All About Unswaddling
We all know that I love the swaddle for all newborns, as it helps to recreate that snug feeling of being in the womb while sleeping and eliminates the startle reflex that can wake our little baby up. But what about when the time comes to unswaddle? I understand that for the parent of a baby that has been sleeping well in a swaddle, the thought of transitioning them out of the swaddle and sleep potentially falling apart is TERRIFYING.
So I am here to tell you that while ditching the swaddle can be a daunting thought it doesn’t actually have to be disruptive.
When should we be transitioning out of the swaddle?
There is no set age, here your baby takes the lead. We stop swaddling once your baby is rolling from back to tummy, or we begin the transition when we suspect he or she is close to rolling from back to tummy.
Typically this occurs between 3 and 5 months, but there is no reason to worry if your little one falls outside of this bracket. I do recommend unswaddling by 6 and a half months even if your little one doesn’t look like they are close to rolling, as the swaddle might be hindering them in hitting this milestone if they aren’t getting enough practice during their awake time.
**If your little one is already rolling from back to tummy they absolutely must be unswaddled immediately for all sleeps where they are unsupervised for any length of time. It is just not safe to keep them swaddled once they can roll from back to front**
Why do I need to unswaddle my baby?
We unswaddle to support safe sleeping. Please ensure that your baby’s sleep space meets the safe sleeping guidelines set out in Red Nose.
Once your little one is rolling they require their hands free to push up from the mattress and reposition the head in order to sleep safely. If your baby can roll from tummy to back they have the strength and neck control required to safely sleep on their tummy, so there is no need to roll them back (if they can roll both ways confidently and are happy on their tummy).
Initially, some babies don’t like to be on their tummy and if they do roll onto their tummy they will cry out for your help, of course go and help your bub and reposition them onto their back. If this is happening for your little one I recommend LOTS of practice in their awake time to conquer rolling back, so that they can reposition themselves without crying out for your help - in most cases a few days to a week and your little one should be able to roll back over on their own.
Is sleep going to fall apart?
This one is a little trickier to answer. Some little ones will be completely unfazed by this change, where as others will really struggle.
What are my options?
Cold Turkey – if your baby is actively rolling then you have no choice but to go cold turkey from arms in to arms out. You would move your little one straight into a sleep bag or sleep sack with arms out – and you will support and guide them through these changes until they get used to it. I recommend using the transitional approach below if you have a bit more time on your side (your baby isn’t actively rolling yet but has given some signs that they are nearly there).
Transitional Approach –
1. Move to a sleep bag and initially swaddle with one arm out
2. Cover hand that is out with onesie mitten (this gives baby additional comfort and security)
3. When your baby is comfortable with one arm out take out the second arm out and place onesie mitten on the second hand (both hands are out at this point and each have a mitten on)
4. When baby is comfortable with both arms out take one mitten off one hand
5. Finally, take the last mitten off.
All of the above can take a couple of weeks (i.e. a few days or longer at each step). The transitional approach is my preferred method as it allows baby the chance to slowly get used to the change and therefore it is less disruptive, however it does require a proactive approach as you need to act BEFORE your little is rolling. REMEMBER safety comes first, if your baby is really getting active you may not be able to use this option.
If you find that sleep falls apart when you unswaddle your little one, or if it was not great to begin with then book in a package today - we can help.