The first night at the hospital as a new mom can be rough! You are exhausted from labor and delivery and/or medication.
All you really need is a bit of shut-eye, but suddenly you have a brand-new baby next to you who doesn’t know what the heck is going on – let alone the difference between day and night. I remember the nurse wrapping up my daughter like a burrito – suddenly she went to sleep! For a whole hour! It was glorious! But then she pooped, of course, and had to be rewrapped.
NOT EASY!
I had to sheepishly page the nurse at least 3-4 times that night to re-swaddle my burrito baby and that’s when I started shopping for more user-friendly swaddles.
As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, shopping for baby items can be overwhelming! There are so many different brands and styles to choose from.
Being a Mom of two, with two very different sleep styles, I wrote up this guide to try to help you select a swaddle that fits your baby’s sleep personality.
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The Hands-Free Houdini
Does your baby break out of every blanket like a hot bandit within 30 seconds? Does he or she sleep happily and securely when swaddled, but then writhe and squirm unable to find comfort without a swaddle?
If so, you may be dealing with a Hands-Free Houdini.
These babies thrive on being tightly and cozily swaddled, but their natural instinct is to try to break out. These babies do best with the “Big Guns” of the swaddle department – The Miracle Blanket.
Per its name, it really is a miracle. If wrapped correctly, this thing is almost impossible for even the wildest child to burst out of. It is a heftier price tag than some, but worth its weight in gold. I bought one and washed it every few days until another Mamma kindly gifted me a second.
The Arms Up Artist
Some babies like the secureness of the swaddle but love to sleep with their arm above their heads like they are raising the roof all night.
Most swaddles can be used with one or both arms out, but the Swaddle Me Velcro swaddles are great for this because the Velcro keeps the swaddle securely fastened below the armpits.
This is also super helpful for babies who are ready to transition out of the swaddle. These swaddles are also a bit easier on the wallet and run around $27 for a 3-pack.
The Party Pooper
Some babies just poo (and eat!) more than others. There is nothing worse than getting your baby back to sleep in the middle of the night and just as you are drifting off to dreamland you hear “Rrrrrrrippp”.
No, rest assured, that was not just a toot! Let’s just hope it wasn’t a blowout!
Some swaddles have two-way zips that allow for quick middle of the night diaper changes without needing to undo the entire swaddle. The Halo Sleepsack is the best swaddle for middle of the night diaper changes.
The zipper will save you moments of precious sleep and you might even be able to get away with a quick change without waking up your baby at all.
The Cuddle Bug
For babies that like to be securely wrapped, but tend not to move around as much, Aden and Anais Swaddle Blanket’s are super soft and versatile.
If you aren’t as spastic as me in the swaddle department, or if your little one is a pretty calm baby, these blankets will absolutely do the trick.
The bonus is that these swaddles blankets can transition to light, breathable blankets once your baby is past the swaddle phase. My 2-year old still sleeps with one every night.
If you aren’t sure which sleep personality your baby has, I would start with something on the cheaper side, like the Swaddle Me Velcro Swaddle, which is secure enough for many babies, and see how that works.
Babies do tend to change the second we have figured them out, so keep in mind that what works best for your 2-week old might not be the best swaddle for your 2-month old, so you might need to change up their swaddle style as their sleep styles evolve.
Happy sleep, mamas!
Lovely post, there are so many swaddled it’s hard to know what is best for your baby