Swaddling

[Meyou]

A spin off from the other thread but specifically what part of swaddling is dangerous?

I swaddled my now 7 year old with a thin receiving blanket that I made big enough for swaddling. She was wrapped tightly from the shoulders down with her neck and head free. Was this dangerous?

What is the difference between what I did and this...?

http://www.cheekymonkey.ca/ErgoCocoon.htm

or this...?

http://www.cheekymonkey.ca/Lulujosw.htm

or this...?

http://www.swaddledesigns.com/p/Swaddle-Duo/Modern-Duo/SD-180LM

Are these unsafe? I just googled and pulled random swaddling products being sold.

If they are unsafe then what is safe for swaddling? My babies are normally older so I use sleepsacks but I want to know the correct information. You never know it may save a baby someday.

[3kidzmama]

My licensing regulations prohibit swaddling at all.

[Meyou]

My licensing regulations prohibit swaddling at all.

Do they allow sleep sacks?

[Breezy]

I was under the impression swaddling sometimes doesnt let the baby wake up when they normally would so they stau in a deep sleep and forget to breathe. I swaddled my 9 month old until a few months ago.

[Meyou]

I was under the impression swaddling sometimes doesnt let the baby wake up when they normally would so they stau in a deep sleep and forget to breathe. I swaddled my 9 month old until a few months ago.

Ok, that makes sense but then why are there so many swaddling products on the market? I was taught how to swaddle at the hospital and they recommended it. It's been a few years so things can change but the first I heard of the dangers of swaddling was here on this forum.

[cheerfuldom]

I don't swaddle any of the daycare kids, period. I swaddle my own babies with the halo sleep sack swaddler, not just loose blankets. there is a big difference in what you decide to do with your own kids and what you do with the daycare kids.

[Breezy]

The hospital recommended we swaddle as well and swaddled him for us. I am not sure where the recommendations to not swaddle come from but I did and I would again.

[Solandia]

I do swaddle newborns here (mostly b/c they still have a strong startle reflex) , until I get them on a healthy sleep-eat-play schedule. It really is only a stop-gap measure to sleep training...with all the other sleep cues (turning on the white noise/fan, swaying, shushing, laying down awake), it really only takes a couple of weeks to drop the swaddle altogether. I could do it without the swaddle, but swaddling speeds up the whole process nicely.

If I get a baby that is already or very close to rolling over, I don't swaddle, however I used to have a heavy zip-up footed sleeper over baby's clothes (you could almost call it a weighted sleeper, it was heavier like a quilt-not fleece). It calms down the twitching that wakes up the babies at that 45minute mark...much like a swaddle works, but no loose bedding. I keep my house cooler than most people at naptime, so the extra clothing does not overheat the little ones.

[KEG123]

I have NEVER heard not to swaddle!

[Mandy_Jane]

I have never heard of it either. I was told by the hospital to swaddle both of my girls and I did so until they were around 6-8 weeks old. Sometimes that's the only way you can get a baby to fall asleep. That startle reflex makes it next to impossible to get a newborn to sleep. Every little noise or movement would cause my girls to flail their arms out and they would wake themselves up. That's why I swaddled them.

[3kidzmama]

Do they allow sleep sacks?

Nope. Babies have to be clothed in fitted clothing (not tight but not too loose either), laid on their backs, and blankets of any kind are discouraged. If you use a blanket, it has to be no more than waist high and tucked into the mattress. I don't use blankets, the room is warm enough. Also there is to be nothing else in the crib (such as stuffed toys etc)

[nannyde]

Nope. Babies have to be clothed in fitted clothing (not tight but not too loose either), laid on their backs, and blankets of any kind are discouraged. If you use a blanket, it has to be no more than waist high and tucked into the mattress. I don't use blankets, the room is warm enough. Also there is to be nothing else in the crib (such as stuffed toys etc)

I don't use blankets.
I keep the room cool
Keep the babes in sleeper sacks and footed jammies over their clothes.
double socks if they have cold tootsies
sleeper sacks with mitted hands for the little littles
nothing in crib
no positional devices
on back to sleep

[Meyou]

I don't use blankets.
I keep the room cool
Keep the babes in sleeper sacks and footed jammies over their clothes.
double socks if they have cold tootsies
sleeper sacks with mitted hands for the little littles
nothing in crib
no positional devices
on back to sleep

When do you start adding blankets? At this point I feel like I need to analyze my whole sleeping system although other than the swaddling I think I'm ok.

I have cool nap rooms.
My babies start between 10 and 12 months, rarely younger.

Babies use a sleepsack until 18 months and then I stop the sleep sack and give them a blanket. I also add a sweatshirt if it's extra chilly. Nothing else in the pack and play.

They stay in the pack and play until 2ish and then transition to a nap cot or a bed. Cots and beds have normal bedding that includes a pillow, sheet and blanket(s) that I wash weekly.

[Ariana]

I'm pretty sure it's completely different here in Canada. I've never heard of swaddling being dangerous and it was recommended by midwives and DR's here.

Maybe this is why there is confusion Meyou?

[nannyde]

When do you start adding blankets? At this point I feel like I need to analyze my whole sleeping system although other than the swaddling I think I'm ok.

I have cool nap rooms.
My babies start between 10 and 12 months, rarely younger.

Babies use a sleepsack until 18 months and then I stop the sleep sack and give them a blanket. I also add a sweatshirt if it's extra chilly. Nothing else in the pack and play.

They stay in the pack and play until 2ish and then transition to a nap cot or a bed. Cots and beds have normal bedding that includes a pillow, sheet and blanket(s) that I wash weekly.

When they move out of the nursery into the big kids room. I don't allow ANY blankets in the room where a baby sleeps. I can't take the risk that an older baby will wing it into the playpen of another baby.

I have a big (many many hundreds) collection of footed jammies and sleep sacks. I just use sleep sacks or over jammies until they are old enough to move over to the other sleeping room. That's around 2 ish