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LouD
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Topic: When to stop wrapping?? Posted: 15 March 2010 at 9:42pm |
My 3month old is currently being wrapped. I only wrap so one hand is tight across chest and the other one I leave out by his face as hes always liked that. He sleeps fine like that and is a dream to get to sleep. We just wrap and pop into bed and he just goes straight to sleep no crying at all
So why would i want to fix something thats not broken?? I only ask cos someone mentioned that i need to eventually unwrap so he learns the startle reflex.............but that doesnt make any sense..........anyone else heard this? and if so when would i need to unwrap? He falls asleep in his pram and in his carseat without needing wrapping so hes not completely 100% reliant on it and well why would i want to change things now if what im doing is working and WELL
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skp
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Posted: 15 March 2010 at 9:51pm |
Don't worry about what others tell you, do what works for you! our DD was wrapped till she was 7months old cause she just slept so well. I was so worried she would not be able to sleep unwrapped, but basically one day I didn't do it (she is way too active in bed now to wrap) and she just figured it out on her own how to sleep.
I had tried a few times at around 4 and 5 months to not wrap and it was a big drama, it was really like one day she was just ready, if you know what I mean.
In my short time as a Mum I have learnt to take other peoples advice with a grain of salt cause you know your baby best!
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Mrs_B
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Posted: 15 March 2010 at 9:54pm |
Learns the startle reflex?? lol Babies are born with the Moro reflex it is not something that is learnt! It usually disappears between 3-6mths.
In terms of wrapping/unwrapping I'm in the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" camp however if it were me I would look at weaning the wrapping shortly only because I had HUGE issues getting my boy to sleep unwrapped and we eventually had to go cold turkey at 6mths. I say "had to" as once he was rolling etc he would wake himself up 10 x a night getting himself unwrapped and wouldn't be able to go back to sleep so I was having to get up and rewrap him!
But like you say he is not 100% reliant on it so it's up to you and that's JMO
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AandCsmum
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Posted: 15 March 2010 at 10:32pm |
Hahahaha that is funny. Learn the startle reflex
I've been still wrapping Cooper up til about a few weeks ago, he will settle either way, We kinda just started putting him down unwrapped but under his blankets & he's good, doesn't kick them off either
I'd go with what's not broken don't fix. So of those times when he's almost asleep just pop him down with out being wrapped & see how you go.
No hard fast rules, what ever works
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WestiesGirl
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Posted: 15 March 2010 at 11:13pm |
I agree, if it aint broke dont fix it. Jackson is almost 7 months and we are still wrapping him. Albeit we do leave both his arms out (cos of heat more than anything).
If its working for you, keep doing it
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kiwikid
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Posted: 16 March 2010 at 2:11am |
Ha ha sounds like your advice giver has gotten their wires crossed, babies certainly dont 'learn the startle reflex' but maybe that person meant 'learn to self settle' maybe????
Anyhoo, we wrapped til around 6mths, DS was the same when wrapped just never ever had crying at bed time. We tried at about 4mths to put him down unwrapped and he screamed the place down (was one arm out by that stage anyhow) then we tried again just on/before 6mths and he didnt mind a dot., didnt have to wean him off it or anything just stopped cold turkey (was in a sleeping bag which is a good transition). DS is still a very good sleeper unless very unwell or teething badly and have never had problems with self settling either.
Go with what feels right and pffft to the advice. Honestly I'd keep wrapping him for a good couple of months yet, especially as the weather is going to be cooling down too.
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kezza2112
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Posted: 16 March 2010 at 8:29am |
AArrggghhh....mr 3 weeks hates being wrapped and will fight it all the way. But I have to wrap him otherwise he wakes himself up!! I'm off to buy a straight jacket......
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Jackie86
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Posted: 16 March 2010 at 8:49am |
. lol Kezza2112 I have the same problem
My 4week old boy hates being wrapped as well, we spent 8day in the special care unit and the nurse's say they had never seen such a little baby scream  so much because he can get his hands out. I tried all styles of wrap including making pockets for his hands (it worked only 2 or 3 days until he found out how to undo it) since we have been home I only wrap him from the arm pit down he seems to settle fine like that but I am worried that it easier for him to roll on his side.
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E&L+1
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Posted: 16 March 2010 at 9:26am |
Lol I stopped wrapping DD and now we are wrapping her again after going about a month with no wrapping, she can sleep without being wrapped but will tend to sleep longer if she is all wrapped up.
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minik8e
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Posted: 16 March 2010 at 10:01am |
We've only just started sleeping the girls unwrapped this last weekend. They've been sleeping unwrapped during the day for ages, and my mum had them over the weekend and didn't even think about wrapping them....they slept through the night so we carried it on (we were scared they wouldn't sleep through the night without being wrapped so kept putting it off...and off....and off....) and they still sleep through the night. They're 7 months old
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kaybee
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Posted: 16 March 2010 at 10:41am |
I agree that it depends on the baby, and that the comment about learning the startle reflex is a bit weird.
From about 3 months I think they start to lose the starle reflex, so you may fine that bubs sleeps fine unwrapped, but then again he may not.
I stopped swaddling ds a couple of weeks ago, he was still fine being swaddled but my reasons for unswaddling him was so that he could learn to fall asleep without a dummy i.e find his thumb or some other ritual for falling asleep. Almsot straight away he started playing with the wool blanket (which I had put along the side of the cot to make it feel more enclosed) to get to sleep. So it worked for him to unswaddle him early.
Maybe you could try him unswaddled a couple of times and see how he likes it, and you can always swaddle him again if he doesn't like it?
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LouD
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Posted: 16 March 2010 at 1:32pm |
He had a bit of a restless night last night, didnt wake but moved a wee bit, so his arms came out and he still slept 8hours. Hes always slept on his side and ive since bought a sleep wedge and last night was his second night in his cot, think the wedge helps make him feel more secure still which im glad i bought, but i also have safety sleep but cant put him on his side so will just keep using the wedge for now.........and of course keep wrapping for at least for a bit longer
The wrapping is his sleep association, so he goes all relaxed once ive wrapped him and pop him in the wedge and thats normally it, occassionally he wants the dummy to help him settle but not always.......
I also have a sleeping bag that he can go into if he starts kicking blankets off etc
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Febgirl
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Posted: 16 March 2010 at 1:39pm |
If you want to wean off wrapping and into the sleeping bag, put him in the sleeping bag and wrap his arms over top with a muslin cloth or similar. After a few nights leave one arm unwrapped, then get rid of the wrap a night or two after that if he's sleeping well. Works a treat!
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LouD
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Posted: 16 March 2010 at 7:31pm |
Thanks Sarah - he already has one arm out so im half way there
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mummymonster
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Posted: 16 March 2010 at 8:01pm |
We wrapped DS till over 6mths - I even had to make bigger wraps to contain him. Tried to move him to a sleeping bag 3 times - much drama insued. After fighting with the sleeping bag for about 2 weeks on the final attempt to stop swaddling one day DH says 'you know I think he just doesn't like the sleeping bag'. So we tried the old fashioned way of just blankets. He was better instantly, he really didn't like the bag. He would kick the blankets off sometimes in the first week or so but after that he's been great.
Don't stop swaddling because others tell you to, you're your babies best advocate for what's right for your family.
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kiwikid
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Posted: 17 March 2010 at 6:34am |
Between 4 and 6 mths DS was wrapped in a Miracle Blanket (great shaped wrap) and inside a sleeping bag!!! It was winter so he was totaly snug as a bug but it meant that he already had the sleep association of the sleeping bag
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Nutella
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Posted: 17 March 2010 at 2:29pm |
Lou, are you sure he even has a sleep association with the wrap since he falls asleep in the bath
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anon
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Posted: 20 March 2010 at 10:40pm |
Haven't read other replies but there is some research that suggests that wrapping delays development because they need to be able to put their fingers/hands up to their mouth. But you already have one arm out for that. Personally, I believe it depends on whether your baby needs to be wrapped to sleep. 3mths is a good age to wean out of it - I've heard Plunket advising by the age of 3mths. Chances are if baby manages with one arm out, he will manage without it entirely. It's up to you!
It's interesting to note in the UK they only wrap their babies when they are very newborn due to belief in delays in development if wrapping for longer. Again, I'm more of a believer of whatever works for their sleep - my baby spent a lot of time struggling with the wrap in the end so just wasn't worth it.
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LouD
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Posted: 22 March 2010 at 9:30pm |
NatsCats wrote:
Lou, are you sure he even has a sleep association with the wrap since he falls asleep in the bath  |
Touche (sp?)
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