Questions from my Friends - Transitions

How do I transition baby to the crib or out of the swaddle?

 There are going to be a number of transitions when it comes to bedtime as your baby gets older. How to move infants from the Rock N Play to the crib has become one of the most common questions I receive. What I recommend to families is to start with having baby sleep in the crib during naps at first. (The room should have the blackout shades and sound machine) Your baby should be put down awake to see that she is not in your arms nor is she in the rock n play. This will help her to feel more comfortable when she wakes.
Making the move before 4mos can help with the transition as babies tend to become more set in their ways after 16 weeks. This will also avoid a situation where you are forced to make the move quickly because she is to mobile to be in the RNP anymore. Making the concious choice to do the move at an earlier point will allow you to try out a couple of differnent schedules and new routines.
The crib can feel very vast to young babies who have spent their days and nights in the cozy little cradle.  Try to move baby when she is still in the swaddle to help keep her feeling safe and secure as she gets used to the new surroundings. You can choose from a few different ways to help her settle in her new bed.
 When you decide it is time to get baby out of the swaddle, be certain that she is really ready. If your little one is rolling over IN THE SWADDLE or has simply busted out of it, then yes its time to make a change, but if are just worried about breaking the "habit" of the swaddle, it may be too early. I have worked with babies that are ready to be out of the swaddle at 8 mos and ones who break out of it at 8 weeks so there really is no age that every baby has to be done being wrapped up like a little burrito.
 If it is time then you can go about it in a gradual way by taking out one arm for a couple of nights and then the other arm for a couple more nights. Once both arms are out you can start having baby sleep in a sleep sack rather than the bottom of the swaddle blanket.