Transitioning From Swaddle To Sleepsack
I recently had a Mom tell me that she was going to be sad when her baby could no longer use a swaddle.
When I questioned why she said it was because she just loves the moments when she unwraps her from the swaddle and she does that adorable little “hands up to the sky” stretch.
And she’s not wrong. That is freakin’ adorable.
But there comes a point in your babies life when a swaddle goes from being a helpful tool to a safety concern.
Swaddles are meant to keep babies arms by their side, which helps mimic the warmth and coziness of the womb that they’ve just spent 10 months in, and it also helps to limit their startle reflex. Which is amazing!
But just like always, there are developmental milestones that we have to think about.
Rolling is a huge developmental milestone that happens for babies around 8 weeks of age. And when we talk about the need to ditch the swaddle, this is what I mean.
According to the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) you should stop using a swaddle once your baby is 8 weeks old, or shows ANY signs of rolling. Whichever comes first. It doesn’t matter whether your baby is showing signs of rolling tummy to back, or vice versa. The idea behind this is that if your baby happens to roll over while wearing a swaddle that has restricted the movement of their arms, they are now going to have limited ability to redirect their face away from anything that may pose a risk of suffocation. And if we’re not right beside them staring at them sleeping every moment of the day, there is no way that we can prevent this, either!
I hope I haven't scared you away at this point. But I want to be honest with you, for the sake of your child’s safety!
So now let’s talk about what you can do to help your baby transition away from the swaddle!
Tips To Ditch The Swaddle
Continue Swaddling. If you want to continue offering that “cozy” feeling, you can continue swaddling your baby, but no longer swaddle the arms. If you want to ease into this transition you can start before 8 weeks (if no signs of rolling are present) and work on removing one arm from the swaddle at a time. Eventually they will no longer enjoy being wrapped up so snug, but it’s a great way to get started!
Or do it cold turkey! Just like any other big changes, transitioning away from using a swaddle has the potential to disrupt your child’s sleep. But it won’t last long! In no time at all your baby will be back to their wonderful sleepy self. And if they’re not, click here. I can help!
Transition to a sleep sack. Sleep sacks are quite possibly one of my favourite baby sleep inventions. I had our regular sleep sack, our back up sleep sack, and a backup to the backup sleep sack. I even sent one to dayhome with my daughter! Not only do sleep sacks help regulate our babies temperature, but it also acts as a comfort item when it comes to sleep. (bonus!)
Safety Tip! Don’t introduce any blankets to your child until at least 12 months of age. Before this age, the risk of suffocation is much greater. So if you’re concerned about them being cold, etc. a sleep sack is a wonderful option!
Sleep Sack Basics
There are so many different brands, styles, and features that it can be overwhelming to choose the best sleep sack for your child. So let’s chat about what you might want to pay attention to when shopping for one.
TOG rating. Wait, huh? What the heck is that…
TOG is short for Thermal Overall Grade, which simply means the warmth rating of a sleep sack. Basically, the higher the TOG, the warmer the product.
TOG Rating Scale:
0.5 TOG: Ideal for temperatures ranging from 23 - 26 degrees celsius
0.5 is the thinnest, and best for hot climates
1.0 TOG: Ideal for temperatures ranging from 21 - 23 degrees celsius
1.0 is more universal for all temperatures
2.5 TOG: Ideal for temperature ranging from 16 - 20 degrees celsius
2.5 is ideal for those cold winter months
Zipper style. This one isn’t so much a necessity as it is a life saver when dealing with a toddler. One day, your child is going to hit this magical age where they learn how to undress themselves, and night time is no exception to that. So let’s just prepare for that and get a sleep sack with a front zipper (none of this under the armpit stuff..) so that we can do the ol’ switcheroo and put the sleep sack on backwards so they no longer have the ability to have a naked party in their bed!
Limit Climbing. Not only do sleep sacks help keep their jammies on, but they also help limit the ability to climb out of their crib! It becomes much harder to climb out when you can’t lift your leg high enough to get there! (sounds like a win-win to me..)
Do Your Research. Sleep sacks can be an investment. But, if you get a quality brand, your baby can enjoy that sleep sack every single night for months on end without any issues. Ask your Mama friends what their favourites are, or put it out there on Facebook. I guarantee fellow moms are not going to lie about whether they liked a product or not!
And if you’re hesitating about the amount of money you would like to spend on one, remember that you can always put it away for any future babies, or you can sell it! There are always lots of Mama’s looking for spares.
Use The Proper Size. Pay attention to sizing. This is not something that you want to purchase bigger and let your baby grow into it. Ensure that the neck and arms fit well and are not able to move up around your baby’s face. Sleep sack’s have a lot of extra length which allows you to use them for quite a long period of time!
When To Stop Using. There is no set timeline on when to stop using a sleep sack. Sleep sack’s are even available for toddlers over 3 years! If your child is old enough to say they don’t want it anymore (and that doesn’t affect their sleep) then go for it!
So there you go! You officially have enough information to make the smooth transition from swaddle to sleep sack! Now go for it, Mama! You’ve got this!
