My twin girls are 12 weeks old, but they were premies so their gestational age is only 5 weeks. We have no problem with getting them to sleep on their tummies during the day (when I'm there, of course), but they hate sleeping on their backs unless they're swaddled. Is there anything we can do to help this situation? They're headed to daycare soon, and I'm hoping that they'll learn to sleep on their backs without swaddling so our friend who does daycare doesn't have to deal with that, too!
It seems like their arms and legs are just to busy to let them slow down and get some sleep. Maybe this is something they'll just grow out of eventually?
Thanks to everyone. I will just continue swaddling for now. I hardly ever swaddle with regular blankets - we use the Halo sleep sacks. I might have to pick up a couple more of those one of these days.
Hi L.!
I agree, my advice is to get some 'swaddle me' blankets. I think they are by Kiddapotamus (SP?). My kids loved to be swaddled up in them and they do not come undone while they are sleeping, so it is no hassle! Just swaddle and get some rest! Try to keep them on thier backs, but try these blankets, they are worth the investment! You are right, they will grow out of it in time, but it may take a while.
L.
have you tried putting them on there side with a small blanket at there back to keep them from rolling over onto there backs, it also helps so if they would spit up it will come out of there mouth instead of down there throat and chocking them.
I would just continue to swaddle. Your sitter may already know how to do it and even if she doesn't it takes seconds to learn. Since they will be going to daycare I would still swaddle since it is a transition time and they will need the comfort of something familiar. My daughter was 5 months when we stopped swaddling. She had a hard time settling down to sleep too but at 5 months she preferred other ways to sooth herself. So yes, they do outgrow it eventually!
Ask Dr. Sears. Just google him and his site comes up. He has never failed me. I have a daughter who would only sleep on her tummy. We also kept our kids in very close proximity. See what Dr. Sears says. He is a wonderful resource. Good Luck!
J.
Hey L.,
Congratulations! I too have twin girls, they are almost 7 months old now so I know what you are going through. My girls loved being swaddled for 4 months. I used a blanket swaddler called kiddapotamus which I bought at babis r us but I think I've seen them at Walmart and Target. I would try those. We would put them in these every night for bedtime and I would just swaddle them in receiving blankets during the day. I often had them swaddled together too. They liked being close to each other. Good luck!
J. B
L.,
Go with what they like! My kids were swaddled until they were several months old, at night because their flailing arms would wake them. It's so easy now, you can by special swaddle blankets (even at Target) that are velcro. Easy and fast. Congratulations on your babies!
What's wrong with swaddleing? I don't think swaddleing is complicated or time consuming. We swaddled our full-term daughter for at least 2 months. They probably still need it because they are preemies. Maybe being twins they are used to being in extra tight places. It wouldn't surprise me if twins are usually swaddled longer than singletons.
I swaddled my daughter until she was a little over 3 months old and was wiggling her way out of the swaddle regularly. She too wouldn't go to sleep without being swaddled and would nap during the day on her tummy sometimes (though I never did that overnight). Then we switched to a sleep sack and only in the past week or two (she's 4 1/2 months now) have we left the sleep sack off as well since it is getting warm out.
Swaddling just takes a few seconds, so not sure why the concern about having daycare do it? I know they swaddle the babies at our daycare when they are that little.
I always left the blanket laid out in the crib ready to lay her down and wrap her up, so it was easy to swaddle every night.
I have 14 month old twin girls that were born prematurely at 34 weeks. They like to be swaddled too. I say that if they like it, swaddle them. They will eventually stop wanting it so much the older they get. It really isn't that hard to swaddle, so I wouldn't think it should be too much of a hassle for your sitter. Good luck! I can tell you, from personal experience, it gets easier and they are so much fun. Your heart will absolutely melt when you see them interact with each other for the first time. I still sit back and watch my girls play with each other when they don't know I am watching. It is truly, truly amazing. How blessed we are!
Even though they are 12 weeks, as you mentioned...their closer to 5 weeks because they were premies. I think it's pretty typical to want to be swaddled for alot longer than 12 weeks. Eventually, slowly, they'll grow out of this...but only at 5 weeks, swaddle if that's what works.
The woombie makes swaddling a snap, actually a zip.
I think you should just swaddle them. It's what they're used to and what makes them feel safe. It shouldn't be a big deal for your daycare provider. I swaddled my kids until they were big enough to break out of the swaddle themselves.
Is there any reason why they can't be swaddled at day care? My son slept in a swaddle until he was about 5 months old, and that included naps at day care. Once he began breaking out of the swaddle, we transitioned to a sleep sack, and then he started sleeping unwrapped around 7 months.
Congratulations on your babies! Truly, I feel like it's normal for them to want to be swaddled. You can buy a swaddling blanket that has velcro and makes it VERY easy. You can find these at Babies R Us and Toys R Us. I'd just be glad they sleep. :) I'm sure your day care person won't mind if they need that to nap. . .most babies do. They eventually grow out of it. Good luck!
L.: hey im all for letting them sleep how ever they are most comfortable, i have had three kids, and they each liked to sleep in different positions, i have lived through drs saying put them on their stomachs, and then a few years later the thing was to put them on their backs, it goes back and forth, like the war between butter and margarine, ahahah any way, we all like to sleep in different postions, and we find what is comfortable, and we sleep best in that postion, so do what is best for your babies, some babies too enjoy swaddling , yet others would rather be flayling around free, no set standard, do whats best for you and your babies, D. s
I do not think it is a problem to swaddle your children still. I have heard of many parents that swaddle even up to the age of 6 months or so. (you can buy swaddle blankets that go up to age 1!) We swaddled our daughter until she was two months old. She simple just started to squirm around a lot and we kinda figured out that she was no longer interested. They will grow out of it.
Hi L.,
I have twin daughters too! Mine are now 10 yrs old. They were born at 37 weeks. Mine liked to sleep together in the crib, I lay them back to back on their sides, each wrapped (swaddled) in their own blanket. They were more content being close to each other. They shared a crib for about 4 months. Good luck.
Twins are such a blessing and they are fun to watch as they grow.
Val
PS I have a twin sister too.
They're preemies, and needed more time all nice and squished up in your womb. I would swaddle them to soothe them, and they will definitely grow out of it naturally in the next few months. My son was 10 weeks early, and he really needed to be "squished" for the first few months. (He could only sleep in his car seat, because the crib was too open and flat. So, with the doctor's permission, he went to sleep at night in a carseat placed in his crib!)
Keep swaddling them, it is good for them. It will help them sleep for longer periods of time being swaddled. Why would the daycare mind swaddling. I guess I don't get that part? Have your read or watched the "happiest baby on the block" DVD? You can get the Swaddle Me blanket things. Maybe that would make it easier for the daycare friend? They are basically ONLY 5 weeks, and if swaddling makes then comfortable keep doing it. I swaddled my twins for months, and until they could get themself out of the swaddle on their own. I had some GREAT fleece home made/sewed swaddling blankets. We called them the burrito rolls. They were OUTSTANDING and helped my babes sleep longer.
My daughter, also born prematurely, did the same thing. She just wouldn't sleep without being swaddled. After about a month of this she stopped and slept fine. They make swaddling blankets so that all you have to do is put the baby in and velcro the blanket shut. I'm sure your daycare provider could handle that until you girls no longer need it.
L.!
As a daycare provider, I will tell you that I swadled nearly all of my infants until they were old enough to unswadle themselves, either thru turning or rolling over etc. Most babies, premies or not, I think like the "tight" feeling of being swadled and I have NO problem doing this for the infants and for their parents....
If they self sooth (fall asleep without long intervention such as rocking/walking etc) I wouldn't worry about the swadling.
I hope this helps give you some perspective from the other side.
Good Luck!
L.,
Swaddling is okay, but if they are used to sleeping on their tummy that it is okay for them to sleep on their tummy. I am a mother of 5 kids, and my youngest is 7 weeks old. She is not a back or tummy sleeper but loves to sleep on her side. My daughter has reflux and I have her sleep on her side or tummy, no back sleeping. The problem with the back to sleep progam is that it takes a way a mother's instinct with her babies. My other 4 slept on their tummies and they are just fine. Your babies have done well with you around on their tummy and they will do well on their tummy at daycare. Just make sure that they sleep there with nothing soft under them. Nothing soft around their little sweet heads. I know you will be worried while they are there, but after alittle time that worry will ease.
I'll never understand the rule that babies need to sleep on their backs. The fear of SIDS (incredibly rare) is disrupting the sleep patterns and digestion of babies all over America. Not only does sleeping on their tummies with their arms and legs curled under mimic the womb, it also promotes good digestion by helping them to pass gas.
Babies instinctively turn their heads while sleeping, stretch and move now and then and "root" their noses into their beds to get to a more comfortable position. That position includes breathing.
I let both of my girls sleep face down and curled up as they chose - they were both happy and are, apparently, still alive (13 and 20).
My daughter loved to be swaddled as well. It seemed like the only way she would sleep. I bought one of the baby positioners for in the crib that looks like a little wedge and I propped it under one side of her back so she would sleep on her side.
