How long does it take to transition out of the swaddle?
Swaddling is a great tool to use during the newborn period when you are helping your baby adjust to life outside of the womb. The goal of swaddling is to mimic the womb environment, help the baby regulate their body temperature, decrease the Moro reflex (arm flailing) while they sleep, and promote the back to sleep position. It is very comforting for most babies to be wrapped up snug, however you want them to spend most of their awake time out of the swaddle so their reflexes can integrate, and they can practice moving their body.
Sometimes the timing of transitioning out the swaddle can be unexpected. If your baby starts rolling/attempting to roll, or getting into different positions that suggests they are strong enough to roll, you’ll have to drop the swaddle cold turkey. If your baby hasn’t attempted to roll yet, or you just want to be proactive about dropping the swaddle, you have a few options for the transition.
How long does it take to transition out of the swaddle?
This depends on the method you’re going with to transition out. Typically, the quicker you make the transition, the quicker baby will adjust. So if you want to get it over quick, go with option 1.
It’s always good to be realistic about this- it’s rarely a “smooth” process when you’re making a big change like dropping the swaddle! And I know you want it to be as pain free as possible because you’re probably just as attached to that swaddle as your baby is… but alas. All good things must come to an end!
Method 1: Cold Turkey
No time for gradual methods? Are you a “rip the bandaid” type person? Just yeet that swaddle out of the line up, and move on to a regular sleep bag/sleep sack. Your baby may have a few rough nights but typically will go back to their usual sleeping habits after that.
*Fun fact* I cold turkey dropped the swaddle for both of my kids! #nopatience 😂
Method 2: Partial Night
If your baby is not showing signs of rolling or getting into different positions yet, or they are not yet 8 weeks old, you can leave them unswaddled for the first part of the night. Then, the next time they wake up you can swaddle them after their feeding or diaper change. You will gradually push how long you wait to swaddle later and later until eventually they can go the entire night unswaddled.
Method 3: Arm Out
This one is fairly simple and doesn’t require you to purchase any additional product (if the swaddle type you use allows for it). Just leave one arm out of the swaddle for a couple of nights then both arms out with just the “wings” of the swaddle around the baby’s chest if the product states it’s safe to do this.
Transitional Products
If you tried one of the above methods and your baby is still struggling with their sleep, there are a few different transitional swaddle products on the market. I would recommend using the transitional products for about 3-4 weeks tops, before switching to a regular sleep bag/sack.
Transitional Swaddle Products:
Zipadee Zip (note this isn’t technically a transition product because it can be used long term, but it can seem to help bridge the gap between swaddle and sleep sack!)
One final note about the swaddle! Remember that this is a sleep association that your baby has developed and it may not be an easy transition. However, I feel that the benefits of swaddling in the beginning are well worth the potential bumps in the road that come later when it is time to drop it. Be confident and consistent, and layer other sleep associations to try to make things as smooth as possible for you and your baby.
If this is a trickier transition than you signed up for, get some 1:1 help here!
