JoelP
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| posted on 17/6/09 at 05:35 PM |
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Swaddling babies
I know, its another extreme question for LCbers to answer. But i figure everything is known between us so here goes...
My son is 19 weeks old and only sleeps well if swaddled (google it if you dont know what that is ). Trouble is, when he's not happy he can
easily pull his arms free, and then wakes up every hour. Wrapped, he can do 12 hours asleep. But its apparently a bad habit to get into.
Any good tips on how to keep him happy and asleep that doesnt rely on wrapping him up?!
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blakep82
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| posted on 17/6/09 at 05:37 PM |
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having not had kids myself, as i understand it, thats what babies do. especially that young. something he'll sort of grow into i guess
________________________
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twybrow
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| posted on 17/6/09 at 05:38 PM |
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Dont be tempted to keep returning to him if he wakes - hard I know, as you fight your parental instincts. My nephew was 20 months old before he slept
his first night through, and even then, it is only 12-5:30.... Good luck!
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BenB
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| posted on 17/6/09 at 05:41 PM |
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Lots of babies like to be swaddled when they're young but they grow out of it.
Try one of these:
Amazon linky
as close to a baby straight jacket as you'll get....
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mangogrooveworkshop
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| posted on 17/6/09 at 05:43 PM |
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Duct tape and cable ties would work well in this situation Joel.....
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owelly
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| posted on 17/6/09 at 05:45 PM |
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Both Ojnr and Ojnr2 have used/are using sleeping bags. Ojnr2 is 7 weeks old and she loves to be warm. The sleeping bag is great. I suppose the health
visitors will have opinions on swaddling but the old midwife who pulled Ojnr out said swadding was a good way to make them feel safe and they sleep
better if they feel safe!
http://www.ppcmag.co.uk
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BenB
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| posted on 17/6/09 at 05:49 PM |
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It seems bizarre when people expect that they'll sleep well without being swaddled. They've spent 9 months in a cramped warm environment
listening to mum's heartbeat. Suddenly being plonked in a cold bed on their own with nothing to listen to is going to be a bit of a shock...
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Omni
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| posted on 17/6/09 at 05:52 PM |
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Grow bags are good to get them into. Both mine loved them, but it does leave there arms free. It will take 2 days or so for the little one to adjust
but it will be worth it. You will have to try a little bit of controlled crying so that the little one knows that you will not come everytime they
start to cry.
HTH.
O
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hobzy
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| posted on 17/6/09 at 05:52 PM |
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Didn't swaddle either of our 2, (youngest is 17 weeks) but both sleep fine on the whole. (insert jammy bugger smiley here). However both had the
odd few weeks where they just wouldn't sleep through, so its fairly normal/to be expected. how active is he in the day? Can you try not letting
him have too many naps in the day?
If he is teething there's not a lot you can do except hang on in for the ride.
Sleep wise, have you tried a grobag? Arms are left free but no faffing with blankets, easy to bring them downstairs if they are kicking off without a
change in temperature, and easy to put them back to bed
Also have a sleep help mp3 if you want it - plays gentle music with a mums heartbeat. Worked wonders with No 1 sprog - fell asleep to it myself a few
times...
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chris_smith
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| posted on 17/6/09 at 05:54 PM |
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both of mine slept right through from 11pm to about 6am swaddled or not, lucky arent I
take the advice of not going to them to soon, leave it a couple of minutes then next week add some more time maybe to 5 mins then longer and longer
until they dont bother
chris
The secret of success is to know something nobody else knows."
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Omni
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| posted on 17/6/09 at 05:57 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by hobzy
Didn't swaddle either of our 2, (youngest is 17 weeks) but both sleep fine on the whole. (insert jammy bugger smiley here). However both had the
odd few weeks where they just wouldn't sleep through, so its fairly normal/to be expected. how active is he in the day? Can you try not letting
him have too many naps in the day?
If he is teething there's not a lot you can do except hang on in for the ride.
Sleep wise, have you tried a grobag? Arms are left free but no faffing with blankets, easy to bring them downstairs if they are kicking off
without a change in temperature, and easy to put them back to bed
Also have a sleep help mp3 if you want it - plays gentle music with a mums heartbeat. Worked wonders with No 1 sprog - fell asleep to it myself a few
times...
Oi Hobzy.... stop copying my advice 
lol
[Edited on 17/6/09 by Omni]
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Confused but excited.
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| posted on 17/6/09 at 06:07 PM |
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"Sleep wise, have you tried a grobag? Arms are left free but no faffing with blankets,"
I have used these with great success for tomatoes.
Swaddling has worked well for thousands of years.
If it ain't broke don't fix it.
Babies love it, trendy health workers with a degree and no kids appear not to.
Tell them about the bent treacle edges!
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maartenromijn
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| posted on 17/6/09 at 06:15 PM |
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What a topic for LCB's!
Swaddling is no problem if you don't make a problem of it. With my children it was over in a couple of weeks (at least that's what I can
remember... )
Why not take advantage of this 12 hour sleep to go and build a car??
BLOG: http://thunderroad-super7.blogspot.com/
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adrianreeve
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| posted on 17/6/09 at 06:18 PM |
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Another vote for the grobags, they worked a treat for our two.
Cheers
Adrian
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Benzine
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| posted on 17/6/09 at 06:21 PM |
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all-knowing gf says swaddling is not a bad habit at all
The mental gymnastics a landlord will employ to justify immoral actions is clinically fascinating. Just because something is legal doesn't make
it moral.
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Steve G
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| posted on 17/6/09 at 06:26 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by mangogrooveworkshop
Duct tape and cable ties would work well in this situation Joel.....
Damn - you beat me to it with the duct tape suggestion!!!
He'll definately be SVA complient with regards to radiused edges. Probably fail on emmissions mind!!!
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jollygreengiant
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| posted on 17/6/09 at 06:27 PM |
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What ever makes the little ones happy ( ) is fine, they will grow out of and change all habits eventually.
I/We were spoilt, First born slept minimum of 6 hours from first night and just got longer. 2nd night home he slept for about 15hrs  .
Beware of the Goldfish in the tulip mines. The ONLY defence against them is smoking peanut butter sandwiches.
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hobzy
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| posted on 17/6/09 at 06:31 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Omni
quote:
Originally posted by hobzy
Didn't swaddle either of our 2, (youngest is 17 weeks) but both sleep fine on the whole. (insert jammy bugger smiley here). However both had the
odd few weeks where they just wouldn't sleep through, so its fairly normal/to be expected. how active is he in the day? Can you try not letting
him have too many naps in the day?
If he is teething there's not a lot you can do except hang on in for the ride.
Sleep wise, have you tried a grobag? Arms are left free but no faffing with blankets, easy to bring them downstairs if they are kicking off
without a change in temperature, and easy to put them back to bed
Also have a sleep help mp3 if you want it - plays gentle music with a mums heartbeat. Worked wonders with No 1 sprog - fell asleep to it myself a few
times...
Oi Hobzy.... stop copying my advice
lol
[Edited on 17/6/09 by Omni]
Blimey both posted at exactly the same time must by a lottery ticket
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StevieB
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| posted on 17/6/09 at 06:37 PM |
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As other people have said, grobags work well - we found our boy always needed the little cotton scratch mits on as he had a habit of thrashings his
arms around a lot and always had a few scratches on his face as a result.
Just wait till they;re nearly 2, when you'll find that the problem of whether to swaddle or not pals into insignificance compared to having the
house trashed by a crayon weilding toddler twice daily with 16 hour shifts of misbehaviour at weekends (I've done nothing to encourage this
boystrous behaviour, honest )
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Peteff
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| posted on 17/6/09 at 07:07 PM |
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My mum taught us how to wrap the kids up to put them to sleep. The secret is to wrap them up so tight that they wear themselves out trying to get
free.
yours, Pete
I went into the RSPCA office the other day. It was so small you could hardly swing a cat in there.
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Fozzie
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| posted on 17/6/09 at 07:11 PM |
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Absolutely nowt wrong with swaddling.....
My daughter (eldest) would scream the place down if she wasn't swaddled, as soon as she was wrapped up.....peaceful......
My son (middle), also loved to be 'snug'......
However...son number 2, hated it...but then he was no trouble getting to sleep...that's all he seemed to do...eat and sleep....
As said, babies have been swaddled since time began......grobags are brill...
As they get a bit older, and spend a bit more time awake in the day, they will have plenty of 'play' time......as my daughter got older
she always liked to be tucked into bed tightly at night......
The boys just liked their 'snugglies'.....bit of soft blanket... aka blankie....
One thing is for sure, babies are not born clutching their own 'workshop manual'...and every baby is different.....you will find what your
son likes best.......
Fozzie
'Racing is Life!...anything before or after is just waiting'....Steve McQueen
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JoelP
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| posted on 17/6/09 at 07:13 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Peteff
My mum taught us how to wrap the kids up to put them to sleep. The secret is to wrap them up so tight that they wear themselves out trying to get
free.
We call him Houdini He has one arm free before the other is even in
Right now he's fast asleep, but i had to double swaddle him 
Cheers for the advice chaps. I can do controlled crying with the best of them but after 45 mins you feel you're taking the piss! Also have
grobags but i think its the arms that wake him up. We had stopped swaddling but started again last week and he managed 12 hours, previously he might
be up every few hours. Also teething now
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SteveWalker
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| posted on 17/6/09 at 07:27 PM |
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They're all different and it's best to just go with what works for you. You may be lucky and get over this stage quickly or you may not
....
Our first woke every 2 to 2-1/2 hours and was awake every single night from midnight to half-two, it was hell. The interval gradually stretched to 3
to 3-1/2 hours and then at 7 weeks he started sleeping through - now he's 5-1/2 and the problem is just getting him to go to sleep at all!
The second started at 2 to 2-1/2 hours, slowly increaded to 4-1/2 and started sleeping through at 7 months. He's now 3-1/2 and does mutual
battle with the first until they both drop off.
The third started at 4 hours and stayed there for 12 months - he only started sleeping through when I finished converting my study and he got his own
bedroom. He's now 16 months.
As you can tell, we have a somewhat noisy and busy household - I'm still suffering from sleep deprivation though, as my wife likes to get to bed
late and disturb my sleep!
[Edited on 17/6/09 by SteveWalker]
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Steve G
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| posted on 17/6/09 at 07:52 PM |
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Bungy ropes - thats the answer!! Ratchet straps if that doesnt work.
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matt.c
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| posted on 17/6/09 at 08:14 PM |
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Another vote for the grobags. My little monster would only sleep through the night when we put her in her own room. A little tip is to raise the
cot/moses basket at the head end about 2 inches (an argos book works really well) and roll a couple of baby blankets up and place one each side of
them. This gives them the feeling of being swaddled even though there not.
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