Stop your Babys Swaddle Time!

I’m not going to lie, I’m a swaddling addict. The first step is acceptance, right….RIGHT!? Anyway, I love wrapping babies all snug and tight into little burritos. I love watching them go from overtired thrashers to calm and soothed bambinos the moment they’re swaddled. If someone could swaddle me, I’d be more than ok with that.

Why do we swaddle you ask? Great question. Swaddling keeps a baby wrapped up to help prevent their startle reflex from, well, startling them. This way they can drift off to sleep without jolting themselves awake for no reason. Additionally, it can help calm them, especially when over tired or over stimulated as it can make them feel like their back in the safe, warm confines of the womb. The icing on the cake is that swaddling helps regulate body temperature, especially in those early couple of days. Snug as a bug in a rug!

So now that I’ve confessed my love of swaddling you can understand why I took the decision of which swaddle to use for my own baby so seriously. Using muslin cloths is great, but babies are mini escape artists and I didn’t want any cheeky hands creeping out and waking her up unnecessarily. I’m also borderline OTT when it comes to SIDS so I didn’t want any loose materials floating around if baby managed to escape my wrapping prowess.

The choice of swaddles is actually overwhelming though. I walked into Baby Bunting and immediately felt stupid. Arms up or arms down? Zip or Velcro? TOG rating wahhhh?

So, let me break it down for you. Buy the LOVE TO DREAM (LTD) SWADDLE UP. I was such a sceptic for some reason, but I’m right here eating my words. It is so damn easy.

Here’s how to do it:

Step one: Have a baby (this is the hardest part of the process – ouch!)

Step two: Put baby in LTD swaddle

Step three: Put baby in bassinet

Step four: That’s it… there are no more steps. Baby is snug and on her way to sleeping. Now just moonwalk out of the room so as not to make eye contact with the tired little beast.

We used the ErgoBaby Swaddler before giving the Love To Dream a go. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with it. It swaddles beautifully. However, it’s just a bit over complicated. Too many moving parts. Why do that when you can do up one little zip?

It’s getting chilly here in Melbourne, so we’re using the Love To Dream swaddle up in TOG 2.5. Baby is wearing a singlet and a onesie underneath and no blanket. The room is about 22 degrees. She is sleeping beautifully (touchwood, she’s only 9 weeks old) and she definitely knows the swaddle as a sleep cue.

5 to 12 months baby sleep guide.

So in conclusion...

Pros:

• Super easy to use

• Easy to wash and dry

• Sleeping Bebe can be transferred whilst in swaddle from bassinet to pram bassinet with no waking

• Plenty of TOG options

• They’re just a great product guys! Seriously!

Cons:

They’re not the cheapest. BUT, have a look on Facebook marketplace as there are lots being sold. Give them a good wash at home and feel even happier that you’ve contributed to a sustainable process of recycling #slowfashion

Ps. Whilst writing this blog post, I have simultaneously bought Baby P a new Love To Dream Transition swaddle as she likes to suck on a hand when going to sleep.

Traditionally this version of the swaddle is for when baby starts to roll, but I thought I might get creative and zip one hand off and see if she can suck her hand? Stay tuned. I know you’ll all be desperate for the review on how that goes – what a cliff hanger!