Wrapping...

[angelsgirl]

I wrap Madeleine when she goes to sleep and it has been working up til now. Lately she has been getting the wrap loose and bringing her hands up to her head. Which would be ok if she was getting her hands out of the wrap, but she's not. So she is bringing the muslin up over her face.

What would you do re sleeping? Continue with the wrap? Use a sleeping bag?
I can't wrap her tighter without cutting off circulation! I wrap very snuggly now. What else would you suggest?

I wish I could tie her arms beside her!!!

 

[Hadassah]

I'd use a sleep sack if I were you for sleeping, since blankets at this point can pose a risk.

They make sleep sacks for summer and winter. I found a combi here that came with two summer sized sacks and one winter "overall" sack. I swaddle Jonathan if he gets super fussy in the afternoons and refuses his nap because he thinks he will miss something. It works really well.

Jonathan has learned how to turn to his side now with the sack on, but hasn't figured out how to get to his belly with it. Without the sleep sack, he sleeps on his sides or his belly all on his own. His hand and arm positions are kind of funny.. he sleeps like me and my DH..!

 

[angelsgirl]

Do you find that he wakes himself up with his arms?
Maddie wakes herself up with her arm going up near her face... She knocks her dummy out all the time. I have a sleeping bag, it was a gift so I could try it. I did put her in it a couple of months ago... but she wouldn't sleep like that... ugh its hard to know what to do!!!

 

[Beth1231]

Yes, the startle reflex and the need to be "wrapped" will remain for a few more months. There are different sleep challenges at every stage. If you accept that when she is a newborn, maybe you won't be as frustrated as I was the whole first year

But what to do....I put Anina in those long sleepers for awhile. Long-sleeved cotton with an elastic band at the end. The sleep bag didn't work for me, it went up over her face because she was so little (I never tried it later, though). The key for us was to keep the startle reflex in mind at all times. Gently, gently and very slowly ease her down into whatever she is sleeping in. If you move downwards too fast, she fears falling, the hands go up and you start all over again. So we always made sure we were aware of where her arms were. You start to get the hang of putting her down and making her think you are still holding her after awhile. Keep your hand on her tummy so she still thinks you are there. Wait for a few minutes. Make shushing noises and wait for that sleepy, deepy sigh. And then you can ease off her belly one finger at a time until your hand is just hovering above her tummy and shush some more softly and tiptoe away. That's what we still do Anina makes the shush noises with us now. The book No Cry Sleep Solution is helpful for some of your questions. Hope that helps a bit. Newborns are a fun challenge

 

[olafias]

I used a sleep sack, and I also wrapped Emily, leaving her arms out. She did startle occasionally, but it seemed to work pretty well. When she started completely unwrapping herself I switched to the sleep sack and by then she was big enough where the extra wouldn't reach her face-although the funny thing is she is 11 months old and still wearing the same sleep sack she wore at 4 months! Ha ha!

Anyways, I hope that helps a little!

 

[Hadassah]

He kind of stopped with the startle reflex waking him after his second week. Apparently the birth was a little traumatizing for him, since he was in the birth canal so long... and you could tell he was living it over and over in his dreams there for a while. I felt a little bad about it actually.

Now, he just does his own thing, even removing his pacifier and inserting his fist or fingers/thumb to suck on instead. I have caught him rolling over in his sleep sack as of this week... and this morning he was attempting to go on his belly. Tonight he succeeded, but I put him back on his back.

I still let him sleep in on his belly or side and tip him to his b ack to sleep. But, if he's past going in the afternoons... he gets swaddled so he can sleep.

 

[Neenie1]

I know my SIL used to use one of those "snappi" fasteners to keep the wrap on her ds. (she would wrap him and then at the end of the wrap "snappi" it to the main body of the wrap) I don't know that I would recommed it though. I guess if you were desperate then that would keep the wrap on for sure.

Otherwise I would recommend a grobag.

 

[Macx]

I haven't had much luck with the larger sleep sack. It is the right size, but the fabric is too stretchy & my girl is too strong. Using a baby bath towel, the terry cloth doesn't give and will keep her arms down.

At 9 months, she sometimes has a hard time going down but once she is asleep she can get herself loose and she usually stays asleep unwrapped. The large sleep sack is pretty much worthless.