Chances are that he'll grow out of the burrito-wrap before he hits 6 months, as babies begin to change their sleep patterns and night nursing patterns, so I doubt you'll be doing it forever.
I would make sure that he's not overheated when you burrito wrap him, he may just need a diaper and a blanket. Did you know that prickly heat rash is more common in winter than summer for babies? That's because most parents overestimate the amount of clothes a baby needs. In fact, once a baby reaches 3-5 days, they need no more clothes than you do, so make sure he is wrapped in the same # of layers as you, and you might experiment with one less layer (because babies are individuals, too!). The warmth of the blankets could be waking him up as well.
One easy way to handle nighttime wakings is to nurse your baby in the family bed. Oftentimes, mom & baby's sleeping cycles will begin to coincide in a matter of days. Keeping the baby in a separate sleeping space means that you may often wake up out of a deep sleep to tend your baby, because your baby's heartbeat and sleeping cycle cannot be regulated by you from even two feet away.
You may also consider weaning him from the bundling beginning with his daytime naps. If it doesn't go smoothly, perhaps add another layer to his clothing so he has the same sensation of warmth as when he is bundled. If the transition at daytime seems smooth, the transition at night may go smoothly as well. One thing to keep in mind is that every baby has his or her own innate sleeping schedule which can only be regulated so far by their parents. For example, my own baby spent days sleeping only 8 hours at night, then several days sleeping 14 hours at night. Eventually I recognized that this follows the way his father sleeps - several days doesn't need much, and several days needs quite a bit. These individual variations can be hard to deal with, as everyone shares information on how our baby "should" be sleeping.
I would continue to be sensitive to your baby's needs, initiating weaning from the wrapping only if it seems sensible to you. You can also try white noise makers in the room (a slow fan turned away from the baby works great) and experiment with layers of clothing. And if you are comfortable with the idea of family bedding, I would definitely recommend it as a way to ease nighttime parenting problems. A baby in the family bed is less likely to feel the need to be wrapped, because they're sleeping right next to what they're really seeking, which is the comfort of their mother.
I wish you luck with your little burrito! And recommend a copy
of Dr. Sears Nighttime Parenting for some excellent and
concrete suggestions.
These tips are not intended to be medical advice. Please consult your
healthcare provider if you have questions.
| © 1999 Paula Bobbett Last Update: February 6, 1999 | |