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Pacifiers/Swaddling/Naps– Please Help

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7:56 pm
May 30, 2010

gnikmik

New Member

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Hello,

I have a 3 month old that has a sleep association with swaddling and pacifier. To get him to sleep, I swaddle him, walk with him cradled and a pacifier until he is almost asleep. I put him in bed and then he either goes right to sleep, or if the paci falls out, I put it back in until he does go to sleep. He sleeps around 5 hours for the first period at night, and then is up every 2 to 3 hours after.

I'm pretty sure he cannot fall asleep on his own. He only takes 40 minute naps and cries when he wakes. I know he needs a longer nap and can get him to sleep if I hold him, but not just by putting the pacifier back in. Sometimes he won't be cranky if I just let him up, but many times he is.

If the pacifier is the crutch, should I try to break him of it now? If so, can you do CIO when being swaddled? I've tried putting him down not swaddled and it is a big disaster.

Any help, I'd greatly appreciate!

Thanks!

8:46 pm
May 30, 2010

Miriam

Australia

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Hey there. I took my son off the pacifier at between 3 and 4 months for the same reason and haven't looked back. I'm not sure what the current research recommends but I used the technique of wrapping (swaddling) and putting down for sleep, giving him 5-10 minutes to try and settle himself (I used a timer for my own benefit), if not, go in, turn him on his side (facing away from you), and hold him firmly whilst patting his back or head or whatever works for your child and at the same time just saying "sh sh sh". He is likely to still cry/scream, seemingly unaware that you're there but he will learn. However, I only did this for 10 minutes at a time, after which if he was still crying and would pick him up to try and settle him down before putting him down again awake to try again (alternate sides). Then when he's asleep put him back on his back and loosen wrap slightly. It's really really hard for the first day but if you can get through that it's easier from then on. I did this strategy for my daughter at 10months of age and wished I'd done it sooner. It was certainly easier doing it on the younger child. However, I realise this isn't for everyone as it does involve crying (probably both of you on the first day – I certainly did!), even though you are always with him. I'm sure there's lots of other strategies you could try. Hopefully other people will give you some alternatives to choose from too.

I don't think the swaddling is an issue (my son has only just stopped being swaddled at 7 months old) and try not to have too higher expectations from you're little one as he's only 3 months old. Frequent waking (what you describe doesn't sound too frequent to me anyway) I think would be expected. The season of sleep deprivation (for you) will pass in time.

Good luck!

10:15 am
February 4, 2011

Chant

Northern Canada

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posts 11

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Hi there,

I've read somewhere that swaddling for the first 4 months is comforting for a child, as up until this point they don't have coordination of their hands and legs and often their mouvement would wake them up. But after 4 months, it could be seen as "restraining" for them. My son is now 8 months now, and he too loved the swaddling, but somewhere around that mark (4 months) I swaddled him, he woke screaming and when I came in to his room he was still swaddled but had fallen on his belly (face in the matress) – this was enough to give me a good scrare, that was my last swaddle! I've done it once or twice since then when he would refuse to go down for a nap but as I decided to use the swaddle, I also decided to hold him in my arms and rock with him until he was done napping; those precious moments are far and few between once you're out into a new routine of them falling asleep on their own, so I enjoyed it :)

My son never took a pacifier; god only knows I've tried. But this too is a blessing in disguise, cause I can't imagine going to him every time he spits out the pacifyer only to put it back in his mouth! But again, he used my breast to self sooth at time (where a pacifyer would have been nice), but he never took it, and that was ok too. That's one less sleep association for us to worry about!

For the night sleep, if he's breastfed, going 5 hours straight is considered "sleeping through the night"; and then you can expect every 2-3 hours for a feed after that. Again, you go into auto pilot! My son is 8 months and is just now sleeping through the night!

Any other similar stories others want to share? :)

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