It figures, the minute you’ve mastered the perfect baby swaddle, you find yourself wondering when to stop swaddling. For around three months now, your little one had been sleeping soundly, tucked snugly into their favorite flannel receiving blanket. They’ve been reaping all the swaddling benefits — most notably, protection from their natural startle reflex and the sensation of being carried — but now you’re not sure whether it’s time to move on from this state or not. Is it safe to continue swaddling your baby?
A 2016 study in Pediatrics concluded that there is both risk and benefit when it comes to swaddling. Swaddling can soothe a baby to sleep, but there are instances of an increase in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in babies that are swaddled beyond a certain age. The bottom line is that if your baby is strong enough to get out of a swaddle or has begun to try to roll over, it is time to transition out of the swaddling stage. Read on to learn when to stop swaddling your baby and how to go about it.
You've finally learned how to swaddle, but is your baby over it?
Helpful products for the post-swaddling stage
In lieu of receiving blankets for swaddling, some hospitals, like the Baptist Health Women’s Center in Arkansas, have begun incorporating sleep sacks as part of their new-mom care packages. Upon discharge from labor and delivery, the hospitals are sending parents home with a HALO SleepSack
“We started to pass these out in all of our five delivering hospitals,” registered nurse Nikki Knowles explained on Baptist Health’s YouTube channel. “We’re teaching safe sleep here in the hospital with nothing extra in the crib, none of those traditional swaddle blankets. So we want them to use the sleep sack and swaddle with this here and we want them to do this at home as well.”
For caregivers who have been swaddling, other products like the Nested Bean wearable blanket are made specifically for the transition from swaddling. The company also offers a lightly weighted version called the Zen Sack. It is designed to mimic an adult’s soothing touch to calm your little one to sleep. When baby begins to roll, the Zen Sack can be adjusted so the embedded weight is at baby’s back. Finally, the Zen Bodysuit — made for active sleepers — allows your infant to kick, wiggle, and roll to their heart’s content.
Once your baby has transitioned out of swaddling, pajamas are the way to go, whether it’s onesies in warmer weather, footed sleepers, or two-piece pajama sets. It’s perfectly fine to put your baby in comfy pajamas; just remember, no blankets or pillows until 12 months of age.
