Weaning Off The Swaddle

Sure, wrapping your bambino in a swaddle blanket like a burrito (or mental patient) seems weird — but it definitely helped our fussy, wiggly newborn chill out and sleep better.

There are so many failures in early motherhood that this small victory is something you won’t soon want to give up.

Trrrrust me, I was in no hurry to change our nightly routine and lose any more precious snooze time. But at around four months, my mini Houdini had other plans. Arms, legs and tempers flared, and my escape artist was busting out of her swaddle blanket left and right.

Was it time to stop swaddling? Could I handle yet another “new normal”?

Looking for Cues

Why do we swaddle in the first place? Remember that newborns are born with the “Moro reflex,” which is a response to a sudden (or perceived) loss of support. It’s believed to be the only unlearned fear in human newborns, and may have developed in human evolution to help the infant cling to his mother while being carried around all day. The reflex causes the infant to quickly embrace his/her mother again after losing his sense of balance or suddenly feeling unsupported. This is typically followed by sudden (and very loud!) crying.

The Moro reflex occurs randomly while sleeping, which is why swaddling is so effective at preventing sudden awakenings. Typically, the Moro reflex wanes by 4-5 months of age, which seems to coincide nicely with other stop-swaddling cues, the most important of which is rolling over.

However, if your 4-month-old is fighting and breaking free from the moment you wrap him up, even if he can’t roll over yet, it could mean the swaddling is more restrictive than it is soothing. Around 4-6 months is when most babies start rejecting the swaddle and busting out in the middle of the night (for various reasons). Though not as common, some babies can remain comfortably swaddled in months 7, 8 or even 9 (lucky you).

Anywho.

Rolling Over

The paramount cue to stop swaddling is when your baby starts rolling over. It goes without saying that a swaddled baby should never ever sleep facedown.

Once your baby starts to roll over (this is usually by about 6 months), it’s definitely time to stop using the swaddle blanket. This can be painful, I know, because swaddling WORKS. Period. But when it’s combined with stomach sleeping, it can be problematic (dangerous).

Specifically, swaddled prone babies are at a higher risk for SIDS. This obviously isn’t an issue before baby can roll over, but it could be a problem afterward. Sleeping face down, especially with haphazard blankets in the crib, is a no-no, particularly before 6 months. (Remember that the peak risk for SIDS is between 2 and 4 months old with 95% of all cases occurring before 6 months.)

Thus, we highly recommend sleep sacks or something like the Zipadee-Zip, which provide some of the security of a swaddle without the same constriction (IOW, they allow for more mobility).

Unswaddled babies are more likely to roll over to sleep on their sides or tummies, especially when they’re a little older and stronger. Though not much can be done about this (i.e., you can’t stand there all night and keep flipping them back over), removing all loose blankets and swaddles from the crib will help keep them safe.

Upping your Swaddle Game

If you’ve decided to hang onto swaddling a little longer…

Busting out of a swaddle might just mean you need a better swaddling technique (who hasn’t half-assed a swaddle in the middle of the night?!). 

Sometimes folks simply find that a different swaddle works better as their baby gets a little older.

You can also attempt a “triangle swaddle” (below) during this transitional period, which keeps the arms down but allows the legs to remain free.

As a parent, trust your instincts to know when it’s time to stop swaddling. After all, you know your baby better than anyone. 

Weaning off the Swaddle

So your baby’s made it darn clear that he’s ready for a change. For some lucky families, weaning from the swaddle can be relatively painless… And for others, the struggle (and stress) is real. My motto is “hope for the best; prepare for the worst.”

An option: you can try going cold turkey by leaving baby unswaddled during naptime (#youresobrave). Heck, most babies fall asleep accidentally in their car seats or strollers without being swaddled, so we know they can do it.

But most experts recommend weaning off the swaddle gradually: first legs, then one arm at a time.

Start by swaddling one arm only. Keep one arm swaddled and secure and leave the other out free. With one arm out, she’ll have fingers or a thumb to suck, which may help ease the transition (note: if your baby has a preference for a right or left hand – it’s usually the right – choose that one to be free).

Try the one-arm thing for a few nights and see how it goes. Are you and baby feeling okay?

A few more days down the line, you might feel ready to stop altogether. This usually happens naturally, so follow your baby’s cues. If things aren’t going well, remember you can always start over again. No judgment.

Once your baby is completely unswaddled, most parents then switch to wearable blankets for the sake of keeping warm, especially since regular blankets remain a safety hazard until about 12 months of age.

Swaddle-Weaning Products

There are some swaddlers out there that are especially good during this transition period. *Note that none of these are mandatory and many parents have gotten by just fine using what they have at home. (Listed in order of increasing price.)

Swaddle Strap ~ $29

A super-easy solution for arm swaddling; designed for safety with an inner strap that prevents the product from sliding up over baby’s face. Parents are crazy about this!

Woombie Convertible ~ $29

The armholes in this particular Woombie can be opened or closed as well. Bonus: the “leggies” version (below) allows it to be used with a crotch buckle in car seats, elevated sleepers and strollers.

Love to Dream “Swaddle Up” 50/50 ~ $34

Parents swear by the Love to Dream “Swaddle Up” with removable armholes. It’s perfect for one or both arms out, and also has a dual zipper for easy diaper changes. Available in 3-6 month, 6-9 month, or 9-12 month sizes and in “Lite” and “Warm” versions.

Zipadee-Zip ~ $38

Another parent-favorite, the Zipadee-Zip, is a “flying squirrel” shaped sack that provides slight resistance to the range of motion available to the arms. This hinders the startle reflex while providing freedom for the rest of the body to wiggle around freely. (Something like this, as with the Swaddle UP (above), is nice because it offers babies who can roll over a greater range of motion while still providing some of the snuggyness of a more traditional swaddle. Hence, it’s much safer to use long past whenever your baby rolls over.)

Merlin Magic Sleepsuit ~ $39

Created by a pediatric physical therapist, the Merlin Magic Sleepsuit was specially designed for babies who are ready to transition from the swaddle to a wearable blanket, yet still need to feel a bit “contained.”

The Sleepsuit has three layers of breathable fabric providing a gentle weight, which hinders the startle reflex (do you see a trend here?). The scooped neckline keeps fabric away from baby’s face and the double zippers make for easy diaper changes.

Available in two sizes: 3-6 months (12-18 lbs) and 6-9 months (18-21 lbs) and two fabric options: Microfleece and Jersey Cotton.

That is all, folks.

Now go forth into the brave new world. Hallelujah, Hallelujah.