How to transition out of the swaddle

Both of my babies loved being swaddled as newborns, and both of them transitioned out of the swaddle around 2-3 months old. My first was sleeping 11 hours straight at night around 10 weeks old, and my second was sleeping 11-12 hours straight before 10 weeks old. The transition out of the swaddle went great for both of them, because they already had good sleep habits and knew how to get themselves to sleep. 

Starting your baby in a tight and cozy swaddle as a newborn will help them feel secure and will reduce their startle reflex, which will help them sleep better. When your baby is a newborn, work on independent sleep skills.

While many parents get nervous about this transition, it almost always goes more smoothly than imagined. Here are some tips about when and how to transition out of the swaddle.

WHEN?

• You can keep swaddling your baby until the baby shows signs of being able to roll from back to belly, or starts breaking out of the swaddle (or hits the weight limit for the swaddle sack they are using). 
• Babies usually begin to learn how to roll from their back to belly between 12 weeks old to 5 months old. It typically takes longer for babies to figure out how to roll from back to belly. 

HOW?

• Gradually - You can transition gradually by leaving one arm out for two nights, and then the other arm out (but the first arm swaddled IN) for the next two nights, then leaving both arms out.
• Transition - You can transition using a swaddle transition, such as a Zip-a-Dee-Zip or a Merlin's Magic Sleep Suit (they can only wear this until they are able to roll over in the suit), or a Nested Bean weighted Sleep Sack. A Zipadee Zip can be used even when a baby is rolling. 
• Cold Turkey - You can transition cold turkey (this is my personal preferred method, and this is how I did it with both of my babies; they did great!). Just leave the swaddle off and allow your baby to adjust. If the baby chooses to roll onto their belly to sleep, it's fine to allow them to sleep that way, as long as they aren't swaddled with their hands in. 
• Once you stop swaddling, it's fine to use a regular sleep sack, or a wearable blanket, even after your baby is crawling or standing. 

If your baby has a hard time during the transition out of the swaddle, give them a night or two to adjust, and they'll usually get back on track quickly on their own. If you haven't sleep trained yet, this is a great time to start sleep training! If you need help, reach out, and I would love to help you!

Below are some of the swaddles, sleep sacks, and transitional swaddles I recommend. 

Leave a comment and share below - when did you stop swaddling, and how did your baby do with the transition?