Talking about swaddling blankets is a lot like talking about cutting toenails. Neither is very likely to get you invited to the next cocktail party. But you can’t blog about how critical swaddling is without also talking about swaddling blankets. What are other people using? Which ones work best? Or don’t work at all?
So, I implemented a highly scientific study of the swaddling blanket market. This looked something like asking peeps on Facebook and on the Troublesome Tots G+ Community. Over 200 people chimed in. I’m pretty sure it qualifies as the most robust analysis of the swaddle blanket industry ever. Which makes me the world’s leading swaddle blanket analyst. Which is so stunningly uncool that we’ll simply agree never speak of it again. Moving on.
It seems that the type of attractive and smarter than average people who read my blog are using these products:
Most Popular Swaddling Blankets
By a large margin, the two most popular swaddling blankets are the SwaddleMe and Halo Sleepsack (with velcro). Both of these have a sleeping bag pouch to keep legs warm and a velcro wrap to keep the arms down and minimize the startle reflex. Both provide idiot-proof velcro which is helpful for those of us who are baby-wrapping-challenged. This means they also both have the DISadvantage which is that some babies are strong enough to break free of the velcro.
Please note that while the sleeping bag idea is a great way to keep baby toes warm, there is no soothing benefit from having their legs IN the pouch. Swaddling is all about the arms and upper body. Occasionally somebody will tell me they’re weaning baby off the swaddle by starting with the legs. This is a lot like cutting down on your coffee consumption by not eating coffee ice cream.
Personally I like both the SwaddleMe and the Halo Sleepsack. They meet my key criteria in that they’re inexpensive (~$20 each), do the job, and are easy to use. That being said, the SwaddleMe is my FAVORITE choice for one simple reason. You can use it with baby’s legs IN or OUT of the pouch. Why would you care about this?
Because if your baby is sleeping in a Rock n Play, swing, car seat, etc. you’ll need access to your baby’s legs to safely strap him INTO those things. So the ability to leave the lower half of his body out of the swaddle will be key for you. As an added bonus the unused “leg pouch” will be between baby and the seat which gives you an extra layer of poop/leak protection. Surprisingly the SwaddleMe doesn’t include this in their marketing messages. Perhaps they should hire me for help with this.
For Swaddling Houdinis
For “break out of the velcro” babies the Miracle Blanket is a popular option. I’m also a big fan of these.
PROS: While no product is 100% break-out-proof, the Miracle Blanket comes darn close.
CONS: At $30 they’re almost 50% more expensive then their velcro brethren. Also the Miracle Blanket is more challenging to get on. Wrapping the baby up in what is effectively straight jacket is no small task. Failure to get it right will lead to more “baby popping out” problems.
Swaddle Sleeping Bags
PROS: There is no “strap” to break free of so babies are going to stay IN the stretchy sack…
CONS: until they figure out how to work their hands up and out of the neck hole. Also they allow movement within the sack so the baby’s arms aren’t held down by the side which is generally the recommended position. Where most swaddle blankets listed here had a strong, consistent group of “fans”, feedback on the sleeping bag options (Woombie and SwaddlePod) was decidedly MIXED with 50% falling in the “love it!” camp and 50% suggesting that you should, “save your money for something more useful – which would be anything.”
Swaddle Strap
Sidenote: be careful about Googling any phrase which includes the word “strap” in it. There are things you can never un-see. *shudder*
Only a few peeps are using these but those that are absolutely ADORE them. Aptly named, it’s a strap with velcro.
PROS: I like the concept. If you aren’t using the leg pouch in the SaddleMe or Sleepsack anyway, these might be a good option for you. They are small and come in fashionable colors. I mention this in case baby sleep fashion is a key concern for you. (Is it?)
CONS: They’re a bit expensive ($28) and they don’t sell them on Amazon (aka where I buy everything other than food).
Swaddle Blanket Honorable Mention
Believe it or not some people use actual BLANKETS. If you’re looking for the best swaddle blanket you want an Aden + Anais muslin swaddling blanket (preferably the 47 X 47 inch jumbo size). A small but stalwart group of fans raved about these and I also can personally attest to their awesomeness. I wouldn’t normally go for a fancy swaddling blanket but these are well worth it. They’re giant and do a fantastic job of keeping baby from popping out. They’re durable, fold up small so that they can be easily carried in a diaper bag, and they look cool. Also they’re muslin which is amazing for it’s ability to keep baby warm in the winter and also cool in the summer.
Did I miss any swaddle blanket gems that I should know about? Good/bad swaddle blanket experiences you’ve had?
{Photo Credit: Aaronandstacia and Dizzylizzy}
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Swaddling was the key to my sanity in the newborn phase. Just as soon as I mastered the Miracle blanket, my daughter was growing out of it. Then, as soon as I mastered a double swaddle with A+A muslin blankets, my pediatrician was telling me to swaddle wean. As important as the swaddle was, the “weaning” product was just as vital. I used the Zipadee-Zip and think it’s amazing. They’re on the expensive end but I like the fact that I’m directly supporting another mom who had a great idea. Highly recommend!
Just curious – what prompted the pediatrician to suggest weaning?
I still have my A+A muslin blanket. If I had any creative skills whatsoever I would have included a picture. But the point being my kids are both using the toilet so we have no need for swaddling. But I love it too much to part with it 😉
At my daughter’s 6 month appointment, she suggested we begin swaddle weaning over the next few months so that my daughter wouldn’t roll over while swaddled. I think it would be near impossible for her to roll over with the double swaddle since the arms were at her sides, but after the pediatrician’s warning, I was too nervous to not wean. I tried leaving one arm out in the beginning but that did not work at all for my hard core swaddle addict baby. The zippy worked really well so it was worth every penny for us. I will say, I really respect my pediatrician’s advice because we share many child-rearing philosophies, she is a fantastic lactation consultant and, when having sleep issues early on, suggested co-sleeping and where to find safe techniques to do so.
I am glad to hear your experience with the zippy. We have also tried the one arm wean with a lot of fail.
We had a similar great experience with the zippy for swaddle weaning! We used the swaddleme until about 2 weeks ago (baby is almost 6 months), and loved it. it and the swing saved my sanity in the early months. But, when transitioning her from the swing to the crib, we also worried about rolling, so she spent one week sleeping in the non moving swing in the zippy, and when that went well, we moved to the crib last weekend. She fell asleep in 5 min with no crying at all and slept all night (11 hours) the very first night! Things have continued like that and she is even napping in her crib (in the zippy) now. I tried a nap today without it, and NOOOO! She wouldn’t go to sleep and just rolled around and cried. So, back into the zippy she went and fell asleep. So, I would very much recommend both the swaddleme for little babies and the zipadee zip after that.
I also tried the Woombie early on and my baby slept much better in the swaddleme (plus it’s MUCH cheaper), so we stuck with that.
I will probably have a difficult time parting with my A+A blankets, but for now my third is making good use of them. I did, however, see someone upcycle them to make PJs for their toddler (if you are a sewer). They would probably be great for a pillow or stuffie, too.
i swaddled mine til 9 months using the halo sleep sack with the velcro swaddle part on top. it was a life saver. the pediatrician also suggested me phase it out by 4 months or it would be a crutch to them. i asked him how many kids he had, he replied 3 and i told him he should know better, laughed, paid him his co pay and went home and swaddled happily til i could tell she was tired of it. i let her tell me when it was time. now i get to watch her jump in her crib and kick the wall for a good hour at night while she is in bed wishing she would just let me swaddle her for couple more months. we are expecting our 3rd in a couple months (yes, yes its true. lol) and i am getting all those halo swaddle blankets out as we speak.
As another blanket alternative to the A+A muslin ones, I really liked the Kushies brand flannel swaddle blankets for my winter baby. They are much larger than the (uselessly small*) standard flannel receiving blankets that Carters etc make, and they are warmer than the A&A blankets and less expensive. (* actually quite useful for cutting up into small pieces to make non-disposable wipes)
I absolutely love Carters and am lucky enough to live within 5 miles of a Carters outlet and both of my children are, at this very moment, wearing Carters clothes. But you’re totally right, their swaddle blankets blow ;P
Thanks for the tip on Kushies!
Oh I agree! I adore their clothes!!! Just not the swaddles. 🙂
When it was cold I would lightly wrap my baby up in a flannel receiving blanket below his arms and then do a proper swaddle with a swaddle blanket over that.
We loved the Woombie! In 7 months, my kid never got her hands wiggled out. I guess she liked it, too! For a while, we did do the unbreakable arms swaddle INSIDE the Woombie. She grew out of needing it, but it was awesome at the time.
I think the Woombie is just one of those things that either does nothing for you or is FANTASTIC. I know it definitely wins in terms of ease of use 😉
I swear by the Anna and Eve swaddle strap as a transitional swaddle. Our son really needed his arms swaddled for a while but not his legs. This was perfect until he grew out of it completely!
My husband also swears by the miracle blanket although i much preferred the swaddle me’s because i thought they were easier!
Wow – sounds like you had the full gamut of blankets floating around your house 😉 Swaddleme’s are WAY easier- I’m with you on that one!
Well, more evidence to show my family that my DH and I weren’t insane and alone in putting our LO in the Baby Straitjacket (yes, this is actually what we called it) aka Miracle Blanket. That thing was a LIFESAVER! And yes, the skeptical grandparents were eventually amazed at how it calmed her.
Note to self: when my kids are having kids (ideally this is at least 25 years from now), don’t act amazed that they’re doing things differently. Baby science will probably be totally different then from the way we did it when we were babies.
This is also how I reconcile the fact that my mom smoked while pregnant with me. This is also probably why I can’t remember anybody’s names even after I’ve met them many many times!
LOL! I seriously made this same “note to self” today while doing something or other and wondering how crazy my daughter would find it in the future.
We used the SwaddlePod and the Woombie, and there is a key difference besides price. The SwaddlePod only comes in a newborn size, which goes up to about 12 lbs. The Woombie comes in several sizes, including one that is like 25 lbs and my toddler could still fit into.
So the Woombie was nice for when my son outgrew the SwaddlePod but not the need to be swaddled.
Another miracle blanket fan over here. We have 3. Like the swaddleme, you can swaddle with the legs out (you know, so you can pop kiddo in the baby swing). Unlike the swaddleme, it accommodates a growing baby really well.
I’d love to hear feedback from sleepy peeps on swaddle weaning products like the miracle sleep suit or the zipdadee. In fact, maybe I’ll open that up over on the G+ page!
Let’s do that! The G+ thing I mean.
I already have a ton of feedback about the two “swaddle weaners” (seriously there must be a better name for these no?) but more = better.
Th secret is that I’m working on a part 2 to this one that talks about those two things specifically 😉 Although to be honest I’m not finding much in terms of “which works better.” Personally I think they’re both super cute. Probably have gotten more feedback from the sleep suit (but that’s probably cuz it’s more widely available, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s better).
We tried the zipadeezip on my then 5 month old son. This may be the lone critical review of the zipee as it didn’t work as well for us as it has for everyone else who’s tried it. Prior to the zipee, we swaddled him in a blanket with one arm out, which was working well, but then it was time for both arms out as he started flipping over. The first night in the zipee was ok, but far from great – he kept fidgeting and sometimes needed to be soothed back to sleep. And he would wake earlier than usual. We tried for about a week, thinking he would get used to it and we’d see the results everyone else was getting, but no, his sleep never really got better in it. We stopped using it when his diaper leaked and I had to change him out of it. I put him in the halo sleepsack with arms free, the wings wrapped around his chest (don’t know how soothing that was, but I thought he would still have some of that wrapped sensation). Surprisingly, he slept great! He slept in the halo for a week after that, and then he went to regular pj’s.
Maybe the zipee did actually help with the transition. Maybe he decided at that moment we took him out of it that he was done transitioning. Maybe, but it seems he just didn’t like the zipee all that much. It could have been that it was too warm. It’s a cotton-acrylic blend fabric, a little on the thick side, and doesn’t seem to breathe really well. This is one of my objective criticisms of this product. I was always worried about him overheating in it on warm nights. The other criticism is that unlike the halo, the zipper zips up from foot to neck, so you have to completely unzip it for diaper changes. Not that big a deal really, but zipping the other way would, I think, make it the perfect product for those babies that it really works.
In the end, at ~$40, the zipee was pricey experiment, one I was willing to pay for.
“Help baby sleep products” can almost charge whatever they want because I would pay a million dollars for good sleep. In light of that $40 seems like a reasonable investment 🙂
Technically if I wanted to pretend to be scientific, from what I’ve heard the swaddle weaners may work for about 70% of babies. They effectively keep baby’s arms from flapping about their heads too much. I DIDN’T know that they were made of hot-ish material and you’re 100% right, bottom up zipper would be grand.
So seriously this is great feedback!
After reading comments on the zipadee zip here, I decided that we should try it on our son who has been swaddled for naps and night sleep since the beginning. Our 18 week old has been breaking loose from his swaddle for weeks now and I was so weary from getting up to put him back in as his loose hand was so irritating to him. And, I was also feeling bad about the swaddle we were using because it was too warm now that it is summer and it was a bit too small.
I knew we needed a solution soon. We tried one arm out with him having very restless sleep and waking up crying. We tried both arms out with lots of crying and no success. I was dreading the transition, but knew it was coming. I searched online and decided that the zipadee zip was something we could try.
When it got here it looked big and I wondered if it would really do anything. I put him in it for his last nap of the day. I am still in shock- no crying, no hands in his face, he just fell asleep and stayed asleep! I tried it that night and I had to put his paci in a few more times than normal, but probably just because he was getting used to his new situation, he still slept 7-7 and I never had to do anything more than the paci. All three naps the next day went good- about 1.5 hours each, same as usual. He’s asleep in it again tonight and doing great! It is not too warm. I ordered the one she did for summer weather and it’s a t-shirt type material. The top down zipper is fine and actually much easier to get into than a halo swaddle/sleep sack.
I would recommend the zipadee zip in a heartbeat. There wasn’t really any transition to it- he just loves it. I am amazed since he was SO dependent on being tightly swaddled for all sleep.
We also tied the zippy when my dude started flipping at 5 months and we had to wean stat. He was not impressed. He didnt hate it, but it wasn’t the huge success story like some people have. I think he liked being about to suck his thumb and hold his lovey too much, so he found the zippy annoying. So sad, because he is freaking adorable in it!
Thankfully, it only took a few naps for him to figure out how to sleep on his tummy. He is 7 months now and loves the A+A sleep sacks (we swaddled him in the A +A blankets as a wee one).
Love to dream were a life saver here. Bubs arms are swaddled but they can still access their fingers for self soothing, plus it makes weaning of swaddling soooo much easier. A bit looser around the hips than some swaddled, which I preferred due to hip dysplasia concerns.
Great Aussie tip 🙂
There seems to be a growing number of these sorts of products that allow some movement while keeping the hands from flapping about. These look a lot like the Zipadee and Merlin Magic suit. Will definitely add it to the list for the post about them – thanks!
Regarding the Love2Dream:
How can they access their fingers to suck? Looks like their hands are completely covered.
You are right, their hands are covered but mine just chewed on her fingers through the material. There was enough give in the arm section for them to be able to move their hands enough for that, but without flailing around with the startle reflex.
Thanks for the reply. When I had my son 2 years ago, they swaddled ARMS DOWN. When I had my 2nd son 4 months ago, the nurses said that the new recommendation is to swaddle with ARMS UP (elbows bent,hands by cheeks) so that they could access their hands for self-soothing.
I have noticed a difference with this. My 4 month old sucks his hands and I often hear him doing that in the middle of the night. He still takes a paci, but will opt for hands when needed. My 2 year old got us up at all hours when he was a baby to retrieve the paci. I like ARMS UP!!
Agree with anna, using love2dream (a zip-up swaddle with arms swaddled up, not down) may or may not have been better than the traditional arms-down swaddle. I have nothing to compare it to as we abandoned our traditional swaddle blanket within days (no swaddle skills). But WEANING from love2dream was as easy as taking it off, and it had the added advantage that when she started rolling it was less dangerous as she could prop herself up on her still swaddled hands and roll back.
Do you have pictures? I imagine they look like little baby seals propped up on their love2dream swaddle stubs. Must be super cute 🙂
I love love love my Aden + Anais blankets! The huge ones really are the best. I like these because they are so multi-functional. They are big enough to use as a car seat cover, a nursing cover, a swaddle blanket for babies of all sizes, a pack and play crib sheet, and probably a ton of other stuff I haven’t even thought of. I’ve washed mine dozens of times and the prints and the fabric stay in perfect condition. And they dry REALLY fast in the dryer, which I love too. They are spendy, but they’re my favorite gift to give at baby showers. They’re a nice little indulgence that’s well worth the money.
Totally. I had a written about all the other great things these blankets can be used for but felt it was crossing the line into “Aden + Anais shill” so I cut it out. But I’m glad YOU mentioned how many great uses they have 🙂
I totally agree! My daughter is 14 months now and we still use the Aden and Anais blankets everyday. She uses them as her blankie. They are also very multipurpose and definitely worth the money. Target sells them for $35 for 4 blankets FYI.
I also used them as nursing covers, shopping cart covers, etc. After 14 months they are still like new.
I have given them to all my friends at baby showers as well 🙂
I loved the SwaddleMes! I was so bummed when my daughter grew about of them. (I didn’t realize it until much later that they made a size Med. I received some Halo Sleepsack Swaddles at my baby shower and tried those and loved them too. I found that the fleece one was more sturdy at keeping her arms down, and prevented her from breaking out of them. However, since I live in SoCal we also bought the cotton one – which isn’t as sturdy. But the Halo Sleepsacks swaddles are great for transitioning out of the swaddle.
My Sister-in-law got me the Aden and Anais Jumbo swaddle blankets. When I started putting my daughter in the swing for naps, I used these blankets for swaddling. Once I really got the hang of swaddling (thanks Alexis!) – she no longer needed the swing or to be swaddled.
Swaddling! The double-edged sword…
My 6-month old broke free of the miracle blanket months ago, and has been double-swaddled (miracle + swaddleme on top) ever since.
I’ve got to start swaddle-weaning him, though, simply because it’s getting hot. The Swaddle Strap looks tempting in its airiness, but it’s just the solution to the heat, not the swaddling. The swaddling transition products are just too warm for what we need… I need one that’s made out of mesh or something. 🙂 If anyone has a summer swaddle-weaning solution, I’d be *very* interested. I know I can’t be the only one in that boat.
Zipadeezip.com just announced today that they have released new lighter fabric zipees. I don’t know if they work yet (zipees in general, I don’t imagine the fabric would influence the functionality) as mine hasn’t arrived yet, but I’m very hopeful that we’ll have similar results to all of the testimonials I’ve read so far…
Oh awesome! Where did they announce it? I just took a quick glance at their website but I didn’t see anything different.
The following was posted on their facebook page:
This is a great lightweight summer version Zippy that I just added today! Right now I only have Small blue and Medium pink ones available at the moment but I’ll be adding the other sizes soon! 🙂 Happy friday! Get the new solid color summer Zippies at http://www.zipadeezip.com! — NEW ZIPPIES ADDED TODAY
Hope that helps!
Ah, of course -Facebook. 🙂 Thank you!
I would definitely give the Aden and Anais muslin blanket a go. They’re AWESOME. And HUGE. I’m pretty confident you could get that kid on swaddle lock-down in one of those. The muslin fabric is amazing for NOT over heating and then you would go the “one arm out” method for weaning.
I didn’t realize they were so light-weight…. he’s looong been breaking out of regular blankets though, hence the miracle blanket.
He is unswaddled for nighttime sleep, but swaddled for naps. We had to go cold turkey at nighttime when it was super hot a few weeks ago. He won’t go for longer than 45 minutes unswaddled at naptime, but swaddled he goes anywhere from 1.5 – 3 hours, which I need because I’m working during naps. The one-arm-out approach was pretty much useless for us, sadly, because he scratches his face like crazy when he’s tired. He still wears mittens at night!
I was another crazy Mama in search of anything and everything that might encourage my baby’s sleep. I have about every swaddle available and one of my favorite transitional swaddles comes from True Womb. In fact, I like there whole system and will probably start with them if I am blessed with another little one. I also used my A+A swaddle blankets as well but my cohorts could never seem to get my little guy swaddled in the blanket without him finally breaking loose.
That looks great – I love the freedom the arms have!
FYI – I bought mine last year at this time and got a discount. I remember because they had a Mother’s Day special. My husband was so annoyed with me buying all of this stuff for our baby that I used Mother’s Day as my excuse for buying yet another “sleep” gadget.
We were able to successfully use the Halo swaddle sleep sack in swings, etc. as the zipper unzips from the bottom, so super easy to unzip a bit and get a harness between the legs. But our biggest challenge was weaning as the swaddle was such a key part of our bedtime routine, etc. Tried a cheaper version of the woombie and it just frustrated our little one, then bit the bullet and ordered two Magic Merlin sleep suits online (hard to find here I’m Canada). I can’t recommend these things enough – our six-month-old daughter had no trouble sleeping in her “Michelen-man suit” (in fact, she started sleeping through the WHOLE night in it and FINALLY consolidated her naps) and I feel way more at ease about the day we have to take her out of it. Wanted to pass along to other moms who are at the point where weaning is required due to a crafty kid who rolls while swaddled – ugh.
No mention of the Magic Merlin Sleepsuit?
In my worldview the Merlin Magic sleep suit, Zipadee, etc. are all “swaddle weaners” meaning they don’t provide the benefit of swaddling but are a fair transitional option if the “one arm out” method of weaning isn’t going well for you.
More to come on that subject in the next post out all about weaning OFF the swaddle 😉
Oh my goodness! I have so much to say about swaddling.
Sure, the muslin blankets are great and lightweight, but they shrink and shrink just as your baby is growing and growing. Who has time to hang dry a blanket when you need it for the next nap?
Swaddleme – great stuff. With an extra folded over ‘arm blanket’ on the inside, works amazing. I didn’t find the ‘escape-proof’ swaddle until much later in our swaddling experience, but it was definitely needed, because our baby could pretty much escape from the day he was born, and as we learned tighter wraps, he just got better at wiggling!
The swaddle strap looks awesome too, but $28 makes it a non-starter. That just makes me angry to see actually…parents need real solutions that are affordable, not fashion accessories for babies !#$!
Thankfully, you can just take a folded up long strip of cloth and use the same technique: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K4VdZxwsu4
P.S. – It works better on a sleepy newborn without startling them if you go from the inside out instead of outside in – meaning bring the cloth between arm and body under armpit, bring it over arm, and then slide the tail oh-so-gently under the weight of the body. Do both sides, then wrap the outer swaddle. Hope baby does not wake up and start crying…again.
Did you ever think (prior to having kids) that you would utter the words, “I have so much to say about swaddling.” ? For real, I had the exact same thought as I was writing this 🙂
So stunned that your muslin blankets shrunk! Mine totally didn’t and I NEVER EVER hand dry stuff (although I should as we have a zillion trees). I’m a lazy laundress so anything that requires more effort than “throw it in the dryer” is out. Mine is still gorgeous after two kids and YEARS. I would have taken a photo if I had, you know, ANY skills in photography.
I totally hear you about the $28 strap thingie…
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=10822498
Well these were our blankets. They didn’t shrink right away, but after about 10 washes or so, they started oh-so-slowly shrinking with each wash. I think when we finally sold them the smallest was around 30 inches on a side (we used the plain blue one the most). Of course, we used those things for everything – covering the carseat in the stroller from light (for a sleeping baby), directly covering baby sleeping in arms, a makeshift pad under the butt in the carseat. So they did get washed a lot, to be fair.
I was reluctant to use the swaddle me after my daughter got her hands in between the fold over arm wings and the pouch and ended up pulling it over her face one night. She also managed to work put how to get out of a woombie, and was very proud about it (or at least it seemed that way) but at least it didn’t end up over her face. My son has slept in the woombie with the extra Velcro ‘strap’ around the chest and it works for him.
She got OUT of the woombie? Wow – I bet she’ll be one of those 3 YOlds who can solve a rubicks cube too 🙂
I loved the Miracle Blanket! And, I am honestly pretty clumsy, but I did not find it hard to use. You weave each flap over the baby’s arm and then under the baby’s body. Everything else is straightforward. And wow, did that thing work. I don’t know if my son was a Houdini since we never really used another swaddle-specific blanket, but it kept him swaddled for as long as we wanted to do the swaddle.
I also have to second the Aden + Anais love, although I vaguely remember having more difficulty with the quality with buying one later on, and that possibly you have to check to make sure you’re getting the gigantic wrap size? But the ones I had were worth the price. We used them for everything: not just swaddling but a light summer blanket, a sun shield, and eventually one became my daughter’s lovey.
Yes on both fronts. And yes it is annoying that you have to read the A&A fine print to figure out which size you are getting. I like it when it’s spelled out in LARGE LETTERS. Like LARGE A&A SWADDLE BLANKET and SMALL A&A SWADDLE BLANKET 😉
Girl, YOU KNOW we are nine months in and still rocking the miracle blanket, so I do not understand this “growing out of” thing. Do they mean legs? I swear the baby in the instructional YouTube video is like, 10, or something. We will be putting off the swaddle/swing wean until this kid is at the very final ounce of weight restriction (WHY HULK BABY, WHY?), but have decided to go with the Zippy when the time comes. Because baby sleep fashion is very important to us. Obviously.
Just some encouragement for the swaddle/swing weaning. I was terrified of trying to get my baby out of her swing and swaddle, but the swing motor died at 5 months, so I was forced to go all night with a non moving swing. When that went better than expected, we decided to try to make the big crib move. We put her in a zippy for 3 nights with the arms pinned down(still in swing), then unpinned the arms for a week. Everything went great, so last weekend we tried the crib, and to my amazement, she fell asleep right away with no crying and slept all night (had to go in once to replace paci, but that was it). This week, she is even napping in the crib (although we’re still battling the short nap). I don’t know if it was the zippy or if she was just ready to make the move, but it has been SO much easier than I expected. Good luck to you! I hope it goes as well for you when the time comes.
Also, she does look really cute in the zippy (ours is green with pink owls), and baby sleep fashion is very important 😉
Oh he’ll be out of that swaddle by 6. Trust me, when his kindergarden buds start asking him why he still “sleeps like a baby.” That’s how peer pressure finally got my 4 YO out of diapers.
Sure peer pressure will someday be the bane of my existence (sex! drugs! aaak!) but when they’re little it’s actually really helpful. Truth.
We loved the Miracle Blanket – our guy easily broke through the Velcro kind. I even had to clip the end down to really fasten it. When it got really hot, I’d use a Aden & An. Bamboo blanket and fold it similar to the miracle blanket. It seemed like a cooler option. I like the swaddle strap concept.
Yes another Love to Dream swaddle user here! Been using this since he was born. I like that arms are swaddled up for self soothing and also safety if they roll can push themselves up.
Also like that their is room for hips and zipper goes either way with a hole in the back so LO can be buckled into a vcat seat with it on.
We are now in the love to dream 50/50 as trying to wean the swaddle. You can unzip the arms to have one arm out. 🙂
I mean *car seat not vcat…
Good tip – thanks for sharing!
The arms are up, but can they access their fingers for sucking?
I’m not sure if anyone mentioned this, but after my baby was breaking out of the miracle blanket at around 3.5 months, we switched to the Merlin sleep suit. It basically makes then look like a puffy marshmallow- has the benefits of the feel of swaddling but arms and legs are free. We use this until my son was 6 months an it worked really really well! It’s expensive but well worth the investment.
Yes! Am working on a follow up post on – swaddle weaners (seriously need a better name for that) a la the Merlin Suit.
But YES it is $$$. In fact I would say it would be my favorite option if it were like $10 cheaper 😛
Just wanted to chime in for your swaddle weaning post. My daughter has eczema and we don’t ‘do’ synthetic fabrics. Which meant no fleece (sad, sad, sad). Which was fine when she was in the SwaddleMe since we had cotton ones. But then she learned to roll over in it at 5 months and we had to do something else. I wanted a sleep sack that was both cotton and long sleeved. You wouldn’t believe how difficult that is to find! I finally found one at Urthchild.com – by Castlewear. It was wonderful since it had fold-over hands. And it was the softest thing I had ever felt. My baby is a little small so we’re just reaching the end of the 3-6 size (she’s nearly 9 months) and now I’m preparing to buy the next size up. I tried putting a Halo on her (sans swaddle) and she slept like crap. So I guess the long arms provide just enough security for her.
Excellent tip! Especially as so many kids have eczema. I live in VT where it’s CRAZY dry in the winter and our babies had issues with eczema too. We asked our pediatrician why this was the case and his response was, “Because they are babies who live in VT in the winter.”
😉
We used the SwaddleMe until she could move more. And then if she jostled it enough there would be fabric touching her chin and she could not sleep with anything touching her chin! Then we went to the Miracle Blanket until she kept breaking out of that. Then the Magic Sleep Suit which was awesome! Now at 1 years old she doesn’t need anything but we use the wearable blanket with legs from One Step Ahead. I just don’t get how baby that can walk can sleep in the Halo Sleepsacks. Don’t they trip when they stand up in the crib?
She couldn’t sleep with something touching her chin? Gheesh louise – that’s a tall order for a baby who probably rolls all over the place in her sleep! And how do you know she’s walking around in her sleep sack? I would imagine it could be done but to be honest I haven’t seen that many kids running crib laps in the sleep sack 😉
We always joke that the friend who told us about the Miracle Blanket for our first son saved our sanity! We used it faithfully until the chunk-a-monk could no longer be safely contained. Now I give the “baby straight jacket” to all my friends having kids. Also they just came out with a giraffe pattern so our new little guy is quite possible the cutest little nugget ever while all wrapped up. We also love the Halo sleep sacks for the after-swaddle time and our first son slept in them until almost four (“baby in a bag!)!! It’s so awesome to not worry about sheets/blankets being kicked off. Here’s hoping number two will be as cooperative!
That’s why Moms with kids bring the best gifts to babyshowers – we’ve already figured out what the coolest things are 🙂
Hello Alexis!
I was just wondering if it is safe to have a baby swaddled once they learn how to roll from back to belly? My little guy learned this at 4 months (is now just about 5 months and still cannot flip from belly to back!) and we stopped swaddling as our pediatrician said he was too old to still be swaddled at night (not because of the rolling over). Ever since then, so FOUR WHOLE WEEKS now, he has not been sleeping at night. He started waking every 1-2 hours, and I usually can rock or pat him back to sleep and he nurses twice over night. He used to only wake once around 4am to nurse(perfect…this is when I wake for work 3 days a week so totally fine with that!). Last night I was so frustrated that I swaddled him…bam, he woke twice for some very nice feedings and done! I thought this was sleep regression but its going on so long, maybe it is because he wants to be swaddled? He seemed to stop rolling over all night long like when he first learned and just COULD NOT STOP rolling over so I was just wondering what your thoughts on swaddling a rolling over baby.
Obviously, we are also having trouble getting him to fall asleep by himself (more for naps than at night). I was wondering if your using a swing method would work since he is almost 5 months old and has previously not used a swing. He is used to being held (not nursed though) to sleep. I do have a swing though!
Please please help! I actually called my OB to talk about PPD and she said that it sounds like I am suffering from sleep deprivation rather than PPD and as soon as I can get this sleep problem solved, I will feel better. I hope so!
Thank you SO MUCH!!
Check out the Harvey Karp video a few posts down! He and Alexis talk about this. The general rule is to never swaddle a baby who is flipping, no matter the age. I can definitely attest to the beauty of the swing/swaddle method for older babies who flip! We are using it (for both naps and nighttime) even at 9 months and the little guy loves it so much. Like yours, my son just cannot shut off enough for sleep without the swaddle. I put him down in a non-moving swing awake (always) and he just snuggles right in. It really isn’t that different from a crib (other than the bucket shape and straps), it just keeps them from doing gymnastics all night long. Yes, I am kind of dreading the weaning process, but at least he’ll be able to flip back over when we do. Hope it helps you guys out! I’ve sooooo been there. Good luck!
Hi Lisa,
I too found the sleep deprivation so hard 🙁 I think it does, understandably, lead to loads of the symptoms of PPH. But definitely worth keeping an eye on that.
It does sound like your guy really likes the enclosed feeling… the needing to be held, patted etc…. plus the fact when you swaddled him it really helped. I think there are a few things you could try (after running it past your paed):
1. We personally swaddled up to 8 months. Our baby could roll during play time (although he hardly ever rolled), he just didn’t when he was in the swaddle. It always made me a little nervous though… I bought a video monitor and would often look to check on him. And it did mean when he eventually rolled in the swaddle we had to have a plan about stopping because we stopped immediately.
2. You could play around with the swing… as your baby isnt falling asleep on his own this might be really useful. If you swaddle and strap in the swing and turn it on and give him 15 minutes then would he fall asleep on his own? If so then that could be great progress. This site has loads of info on using the swing, and how to wean off (look under the 3-6 month survival guide on the home page).
3. You could try a swaddle weaning product? The idea behind them is they still make the baby feel enclosed without restricting movement so much. The ones people use most commonly are Merlin Magic Suit and Zipadee Zip. The first one the baby is not meant to roll in but the suit is supposed to help stop that. The second the website says it is ok for the baby to roll in as they can still use their arms (your call I guess).
4. I guess CIO is in the back pocket? But as when swaddled your baby didnt wake up all night long it doesnt sound like object permanence has kicked in yet, and therefore likely is too soon (Alexis recommends waiting until 6 months).
Hope some of that helps and you get some sleep soon.
Lisa
Hey Lisa (and anybody else who is in the same boat who is reading this),
If the thought, “I wonder if this is PPD” has crossed your mind at some point then GET HELP FOR PPD.
Of course sleep deprivation feels like PPD. But you know what else feels like PPD? POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION!
And here’s the reality – it is horribly undiagnosed and untreated. And for almost ALL of us, PPD responds really well to treatment. Therapy + medications (most are totally find for nursing moms) help a TON. And yes sleep deprivation isn’t helping but it may or may not be the sum total of why you’re feeling low.
If you (meaning ANYBODY reading this) have even a sneaking suspicion that you might be dealing with PPD, go with it. GET HELP. The WORST case scenario is that you get some therapy when you didn’t really need it. And if so, so what? There’s no harm in having an hour each week to spout off about your life. It’s a far better option than suffering from PPD for weeks or years and NOT getting help.
My 2 cents on “I might have PPD” issue. I’ll get off my soapbox now 😛
I loved the ease of the SwaddleMe but in practice the velcro lasted about 2 weeks and the sizing was off so it always felt a little loose/able to scrunch around neck/face. We finally found success with the double swaddle method using the much hated flannel receiving blanket topped with an A+A muslin, legs are left free. We’re total pros at the ‘baby straight jacket’ and are still using it with our 5.5mo old (much to my MILs dismay).
Sorry to hijack here but I’m not sure where to put this question – we’re just home from back-to-back vacations (the first was a -3hr time change), obviously we’ve had to work to get baby back on routine (he was down to one blissful night feeding around 4am prior to vacay). Now he’s waking up like clockwork after his first sleep cycle (and tonight after the second as well) and back to two night feedings and a couple soothing wake ups as well. We follow all your rules – don’t nurse to sleep, strong routine, swaddle, white noise, put down awake, solid daytime naps. Is this just a readjustment after vacation (that will work itself out) or should I be wary of offering extra night feedings and soothing trips at this age for fear of forming habits?? Any insight from other traveling moms is much appreciated! (One more plane trip on the May schedule – what was I thinking?!?!)
Yes this is an adjustment from vacation. Vacation messes EVERYTHING up. Sad but true. That’s why I’m a big advocate of only going on vacations that are awesome. If you’re going to take the sleep hit, at least the trip should be awesome yes? Never accept the request from the distant cousin who wants you to come out and help her move. But if your distant cousin has a timeshare in the Bahamas then YES!
Well…it wasn’t the Bahamas! At this point it’s been a month since baby was in a good rhythym. I’m hoping that going back to a predictable daily routine will help him get back to where he was but I’m guessing it will take a while. It seemed to take one week to overcome the time zone change (by which point we were on vacation #2). Although he just hit 6 months and object permanence seems to have kicked in. I’m not sure all the trips were worth it (and let’s be honest – mom never gets a vacation) but what’s done is done!
We used both the halo and the swaddle me. I like the swaddle me’s because they are a little cheaper. Once he started being able to break free of the velcro, we learned about the “escape proof” swaddle technique (Look for it on you tube). We were able to do that still using the swaddle me and a receiving blanket. When we decided to wean him from swaddling (when he began to roll over while swaddled) we got the Merlin’s majic sleep suit. It worked well as a transition from swaddling but then when it got warmer out, we had to wean from that.
I chuckle to myself to think of the cuter than cute swaddling book someone gave me as a shower gift before my first was born. There were adorable babies adorned in color-coordinated-eye-pleasing-palettes-wrapped-to-the-nines. But really when it came to my little ones screaming their heads off at four in the morning, it all came down to the ease and speed of the swaddle me. Tight!
Okay, maybe this is a dumb question…what is the order of getting baby down for nap with a swaddle? Do you swaddle them when they first show signs of getting tired? Do you wait until they have fallen asleep and then wrap them? I have a 5 week old that sleeps much better swaddled, but only goes to sleep after nursing. I am looking for how to do this better. We swaddle first and then nurse at night, and sometimes during the day. It seems like we wake, nurse,and sleep, repeat with very little time in there. Also if I do not wait for approx 20 minutes to lay her down, she will not stay asleep, but we lay her down in a pack n play bassinet which is similar to a crib and she will sleep there for naps and nighttime. Our first child wouldn’t nap unless you held her so this is an improvement I guess. I do not understand how to swaddle and put in a swing, so I have not tried that.
I remember I tried feeding while swaddled and seem to recall that worked.
I just posted…to clarify my LO wakes up hungry, so we nurse. She then falls asleep at the breast. I hold her for 20-25 minutes and then lay her down with or without the swaddle. She sleeps longer with the swaddle but I do not want her swaddled so much. She has a period or two of wakefulness during the day and then is hungry again and we nurse then she falls asleep.
I meant I did not want her swaddled all day long. I am all for swaddling. Sorry, sleep deprived…
We are an Aden and Anais household! Our son would occasionally bust out, so we put a regular light weight sleep sack on over the swaddle. This way, if he busted out it gave me peace of mind that fabric wouldn’t come up over his face. (The “wearable blanket” style… not the swaddle style of sleep sack. http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12330431&prodFindSrc=search)
The swaddle method in the “Happiest Baby on the Block” video is super helpful if anyone is looking for a “how to” video.
P.S. To add to the “Why A&A Blankets Are Awesome List”, I love using it as a nursing cover as I find it be more discreet than one of the big tent-like nursing covers.
When I was pregnant, I would scoff at the idea of products like the SwaddleMe — I mean, what is wrong with just using a blanket? Do these people just want to throw money away?
Within a week of my son’s birth, I found that I had given birth to a Houdini (and apparently so has everyone else), and switched to the SwaddleMe that was lent to me by a friend. We used it so much that we wore out the velcro and will have to buy them a new one if they ever have a second baby.
As a side note, he eventually got so strong that we had to double swaddle to prevent him from busting out – I got the idea from your site and don’t know what I would have done otherwise! Thanks!
I used to scoff at tons of baby crap. Then I had a baby and I realized that I would pay just about anything to get an extra half hour of sleep 😉
My husband and I actually just finished doing our own swaddle experimenting a few weeks ago to figure out how best to contain our very wiggly little Houdini, who likes to poke herself in the eyes while she’s sleeping! We even ordered the Miracle Blanket and used it once, but I have to admit we were not that impressed. We sent it back and used the same amount of $ to buy a four-pack of the A+A ones and LOVE those. Much lighter and better for the warm weather right now, and more customizable. And even though she’s getting pretty dang strong, our swaddling skills have kept up with her. 😉 I also really love having 4 of them, since inevitably one or two of them are in the wash at any given time covered in poop/spitup/urine/snot/etc.!
Someone just told me that there is a negative side to swaddling — “in newborns, swaddling actually lowers temperatures (I know, that’s counter intuitive) and can reduce skin to skin contact time. It also forces kids to sleep, which is why we want to do it, but obviously that can be harmful if over used. Those are the concerns. Babies are not *supposed* to be sleeping long periods early on.”
This sounds craze-balls to me, but have you heard these things and if so, what do you know about it? thanks!
Hi there,
We’ve been swaddling our 3 month old for naps and nighttime sleep. She’s generally pretty good at night now. She goes down sleepy but awake into the moses basket with a dummy and swaddleme blanket. Occasionally she needs a bit of rocking in our arms to get sleepy but not every time. We’ve justmoved her cotbed into our room today and plan to put her in there from now on for naps and nighttime sleep. She’s had 2 sucessful naps today so far.
I’m now thinking it is time to begin to wean her from the swaddle. She breaks out of it a lot and she is beginning to get a bit long for it now too. I also worry thats she will become dependent on it (is this the case?). We tried a couple of weeks ago to remove the swaddle for naps, cold turkey, but she didn’t manage very well (was fine once asleep, but was taking a very long time for her to get to sleep). Was wondering whether you had any tips for weaning her off it? Thanks in advance. Shelley
Shelly,
I’m going to give you the advice I give to everybody else who asks me how to wean their 3 month old off the swaddle.
Don’t.
Figure out how to keep her from popping out. She’s young. You have some big hurdles ahead of you (hello 4 month sleep regression!) and getting her out of the swaddle is going to make things worse all around.
There is plenty of time to worry about getting her out. Enjoy it while it works. If she’s popping out of the swaddle me, try double swaddling. Works like gangbusters!
Thanks Alexis, will keep it up then and try and resist the temptation to stop. Thanks for the advice
After reading this post my husband and I tried to swaddle our twin girls. One ended up being a Houdini and I decided to buy the SwaddleMe after reading the review here. OMG. It has changed how my girls sleep – especially the Houdini. Also we didn’t realize the arms have to be inside. We had been swaddling with arms out because we thought that was how our babies liked to be swaddled. Arms in has made a HUGE difference in both how they sleep at night and especially when they nap!
YES! Arms in – yay. Also yay on the swaddle me – seriously, what a great $12 invention 🙂
I totally agree! My daughter is 14 months now and we still use the Aden and Anais blankets everyday. She uses them as her blankie. They are also very multipurpose and definitely worth the money. Target sells them for $35 for 4 blankets FYI.
I also used them as nursing covers, shopping cart covers, etc. After 14 months they are still like new.
I have given them to all my friends at baby showers as well 🙂
Hi,
Our son is now 7 weeks old and slept perfect through the first weeks of his life, from his 5th week he became a lot restless and was moving his arms a lot during the daytime naps. We had gotten a swaddleme blacket from our neighbors and decided to give it a try…what a calm and relaxed baby he turned into…works great…
But…we do have one question: now that he is swaddled for all his naps (night sleep he still sleeps very well without swaddling) he becomes a lot more “wild” with his movements when he is awake. He is really moving his arms heavily even while getting the bottle. Is this normal?
By the way…great site with very good information and written in a very calm and funny way!!
Love love love my swaddle me’s and Aden and Anais blankets 🙂
I have a question about weaning out of swaddles and transition pjs. My little one is nearly 6 months. We haven’t “cried-it-out” yet, but he’s been okay about going to bed at night (mostly), even as I moved nursing to the first step in the bedtime routine (instead of the last step). Or, I should have said he *was* mostly okay, until he started rolling to his stomach in his “magic sleepsuit.” I know these are only approved for back sleeping and I need to transition him to regular pjs, but how to I help him learn to sleep on his belly, or learn to roll back over onto his back?
Right now, if he rolls to his stomach and I let him fuss, and then cry, and then I go back in when he reaches the full-on red-in-the face screaming. Usually I have to pick him up to calm him down and I rock him until he’s very nearly asleep, so that when I put him down he closes his eyes, turns his head, and is sleeping before I’m out the door.
I don’t want to go back to rocking him to sleep, but I don’t know what to do to stop the hysteria that follows when I put him down awake and he rolls over.
Any advice is appreciated!
Glad I stumbled upon this site. My son who is a month old does not like his arms in the swaddle. He moves around and moves his head left and right (quiet violently) until he gets his arms out. In the process he wakes himself up. so we struggle with figuring if we are doing more harm swaddling him. any advice – to swaddle him or not because of his head movements.
I also have a 5 week old that fights the swaddle. She wiggles and grunts and even starts crying until sh can get out – especially of the pajama swaddles. She sleeps really well at night (4-6 hours at a time) in regular pjs with a blanket tucked around her waist and legs in the rock and play but has not been napping during the day. I tried the pjs again and she scream cries. When she is in her “witching hour” swaddling with the Aden and Anais seems to calm her down but when put down she always manages to get one arm out. If we do swaddle with one at night I always leave one arm out because she seems to like to sleep with it up around her head. If she is fighting it so much do you think I should still try to do it with both arms in during the day to get her to nap? I also have started trying to do naps in her crib so she gets used to it and feel that I need to swaddle to keep her warm in the big crib but again she fights it.
Hi,
I’m a first time mom. Was just trying to complete my registry and came across this post while searching for answers. How many blankets does one really need? All I know so far is that I need the receiving blankets (30x 30) and Swaddling Blankets ( 44×44). I love the A+A brand too but I’ve read some reviews that the ones available on Amazon are not authentic. Is that true? Any one had an experience with that?
Also apart form receiving and swaddling blankets, are those cozy ones required?
Has anyone tried the ErgoBaby swaddle? It swaddles but keeps their hands up by their face. Looks pretty cool!
http://store.ergobaby.com/swaddler
I Love the ergo baby swaddle. It is the only thing that’s worked for our Little one once she learned to break out of the A + A blankets at 2 months. We’ve tried the swaddle me and had no success. With the ergo swaddle She is sleeping 10-12 hours a night and won’t go down without it. Sometimes she protests it coming on, but falls asleep so well with it and no night wakings… She is EBF. We are going to transition out and are getting the zipadeezip…after reading so many good reviews I have high hopes! She currently naps on her belly but only sleeps till her transition, 30 to 40 min…
I envy you moms that can use all these non-blanket options! My little one needs her legs swaddled also or she just keeps moving and wriggling. So swaddleMe and any swaddle with a pouch for legs is no help. I have the A+A blankets. And although they are a good size, I suck at swaddling well consistently and the fabric is so large and stretchy that it’s difficult to get a good tight swaddle if I use them alone. I have to use the babies r us flannel blanket which is too small and she’s fast outgrowing so can’t be used by itself. And then the A+A around it. I hate it! Stresses me out. Although this method works (when I swaddle right), I wish every time that there was a simpler solution. But until they invent a product that swaddles both arms AND legs, I will be stuck doing it the old fashioned way. 😩 if any of you ladies have any suggestions, it would be greatly appreciated!
Hi Alexis,
I’m a bit surprised to not see Aden + Anais in your pie chart above. Where there just <1% of respondents who said they use A+A or is there another reason?
Yep – the chart is actual market research – I just plugged in the numbers based on who responded. I also love A&A swaddle blankets but I guess they aren’t in as widespread use as the others.
most/all of the products you mentioned above are all imported, discount store products …. no mention of the beautiful ones at CozyCocoon.com ??
Ahem…discount store products? Listen, it’s OK (well not really but I’ll let it go) to plug your own store if you want to. But let’s not poop on everybody else.
A&A swaddle blankets are fantastic. And frankly I stand by all the velcro options because they’re effective and affordable. Is something bad because it’s inexpensive? No it’s AWESOME!
I’m so glad I read all these posts! I had a little one in the woombie but she couldn’t roll safely and refused to sleep without it. I tried the zipadee-zip as per a recommendation on here and am so glad that I did. It took her a couple naps to get used to the freedom but it was smooth sailing after that and she actually can self-soothe to sleep much better now and prefers to sleep on her side and belly now which she can safely do in the Zipadee-Zip. When the Zipadee-Zip didn’t work after the first try, I contacted the owner who was extremely helpful! I guess I just assumed my baby would have immediate success like all the other ones I read about! I of course came down to reality with the knowledge that every baby is different. I noticed a couple people on here who stopped trying the Zippy because it didn’t work as great for them right away and I think after talking with the owner I know why! I guess the lady who created these did a whole bunch of research on the moro reflex (since her baby wasn’t sleeping well swaddle free either). She said that most babies don’t outgrow that startle reflex until around 6 months old so making sure you have the right size and that there is a little resistance in the arm span of the Zippy can be critical to how well it works. If you transition super early like 2 or 3 months, it may be more of a gradual transition since the startle is still so strong then… and some babies need to be swaddled longer than others. She recommended transitioning slowly with naps first if your little one is super young like that. I thought I’d share all that because I was super impressed with the customer service and how well it worked on my little one. Hope that helps future swaddle transitioners out there!
Hi, do you have any thoughts on the Ergobaby Swaddle?
Nothing major (I’m not intimately familiar) but it seems expensive and it’s not clear to me what it brings to the table that makes it worth 3X the price of most of the others?
What would be your suggestion for a baby that seemingly isnt too keen on having his body swaddled… he fusses and moves around like hes trying to break free… 2 mo
I think most babies “fight” the swaddle even if the swaddle helps them fall asleep and stay asleep. I would definitely make sure his arms are flush to his body and the swaddle is tight enough. That may help. You’re welcome to experiment with “weaning” off the swaddle but I wouldn’t recommend it. 2 Month old baby will almost always do better with it than without. Good luck!
Do you have any suggestions for when a baby starts rolling over? My 5 mo old is not ready to leave the swaddle but he rolls over onto his belly in it. Then wakes. I’ve tried no swaddling and he cries and cries. I’m not quite ready for CIO yet. He JUST turned 5 mo.
Hi, just wanted to say: I gave birth to my second child 3 months ago. In the hospital I asked one of the midwifes tho show me how to swaddle him and she said no. It seems that in the UK swaddling is no longer recommended, as it can lead to overheating. Overheating is thought to be a risk factor of SUIDS. I have since asked both my community midwife and my health visitor about this and they both said the same thing.
Hey Esther,
I don’t live in the UK but I’m pretty sure that “no swaddling” is not the accepted practice throughout the UK. Overheating is an issue, one that’s not related to swaddling (you can over-dress a baby who then gets overheated without swaddling). But swaddling has repeatedly been shown to be of benefit in reducing SIDS. So the key is to do so in a way that doesn’t overheat. Many people adore muslin swaddle blankets as they’re a fantastic option that doesn’t overheat.
That being said if your local medical support team are all anti-swaddle I guess you’ll have to make your own decision about it. Some babies really struggle without swaddling but some are fine either way. So here’s hoping you have an easy baby who doesn’t care 🙂
Our hospital doesn’t recommend swaddling anymore either and the reason given to me was that it interferes with breastfeeding since the baby is sleeping too soundly/long (something to do with milk production). I’m in Canada 🙂
Our daughter loved bamboo swaddle wrap we purchased on Amazon. It was extremely soft and well made. Its not super big (27″ x 27″) but was great for a small baby. She started to roll at 3 months so we no longer swaddle her but she still loves it as a blankie.
Great article and reviews but please correct the part “Because if your baby is sleeping in a Rock n Play, swing, car seat, etc. you’ll need access to your baby’s legs to safely strap him INTO those things” as a baby should not have anything of extra bulk on him in a carseat. Even if you just mean to sleep while shopping, etc and not while IN the car, someone out there won’t know it’s unsafe and will do so. 🙂
Both of my kids loved being swaddled and to this day sit inside in the middle of summer and curl up in a blanket. I plan on swaddling my little one that is due at the end of the month and I got this adorable swaddling blanket at my shower a couple of my friends had this one and said it worked great. Thought I would share.
http://www.superfuntimegifts.com/collections/frontpage/products/tortilla-baby-blanket
SwaddleMes have a little horizontal slit in the back. That slit is for buckling up your baby while still keeping their legs in the pouch. It works with all the standard 5-point buckles seen in car seats, Fisher Price swings, etc. It’s a bit tricky to figure out at first (you need to buckle before closing the arm flaps) but once you do it works great!
Awesome reviews Alexis. LOVE the Woombies, great design and functionality. Such fantastic sleep products out these days, don’t you think? Ness 🙂
I need help. I love swaddling and so does my 4 month old daughter. The only way she will sleep for any reasonable amount of time is with the Adain&Anais muslin wrap and then the Ergo Pouch zipped bag ontop. She gets her arms out if it’s just the muslin and I think the pouch is too loose and she can get her hands up. She quiet warm with these two on even with not much on underneath. I don’t know what to do come very hot Aussie summer nights!
I am sure that all of the options listed above are great. What worked for my son when he had a hard time sleeping was the Zipadee-Zip. I wish you the best if you are having swaddle transition issues!
The Zipadee-Zip totally works! My would not sleep when he started busitng out of his swaddle. It was a nightmare to be able to put him to sleep. When we finally got a Zipadee-Zip, he was able to sleep for longer periods of time, would fall asleep faster and stay asleep as well. This is the product to buy!
In my opinion there is nothing better than a classic square muslin swaddle. Especially during the hot summer nights. The best ones I’ve had so far were given to me at the baby shower party. They have no stamps or patterns, just plain classy swaddles and I love them. I later found them on Amazon and bought one more pack: http://www.amazon.com/Soft-Muslin-Swaddle-Blankets-Swaddling/dp/B0178AJEEW/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1448281472&sr=8-4&keywords=swaddle+blankets
Do you swaddle for nap time or just at night? I’m having a hard time getting my 3 week old to nap and stay asleep more than 5 mins.
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その達成は多数のうちの1つです。
しかし、それは、完成を求めるロレックス、および彼らのエクスプローラーをそれらの成功の主要部分と考える人々の両方をガイドする冒険心を象徴します
I am totally loving the swaddle strap. My baby is now 4 months old and was getting out of all the swaddle products I bought. This isn’t my first rodeo with swaddling and I couldn’t keep her arms down for the life of me. Finally gave in and bought the strap and it has been amazing. So ideal for hot weather, to use in swings and in car seats. Just love how easy it is to use and she has yet to get out of it. So worth the money. The material is also cotton and quite soft. You won’t regret this purchase.
I didn’t realize that babies tend to sleep better when they are swaddled. I am pregnant with my first, and am not experienced in the art of swaddling. I will have to check out these options that you mentioned, and figure out which one my baby likes the best.
Hey Shaylee, many companies have researched and evolved in Swaddles or Swaddle Blankets, they are also offering 100% Organic Muslin Swaddles which are irritation free, soft and much safer to your Baby’s Skin. You can get it for $14 single piece to $50 set of three. After all parents do need a sweet nap too when their baby troubles them less when they are wrapped in warm & soft Swaddles, Best Wishes !!
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