Babies R Us. Carters makes another sack that has arms - which I like for winter.
As for the tummy sleeping - I am just too paranoid to try it - we have a 6 month old. With the all the stats out there about SIDS being reduced by 50% once they started telling mom's to put babies to sleep on their backs, I wouldn't risk it.
Good luck and Congrats!

one thing that worked for my first son was putting him in a boppy. it is a horseshoe shaped nursing pillow with a sling in it. I wish I could explain better. The pillow is good for babies who have reflux as well. And the sling keeps them from sliding out of it. I think that having the pillow touching around him made him feel cradled. Good luck!

You could experiment with putting her on her tummy, maybe while she's in the same room as you, since most doctors (if not all) are completely against it. That's the only way my son would fall asleep. He's also super strong because of it, hence, there's no fear that he would suffocate himself.

Have you tried sleep sacks? They are armless/leggless fleece sacks w/zipper fronts (kind of like a sleeping bag) Used them with all 4 of my kids, and they work GREAT! Good luck and congrats on becoming a fellow mommy :0)

Is your house too quiet? Get her used to noise around the house. Play the radio, TV etc and don't turn them down while she sleeps. Run the vacuum and do any and all house work while she is asleep and awake. Get some soft music CDs classical music works great, play them in her room while she sleeps.

Have you tried rolling like recieveing blankets up into cylinders shape and then putting them on each side of her when she sleeps? That may help. Does she sleep on hber tummy or her back or sides? Just curious as you may try a different way of sleep for her. Hope this helps.

We had this "wedge"-type thing - good when they were that little. lay baby in the middle of these 2 wedges.
they can still be swaddles with an arm out, but would still feel snug and secure. Check BabiesRus.. I bet they still have them.

Angie B. is right....you'd be surprised at how many mom's I found that had their kids sleep on their tummies when I admitted I was doing it. I know it's not what the AAP recommends, but it worked like a charm for our son. Like your little girl, our son had a very strong startle reflex. Tummy sleeping was the only thing that worked for him...and it worked well. The first couple nights I was a little freaked out by it and checked on him A LOT. After that I was so happy he was finally sleeping well and not startling himself awake frequently that I decided to take advantage of it and sleep too. He's now 2 1/2, is still a good sleeper and is still a tummy sleeper. :)