One of the unexpected benefits of working for The Sleep Store as a Sleep Coach was a request to trial and review a range of swaddles on my newborn baby girl. I’m a huge fan of swaddling, having used it almost fervently with our first child, although we stuck to using muslin squares with him. Retrospectively, I wish I’d invested in some of these fitted swaddles at the time to prevent the swearing and exasperation I felt when he’d squrim his way out of what I thought was an escape-proof wrap. Wriggling aside, swaddling quickly became a staple in our arsenal of settling techniques, along with white noise cranked at maximum volume played on repeat (happily we soon learned that we could purchase this on CD – http://www.thesleepstore.co.nz/shop/toolbox/white-noise/white-noise/pwn-baby-s-first-white-noise – rather than leaving the hoover running in his room – a hot and stuffy alternative). Thus it was with great delight that I set about trialing a range of fitted swaddles on our then two week old daughter.
Swaddle Pouch by Baby Studio
My partner was mad about this wrap. I think it’s because you don’t have to do anything other than plonk the baby in it and zip it up. And I did find that I kept gravitating towards this swaddle at 4am when I was desperate to get back to bed as its biggest advantage is undoubtedly its ease of use. The fabric is remarkably stretchy so manages to create a really snug fit, which, our daughter, Eden, seemed to like. The give in the fabric means baby can squirm around comfortably and move their hands onto their chest or front if they wish. This was fine until Eden got a bit stronger and managed to pop her hand out the neck of the swaddle. Cue lots of crying and the Baby Studio Swaddle Pouch being relegated to the bottom of the drawer.
Verdict: Great for newborns, bleary-eyed sleep-deprived mums, and those dads whose swaddling technique needs some work.
SwaddleMe by Summer Infant: http://www.thesleepstore.co.nz/shop/wraps/fitted-wraps/boys/summer-infant-swaddleme—lil-monkey—small
I’m always slightly skeptical of products that tout themselves as “award winning” but can well believe it of Summer Infant’s swaddles. This swaddle is an absolute winner with me. It now lives permanently in my baby bag and gets used pretty much daily when we’re out and about. It’s remarkably quick to get baby into with an easy, snug design, and is resistant to Eden’s best wiggles and escape routines. The small SwaddleMe sadly only fits babies up to 6kg and I’ve already noticed that Eden’s feet are now squishing against the bottom of the wrap. However, I’ll definitely be trying the Summer Infant Wrap Sack in the next size up once this one is officially too small.
Verdict: Snug, secure and speedy to use. Award winning indeed.
Miracle Blanket: http://www.thesleepstore.co.nz/shop/wraps/fitted-wraps/unisex/miracle-blanket-natural-miracle-blanket#reviews
This is without doubt the best swaddle we’ve tried. And while I may be given to hyperbole at times, looking at the reviews on The Sleepstore’s site for these wraps, other mums clearly feel the same way. 100% cotton, the fabric has enough give in it to stretch to a tight, secure wrap without yielding so much that the baby can fight their way out. The extra flaps for securing the arms work a treat to pin Eden in place and now, at the six week mark, we’re consistently getting one 5-6 hour stretch of sleep at night so I’m only feeding twice in the night. While she’s a cruisy baby, I’m definitely assuming some of this has to do with the miraculous miracle blanket. Consequently, we now have three of these wraps as I can’t bear the thought of being without it! A word of warning however: despite its claims to be easy to use “even in the dark” this wrap floored my partner on first attempt and can be a little intimidating to use on a newborn as you do have to hoist the baby around a bit. If in doubt, check out the video on The Sleepstore website or Youtube.
Verdict: My favourite. Will be my go-to present for baby showers and mums-to-be. Happy sleeping all round.
Rachel x
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