My newborn daughter, Jaden, is now 2 1/2 months old. We have been swaddling her when she sleeps or is particularly upset. This is common practice around the world as babies need that feeling of security and control of limbs that would otherwise be flailing about aimlessly and out of control.

My question is this:

How long do we keep swaddling her (in terms of biolgical age and continuing need)?

It's a question of how the need to be swaddled is demonstrated. If she can't go to sleep without it, she needs it, but perhaps could still be tapered off. You said 'or when she's particularly upset'. Maybe use it only when she's upset?

That feeling of cozy confinement she had in the womb is, with some children, something they rely on -- like sucking their thumb. She can be tapered off. She needs freedom of movement for her limbs and muscles to develop properly. There is no biological age requirement. Some babies sleep right through quite contentedly from birth on. My oldest didn't even wake for her 2 a.m. feeding after about six weeks of age.

Thanks for the input.

I knew the bioligical reasons for it, but I can't recall what happened with the boys. LOL I guess a decade fades my memory pretty badly.

To think, I thought I would NEVER forget a single detail of their early years.

As for WAKING Jaden.. I say "Let sleeping BABIES lie".. I feed her when she wakes.. and if she sleeps through the night for 6 to 8 hours... more power to her! LOL

She is prospering nicely anyway!

Kaitlyn was cholicy and i had her swaddled all the time..I got really good at it..lol

I swaddled her until she was probably about 5 months old..She was comfortable..I didnt see anything wrong with it...

Jaden, at 3 months, has arbitrarily that swaddling is OUT and so is Breast Nursing. She has a FIT if I try to put her to breast... I think she feels she isn't getting the food easily and fast enight! And she kicks off all the covers until she looks like she is wearing a cumberbund.

(That is actually a source of serious sorrow to me.. I am starting to cry even as I type this since I want to nurse her much longer if only a time or two a day with me working, but she won't have anything to do with it and it has been over 5 days now, so I am pretty much dried up anyway. I can express some milk yet, but she won't take it anyway. )

That sucks..I tried for almost a day with Connor to take the breast but he wudnt..he jus screamed...So i gave in..Cause it was frustrating...I wish he wud have tho..I wud have loved to go through that experinece...

When a child tries to wiggle out of the swaddling then it's time to stop. When your child stops liking it, she will let you know.

Well, babies are learning how to do things such breast feed, too. She and I took about weeks to get the early hang of things.

Wow..i wish i wud have had that much patience..i tried every once in a while but with a 1 and a half year old hangin on u its hard..