https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 01 May 2026 06:36:11 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-of-you-againstcautious-of-swaddling#post-517473 Mon, 21 Jan 2013 12:04:26 +0000 matador84 517473@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We swaddled from day one, around 4 months dropped the swaddle to one arm and then when he started rolling around 4.5 months dropped it altogether. No problems whatsoever and I am convinced it taught him to sleep soundly through the night. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-of-you-againstcautious-of-swaddling#post-517399 Mon, 21 Jan 2013 11:28:05 +0000 cascademom 517399@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bienlivingdesign: It's tough to transition from one arm to both arms out. I'm impressed that our LO likes his sleep sack so far. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-of-you-againstcautious-of-swaddling#post-517388 Mon, 21 Jan 2013 11:23:55 +0000 bienlivingdesign 517388@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>At 4.5 months, we still swaddle - it's just that now we swaddle with one arm out so she can self soothe. I've tried leaving both arms out &amp; it is a disaster. Do what works for YOU &amp; your baby. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-of-you-againstcautious-of-swaddling#post-517366 Mon, 21 Jan 2013 11:13:44 +0000 daniellemybelle 517366@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks for all the feedback! I agree that Mothering is a very biased source, but they do cite relatively unbiased research. I don't have a problem with swaddling at all and I think when the time comes we will try out the Woombie! But I was just curious if anyone wasn't for it, as it seems like everyone on HB swaddles! Funny how these "trends" in parenting come and go. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-of-you-againstcautious-of-swaddling#post-515019 Sat, 19 Jan 2013 14:20:28 +0000 ChelseaRose 515019@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My little guy is 11 weeks old and sleeps much better when swaddled. He was breaking out of his swaddle in the miracle blanket and waking himself (and me!) up around 3am. The next night I used a swaddleme blanket and he slept until 6:30am. It wasn't a coincidence. We swaddle for naps in his crib, but is he's in the car seat while out and about or sometimes in his bouncer he is not swaddled. So for us it works and helps everyone sleep better. I'm not sure what people mean when they talk about swaddling legs. The blankets that I used are snug around the arms only and allow him to kick his legs within the sack part. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-of-you-againstcautious-of-swaddling#post-515009 Sat, 19 Jan 2013 14:08:42 +0000 cascademom 515009@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO loved swaddling especially in the RNP when he was sick. It got him to sleep better during the coughs. As a newborn, he loved it too. He's almost 5 months old and just stopped swaddling a couple of days ago while in his crib. He's not swaddled at daycare either, so the transition's been better. He likes his sleep sack so far. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-of-you-againstcautious-of-swaddling#post-514977 Sat, 19 Jan 2013 13:29:02 +0000 skibobrown 514977@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My daughter wasn't really into swaddling. We did it for a while, but we stopped pretty early, and she actually slept better unswaddled. I recognize that my daughter is the exception to the rule though. It sounds like the vast majority of little babies sleep much, much better swaddled. I don't know why you wouldn't want to try it, if it is known to work so well! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-of-you-againstcautious-of-swaddling#post-514953 Sat, 19 Jan 2013 12:51:45 +0000 meredithNYC 514953@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm not against swaddling, but LO hated it and broke free from them constantly, so I just stopped trying after a couple of weeks. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-of-you-againstcautious-of-swaddling#post-514882 Sat, 19 Jan 2013 11:20:39 +0000 T-Mom 514882@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My kids go to Montessori day care, and although they discourage swaddling (due to the whole free movement issue you mentioned above) no one ever told me they wouldn't allow it or do it for me. They ended up wrapping the babies loosely with the muslin and it was fine, and we didn't swaddle for that long anyway. I actually do see the argument behind many of the points in the argument and just take it with a grain of salt. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-of-you-againstcautious-of-swaddling#post-514870 Sat, 19 Jan 2013 11:04:50 +0000 Maysprout 514870@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>While I'm fairly hippy parent I can't take mothering articles seriously. Should babies be swaddled all the time? of course not, but I don't know anyone who promotes that. While swaddling allowed my LO to sleep good stretches at night she still woke up to nurse. Every time I read mothering articles I get angry, I feel like they are trying to scare and frazzle mothers into everything they do is wrong. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-of-you-againstcautious-of-swaddling#post-514863 Sat, 19 Jan 2013 10:45:14 +0000 MamaMoose 514863@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We don't use swaddling as a way to stop crying. We use it to help her sleep better/longer. 90% of the time when I swaddle her she's already asleep. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-of-you-againstcautious-of-swaddling#post-514845 Sat, 19 Jan 2013 10:14:21 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 514845@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We swaddled and co bedded. Definitely not mutually exclusive! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-of-you-againstcautious-of-swaddling#post-514841 Sat, 19 Jan 2013 10:06:37 +0000 sorrycharlie 514841@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO just swaddle weaned herself this past week at 3.5 months. I only ever swaddled her arms and only for bedtime so I wasn't (and am not) worried :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-of-you-againstcautious-of-swaddling#post-514839 Sat, 19 Jan 2013 10:04:58 +0000 travelgirl1 514839@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Pen: I was about to say the same regarding hip dysplasia. Our Lo does have that and we suspected it from birth so only ever swaddled her arms. When she was fully diagnosed last week the first thing we were asked was do we swaddle and they were so pleased when we said only the arms. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-of-you-againstcautious-of-swaddling#post-514826 Sat, 19 Jan 2013 09:53:46 +0000 autumnlove 514826@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't swaddle much after one month but this stuff was never a concern. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-of-you-againstcautious-of-swaddling#post-514818 Sat, 19 Jan 2013 09:50:33 +0000 Honeybee 514818@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't know about other people, but swaddling was just one of many tools I used to help calm my babies. Swaddling alone was definitely not the cure all to crying those articles made it out to be. I usually had to swaddle AND hold them AND talk/sing/shush them AND let them suck AND bounce them, etc... So it was never an issue of just swaddling them to "shut them up" but more like using the swaddle in conjuction with the other calming techniques they mentioned ( cosleeping, babywearing, holding, suckling, etc...) to get them calmed down. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-of-you-againstcautious-of-swaddling#post-514682 Sat, 19 Jan 2013 03:45:13 +0000 immabeetoo 514682@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've read similar articles; we swaddle but almost always in swaddle for feedings. It's way awkward for him and I to try and eat when he's straight as an arrow! We've had a great experience bf ing with him in his crib in a different room. Like many things I think it's what works in practice for your fam and baby as long as its safe! He gets plenty of unswadd led time in between naps. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-of-you-againstcautious-of-swaddling#post-514655 Sat, 19 Jan 2013 01:40:26 +0000 mrsmate 514655@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DD was swaddled pretty frequently in the early days, then gradually less and less in the next 6 wks, and hardly at all by 10wks. She was colicky and screamed all day long. Swaddling was a godsend and we have experienced no physical problems like hip dysplasia. We didn't have to swaddle wean bc she started busting out on her own and it didn't seem to bother her. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-of-you-againstcautious-of-swaddling#post-514651 Sat, 19 Jan 2013 01:22:56 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 514651@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't read the articles, but babies definitely need time with their hands to explore their face, etc. I just swaddle lo with his hand out. Even if he pushes the rest down under his arms, he's still much happier. When he's really sleepy or fussy I might swaddle his hands in, but I don't need to often so I don't. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-of-you-againstcautious-of-swaddling#post-514649 Sat, 19 Jan 2013 01:17:20 +0000 Mrs. Pen 514649@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@daniellemybelle: I love Mothering but I do know they are VERY AP and into EBF, cobedding, babywearing, etc. So based on that knowledge - I wonder if their aversion to swaddling is a promotion for cobedding?</p> <p>FWIW I tried cobedding with my newborn son, he kept waking himself up by smacking himself in the face - even while sleeping nuzzled up to me. After a couple weeks, we started swaddling him and he was finally sleeping for more than 20 minutes at a time. He slept swaddled until 6 months old! I really believe it helped him, it didn't "shut him up" or make him feel helpless. Also even while he was swaddled we continued to cobed, and he was quite the nurser - definitely didn't affect us there!</p> <p>Also - the swaddling they're referring to (being tightly swaddled, arms and legs) is hardly ever done. No one I know swaddles the legs too because of all the research about there regarding hip dysplasia. </p> <p>I feel that if you baby doesn't calm without it, and you feel it's not adversely affecting your child - it doesn't matter what the critics say. Just another thing to research and worry about it seems :-P </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-of-you-againstcautious-of-swaddling#post-514638 Sat, 19 Jan 2013 00:54:33 +0000 lemondrop 514638@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Mine hated being swaddled, so we left his arms free. The rest of his body wrapped up didn't last much longer! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-of-you-againstcautious-of-swaddling#post-514637 Sat, 19 Jan 2013 00:54:21 +0000 Penny Lane 514637@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't really swaddle, especially during feedings. It's not that I'm anti swaddling per se, I'd always heard that babies need their hands to soothe, and help them find the boob etc.. Once LO didn't scare himself awake by moving (which for us, with minimal swaddling, took about a week), we stopped altogether.</p> <p> I was more cautious of having to swaddle wean, than the swaddle itself! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-of-you-againstcautious-of-swaddling#post-514635 Sat, 19 Jan 2013 00:53:48 +0000 MaisyMay 514635@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We swaddle so that LO sleeps better and is less fussy. We've tried to let her sleep without being swaddled and every time she's slept less and has woken herself several times.</p> <p>ETA - I went ahead and read the articles. I think that they raise some valid points, and I would be wary of having a baby swaddled too much. We swaddle LO for her night sleep only. During the day she naps on me or loose in her rock'n'play. If out and about, we try to wear her during naps as well. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-of-you-againstcautious-of-swaddling#post-514623 Sat, 19 Jan 2013 00:38:33 +0000 daniellemybelle 514623@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sarac: I've only heard good things from swaddlers, which is why I'm surprised.</p> <p>Seems like parenting trends come and go, and there is always evidence for AND against something! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-of-you-againstcautious-of-swaddling#post-514620 Sat, 19 Jan 2013 00:34:00 +0000 sarac 514620@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have not. I swaddled, and it didn't have any of that issue. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-of-you-againstcautious-of-swaddling#post-514611 Sat, 19 Jan 2013 00:09:36 +0000 daniellemybelle 514611@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was reading about Montessori for infants (provoked by Kylie's awesome blog post) and read that they encourage free movement for infants. Then I googled "montessori and swaddling" and ended up finding some articles that are critical of swaddling. Namely, there is research that shows that swaddling may not promote breastfeeding.</p> <p><a href="http://www.mothering.com/community/a/special-report-swaddling-reconsidered" rel="nofollow">http://www.mothering.com/community/a/special-report-swaddling-reconsidered</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.mothering.com/community/a/rethinking-swaddling" rel="nofollow">http://www.mothering.com/community/a/rethinking-swaddling</a></p> <p>Have any of you heard this? </p>