Swaddling is a helpful practice to soothe your babies while they adapt to life outside the womb. For many parents, swaddling is a true lifesaver during the first few months of childbirth.
By wrapping your baby snugly, you are helping him sleep better and for longer stretches. But it can’t last forever.
When done properly, swaddling is completely safe and recommended for infants. But when they grow and begin to roll over, swaddling can no longer be safe for them, and you should have to transition your little one out of this phase at the right time.
Is 8-weeks too early to stop swaddling? Let’s find out the answer to this question.
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Is 8-weeks too early to stop swaddling?
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, you should stop swaddling your baby as early as 2 months old. Some experts recommend that it is good to stop swaddling your baby at 8 weeks or when they show signs of rolling; whichever comes first. The 8 weeks is not too early to stop swaddling. The exact age to stop swaddling a baby can vary based on the baby’s development. The age ranges from 8 weeks to 12 weeks. Swaddling is not safe when your baby starts to roll over which is generally between 2 and 4 months. During this time, your baby may roll over on their tummy but can’t roll back over. This can increase their risk of SIDS.
AAP’s official stance on when to stop swaddling
The opinion of the American Academy of Pediatrics on swaddling is simply stated as follows:
“The decisions about swaddling should be made on an individual basis based on the physiologic needs of the infant.”
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Why do I need to stop swaddling my baby?
Some healthcare specialists warn parents to stop swaddling when they turn 2 months keeping in mind the fear that your baby may begin to roll to his stomach soon.
Even the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends parents should stop swaddling their babies when they start to roll.
When a swaddled baby roll to his tummy, he will not have free hands to push up and free their face to breathe.
Exactly at what age do babies roll over? There is no exact answer to this. Babies can start rolling over as early as 8 weeks. Instead of relying on your baby’s age, you should look for signs of readiness to roll. These include the following:
- Baby can roll from stomach to back
- Baby is attempting to push up on his hands during tummy time
- Lifting a hand while one is firmly grounded
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Stop swaddling at 8 weeks
Rachel Y. Moon, M.D., a pediatrician, and the chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Task Force on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, has a leading voice in recommending that parents should stop swaddling at 8 weeks of age.
Dr. Moon finds out that babies can start rolling over by 2 to 2 and a half months and if you put a swaddled baby down on his stomach, the risk of SIDS increases 13 to 14 times.
Conclusion
Is 8-weeks too early to stop swaddling? While swaddling is an effective and wonderful technique to help a baby sleep well. It is a comfortable experience for a baby, but I think transitioning should start even earlier than 8 weeks for some babies.
It is because some babies start to roll over as earlier as 8 weeks. But there is no one-size-fits-all timeframe where we can fit every baby.
Being a parent, you have to be mindful of your baby’s ability by monitoring the milestones they accomplish.
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