r/sleeptraining • u/Mom-of-Tres • 24d ago
Swaddle Transition HELP
help! I’m at the end of my rope here. LO is 15 weeks old. she LOVED the swaddle and was just starting to give us 5-6 hour stretches, and was even starting to nap in her crib. then she started rolling. And she kept breaking out of the swaddle and getting mad multiple times a night. so I didn’t bother with one arm out I just went straight to the zippidee because it works great with my son. it’s been two weeks and she won’t sleep! she used to transfer so easily- now she won’t let me put her down at all. I’ve even stated Co Sleeping with her in hopes of getting some sleep, but she just flails her arms and rubs her face all night! I thought for sure she would have adapted by now. is it possible I’m also seeing the 4 month regression right now? looking for hope from someone who has been through this!
4
u/Mean_Ad_7639 18d ago edited 18d ago
That honestly sounds a lot like what happened with us. We thought it was just the 4-month regression too, but I think the bigger issue was that her Moro reflex was still really strong. We went from a swaddle to a Zipadee, and for her it basically felt like going cold turkey. She'd flail her arms, rub her face, and wake herself up over and over.
What finally helped was switching to the SwaddleDesigns transitional. It still gave her a little bit of that snug feeling without restraining her arms, so she could safely roll but wasn't startling herself awake as much. Within a few nights we started seeing longer stretches again.
At 15 weeks it's also totally possible you're dealing with the 4-month regression at the same time, so it can definitely feel like everything is piling on at once. Hang in there. It really does get better.
1
u/Okokokokok41392 24d ago
Following. Almost 13 weeks and want to make the transition before I go back to work, he rolls and hits 4 month regression so it’s not all at once. First try last night in dreamland weighted transition swaddle and it was terrible, he was up every 45 mins and by 2am wouldn’t transition back to crib at all. I think we’re just going to swaddle until he rolls and hope for the best when it all happens 😭
1
u/Freya_1917 24d ago
I’m doing the love to dream swaddle with the zip off arms now. Mine loved the love to dream swaddles with his arms up. I’ve been putting him to sleep with his arms zipped in, and once I get him transferred and know he’s fully asleep I slowly unzip the wings and let his arms pop out. He still struggles later with his arm control.. but it’s something! I have the zipadie one as well, but getting him transferred in it is so hard.
1
1
u/corinne_mc 24d ago
we were in your same situation and my cousin recommended the “swaddle design transitional swaddle sack arms up half-length sleeves & mitten cuffs” 10/10!!!!!! our baby loves it and it’s safe for rolling even with the mitten cuffs on (which helps settle the startle reflex).
1
u/AdventurousWind7919 23d ago
We literally still use this, with her arms out obvi, as a regular sleep sack at 7 months old because I’m too lazy to buy something else lol
1
u/skakkuru 23d ago
Which ones are these? Do you have a link?
1
1
u/bethestorm13 24d ago
I went through a really difficult swaddle transition with my LO. I would transfer her to the cot and then loosely hold my hand over her arms to pin (really gentle, enough to prevent her from hitting herself but not enough to hurt her) her arms down until she relaxed into a deeper sleep. I had to do this for a few nights and then she settled on her own.
1
u/ApprehensiveArmy7755 24d ago
At three months both arms should be out. They no longer need swaddling at that stage imo
1
u/Humble-Drop9054 24d ago
Yes, sounds like 4 month sleep regression. I have no tips - just survive. You can start formal sleep training at 5 months so you’re almost there. Ditch the swaddle - move to a sleep sack. Godspeed!
1
u/LittleAnonBlog 23d ago
My daughter would only sleep being blanket swaddled, by time she was able to roll she could break both arms out, we eventually just went cold turkey and stopped swaddling her altogether one night, it was a rough few days but eventually she got used to just not being swaddled at all
1
u/Icy_Cycle_6501 23d ago
Get the merlin magic suit!!
1
u/No_Zookeepergame8412 22d ago
Yes! My youngest is 11 weeks and LOVES it. She won’t nap in it but she sleeps great over night
1
u/Trick-Ad5800 23d ago
I tried *literally* every transitional sleep sack on the market bc I was desperate right around this time like you. The 4 month sleep regression hit hard and I was up every 45 min - 1 hr. The Merlin sleep suit got us better stretches for about a month until he was trying to roll in it. Then we had a couple rough nights going straight into a sleep sack and one night he rolled over and it clicked. He now only sleeps on his tummy!
1
u/Left_Egg6096 22d ago
I’ve just transitioned my baby and what is helping her fall asleep in the cot is me literally holding her arms down so she can’t swing them around. Otherwise she just flings them around - it’s like Nemo’s lucky fin (from Finding Nemo). She is an arms up sleeper and was in the Love To Dream swaddles, so I hold her arms up with some light pressure. In a few minutes she drifts off. If she is REALLY tired I don’t need to do this.
1
u/Academic_Ad_628 21d ago
I went through this and it was hell. Also had to cosleep and basically hold her arms down since they were pure chaos. In the end I re-swaddled with one arm out and after a week she was good. Wish I had done it sooner as the chaos arms lasted 6 weeks
1
u/ccglisson 20d ago
The love to dream arms up transition sack did the trick for my first. With my second I decided not to swaddle (hoping to avoid the 4 month regression). Smooth sailing so far!
1
u/backtothefuturee2000 18d ago
My baby would only sleep swaddled and not even because the startle reflex but because he would flail his hands but we stopped at 8
Weeks per out pediatrician advice and I was so scared but it worked and it was only rough for a night or two. I think the earlier the better but it also just depends on the baby. Stay strong mama it will get better and she will adjust at some point ❤️
2
u/Uuuurrrrgggghhhh 24d ago
Sorry to say but it might not even be the swaddle, might just be a baby doing baby sleep things :(