Swaddle me this... Vol.4 : the sleep saga
Yup, I'm still writing about swaddling. 2 weeks ago I thought it was the biggest mistake I've made with Zoe so far. Obviously I wrapped her so tightly from day dot that she refused to sleep unswaddled and I've been so frustrated about it ever since. Thinking 'holy crap my kid might need to be wrapped forever!' haha
It is sticky and hot here at the moment and I was wrapping Zoe in a Snug & Tug wrap at nights, and her Wrap Me Up during the day. But at night time she was just too hot and would take hours to settle. I decided I would stick her in her Wrap Me Up suit and just get up to her a million times a night as she wakes so frequently in it. But, she hardly woke at all and settles much faster, so yay! There goes the heat problem as the suit is light and doesn't over-heat her, it enables her to have her hands up instead of pinned down at her sides. She sucks her hands through the suit to self-soothe which is great, the only downside is that the fabric at the hands gets gross so I am forever throwing it in the wash. But I can not recommend this suit enough for people that can relate to this post, I feel like it has been a life-saver.
Wrap Me Up suit in action. In this last picture, I'm starting to find Zoe all over this end of the cot now!
I went to a sleep course at The Parenting Place run by Louise from The Sleep Store last week and it was FANTASTIC. I kinda thought she would tell me to dream feed, and she did, and so now I am... I just persevered and it's paid off as Zoe's sleeps have been much better. (Past attempts at dream feeding just woke Zoe up completely and then again every 3 hours). But she also said that Zoe would be ready to sleep with one arm out around 5 months, and that she will fall asleep like that when she is ready. If she is taking forever to get to sleep and won't settle - she isn't ready.
Well I tried it.. and 20 mins later.... asleep! I couldn't believe it! She takes a while to settle, as she is busy talking and cooing to herself but she eventually gets there. I really didn't think it was going to be this easy. I've even let her sleep with one arm out during the night - in which she slept 6 hours in a row. I think having her hand there is comforting and O.K now that it's not constantly hitting her in her face without her permission.
I've bought her a sleeping bag as that is the next step in this sleeping drama. At the moment I just have her in the Wrap Me Up done up under her arm and it seems to be working wonderfully. I'm not sure when to let the other arm loose though.. mmm...
Zoe has also decided not to wake for the dummy at night anymore, well, when I try to put it in she goes NUTS! and only wants food. But only wakes that one time hungry, and that is a big change. She uses the dummy to calm down at the initial shock when placed in her cot, spits it out and then continues to pet her 'pinky' comfort blanket - of which she ADORES all of a sudden.
Wrap Me Up suit with one arm out & Zoe with her pinky blankie.
Now a question for other mothers out there, did your children use a comforter blankie? Were you worried they would pull it over their head and suffocate!?! I'm not sure if it is O.K to have it in bed with her and have sewed on a piece of ribbon so that I can tie one end to the cot far enough away so that it can't be pulled up over her head. Anyone else have any issues with these? Would love to hear from you!
All in all, swaddling is quickly becoming something of the past and of course I worried for nothing and just needed some patience! (and many of you are rolling your eyes right now thinking, 'I told you so'...).
Bring on sleeping bag only with both arms unwrapped!
She gets covered in kisses everyday and is loved so much by her whole family. She is a lucky girl!
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