Swaddles and sleep sacks and wearable blankets oh my!
We all want more of it, but we just don’t know how to get it!
It’s sleep! As a new parent, you are most likely looking for a solution for your child’s sleep, and let’s be honest, your own sleep! You read all the books, and are searching for that magic bullet. Is it the wake windows, is it your feeding routine, is baby eating enough, is this the right swaddle?
If you’re going through all of these factors and scenarios in your mind, you are not alone! Infant sleep is tricky, and can be extremely triggering and anxiety inducing. I was personally hyper focused on sleep and found it hard to come by with my infant who was suffering from reflux.
So here’s the thing, as you put together your baby registry it’s always a good idea to have an arsenal of products on hand to try with your infant. Aim to sample swaddles, pacifiers, and a few different sleep safe surfaces without going overboard. The hard thing to figure out is which assortment of products, and in what quantity should you buy. You can very quickly be drowning in swaddle blankets and apparatus, so let’s figure out what the right mix looks like for you. My goal is always fewer, better things while still offering parents enough variety to work through those early days of trial and error and be ready for the next phase.
It’s super helpful to understand the roadmap for sleep safe swaddling and blankets so you can make the appropriate choices. In the early days, you will most likely be swaddling baby. This helps calm the startle reflex and creates the cozy, snug, and familiar environment. Here are a few options in this initial swaddle category…
Newborn Swaddling
Traditional Swaddle - an actual blanket that you learn to properly wrap (harder than the nurses in the hospital make it look). These come in a number of different materials, most popular are muslin and sold in packs. Some of these are too small for actual swaddling so pay attention to dimensions and aim for 46in or larger. Copper Pearl, Solly, Aden & Anais all make options.
Zipper Pods - these are ultra convenient but might not be strong enough as baby grows. initially they do offer a tight fit and usually include a % spandex in their fabrication. SwaddleMe and Happiest Baby.
Tummy Wraps - also know for convenience, these often use velcro to secure closed. they can wrap once across the tummy or a few times depending on the style or brand. This offers a calming secure feeling for baby. Ollie, Miracle Blanket, and many more.
Arms up - for the baby that doesn’t like to be swaddled with their arms down (some experts would say this isn’t a thing and that all babies like to be swaddled). This allows baby to have their hands up by their head and face without a total free for all of movement. Love to Dream
As baby grows, you will look to transition to a sleep sack or wearable blanket -allowing more freedom of movement, but keeping loose blankets out of the crib for safe sleep. It’s recommended to do this once baby begins to roll on their own. This milestone can take place around 4 months although all babies are different and it can happen earlier. Here are a few options for this next phase…
Older Baby Swaddles & Sacks
Transitional swaddle (arms in to arms out) - offered by some brands, these allow multiple phases of swaddling and give parents the option to slowly transition their child from arms down to arms out. Some parents prefer a gradual approach with one arm out at a time. Halo, Love to Dream, and more.
Wearable blanket - also known as sleep sacks, these offer the comfort of a blanket but without loose items in the bed. The AAP recommends nothing in the bed like loose blankets, quilts, stuffed animals or pillows as they are safe sleep hazards. Kyte, Woolino, Snuggy Buddy
Weighted - for added comfort, some brands have introduced weighted and wearable blankets or even suits for children. The idea here is to soothe and comfort baby even once their arms out of the swaddle. These also restrict movement and keep babies on their back which isn’t ideal once baby becomes more mobile and rolling. Nested Bean, Magic Merlin, Dreamland Baby, Snuggy Buddy
Walkable (feet out) - for the most committed sleep sack lover, these allow children who are walking to continue to wear their sleep sack. Halo, Kyte, Tealbee
It’s nice to be prepared with a handful of options, but try and avoid too many multipacks that can take you from prepared to overwhelmed quickly. What seems like a good value now, will be an annoyance later if you find that particular item to not work for your baby. Buying pre baby can help make purchase decisions and add confidence that you are ready. Late night google searching and amazon purchasing can get dicey.
When I recently spoke to another mom in the space, Sue Borton, she shared many of the same sentiments that Prepping for Peanut was founded on.
“Being a mom can be overwhelming. Not only are you trying to figure out how to take care of your new baby, but trying to figure out the best products for them to both help them and keep them safe.”
Like me, Sue dealt with some challenging sleep with both of her kids. They needed the help of a lovey to sleep, but as she learned, it wasn’t safe to leave in the crib. Sue would put them down with a lovey for comfort, then take it away as soon as they were asleep for safety and they would wake 4-5 times night looking for it.
Sue tried every sleep sack she could find on the market and nothing worked. In an effort to keep them soothed and safe, she created the Snuggy Buddy, offering the comfort of a lovey that was safely attached to the sleep sack.
“The first night my daughter used it, she slept through the night! 12 full hours!”
That’s when she knew she had to share this product with other mamas struggling to help their little ones sleep safely.
Sue’s story really resonates with me - we all just are looking for that solution, but are constantly battling what is and is not safe or recommended. Often, the things that help your child sleep aren’t safe or recommended by the AAP, and when you’re desperate for even a few extra minutes of rest, it can be really challenging to navigate and make those decisions and product choices.
A well strategized registry that covers your bases, offers options, and serves as a great roadmap of what’s to come will help you take on new parenthood. Am I saying you will never seek out another sleep solution again, probably not, but you’ll be prepared and have tools to figure out what works.
Happy snoozing!
Need help finding the right swaddle or sleep sack for your little one?