BR: Transitioning to Crib

alliapistor · February 2012

C is 5.5 months old and still sleeps swaddled in his swing in our bedroom. He does STTN so I hate to screw anything up, but I would eventually like to transition him to the crib in his room.

He is a roly poly bug and the last time I tried to let him sleep in the PnP, I freaked out because he woke me up screaming and when I checked on him he was swaddled and face down and stuck.

Our pedi said that they will let you know when they are tired of being swaddled because they will break out of them, but DH does the swaddle so tight I don't know if that is possible especially once he is strapped in the swing.

Do we start with one arm out first and then move to both arms out and then to PnP in our room and then to crib? I'm just not sure where to start. Maybe that Merlin suit mentioned in response to Collen's post?

Rangergal9 · February 2012

We transitioned the twins to their cribs while still swaddled. Once they were sleeping in the crib swaddled, we ditched the swaddles. But then again my girls were 3 months and not wiggling that much or rolling over.

EmmaBrooke · February 2012

Sawyer slept in our room in the PnP until he was 5 months old, also tightly swaddled. I'm not sure whether you use a swaddle for naps or not as well, but we did not, so maybe that's what helped us a bit. Either way, moving him to his own crib/room was a long process, but that's also when we started the swaddle transition, so it was gradual but all at once (if that makes sense). We started by trying to get him to nap in his crib, which significantly shortened his naps at first, but we just stuck with it. During the couple of weeks we were doing that, we started weaning him out of the swaddle in the PnP at night. We used one of the Halo Swaddle Sleepsacks, so we started with fastening the swaddle part a little looser at night (just enough so he could work his hands out). It didn't take long for him to start working an arm out at night, so after a few nights of that, we started wrapping the swaddle around his body tightly, but leaving his arms out. It took him a few nights to get used to (he would still startle himself awake), but it wasn't too bad. Once he was back to STTN with his arms out, we just moved him to his crib one night (remember, he'd been "napping" in his room for weeks), and surprisingly, all was fine. It ended up being way harder on me than it was for him. Haha! We left him swaddled with his arms out for quite a while afterward, and then eventually just eliminated the sleep sack altogether.

Good luck! I think if you are consistent but go slowly with the transition. you'll be able to find a solution that works for you guys.

ColleenS629 · February 2012

I'd like to see the responses to this too... my kids fight the swaddle to get their arms out but they can't sleep unswaddled. If we even leave one arm out, it's like they don't know that they are supposed to go to sleep. I am thinking the weighted sleep thing might be good, but I hate to spend $75 on them if they won't work (since I feel like nothing will work on them).

naylon511 · February 2012

My guess is that he'd do OK unswaddled once asleep b/c if he can turn back front and front back with ease then once he got onto his stomach that would sort of serve the function of the swaddle (warm, arms tied down don't flail and startle). Thing is, will he go to bed without it.

I guess I'd start swaddling him arms out so he can turn over and back and see how it goes.

JNicMTek · February 2012

I don't have any insight on the main part of this. But with the weighted sleep suit, lots of mothers at the mom's group I'm a part of swear by it when the swaddle is outgrown but still needed. The baby boutique in the area rents out the suit so you can give it a try and see if it will work. Maybe there is a place in your areas that sells it, and might rent it too? Something to check out anyway.

JessicaAlice · February 2012

What about trying a sleep sack maybe? That way his legs are kind of swaddled but his arms are free?

BR: Transitioning to Crib

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