Blanket Swaddling

NEW BORNS: Winter for little newborn bubs is tricky. Within a few weeks they’re wriggling out from their blanket swaddling and pushing themselves up and out so any thought of tucking them in at night and finding them still snug in their swaddling under a blanket is a dream. For very young bubs friends have recommended The Woombie. Having not tried it ourselves I can’t endorse it but suffice to say if I’d known about it when the girls were babies I would have bought two (in organic of course).  The Woombie allows movement but only within the enclosed area of the cocoon preventing a startle reflex but not the ability to move altogether. The design makes sense to me. The fabric is 95% Cotton/5% Spandex and if you buy it in organic (not highly coloured choices) it’s a good investment for your bub.

I was also referred to the Miracle Blanket however I believe at 4 weeks our girls would have made short work of these folds and pulled their arms out. (I once recall them grunting and moaning and working their way out from a swaddle blanket for more than 15 minutes….and they didn’t stop till they’d escaped!) They are both extremely strong and extremely determined to get their own way…even from birth.  I also quickly determined that I’m not a fan of restraining natural movement once a baby has shown that it is no longer comforting to be swaddled. Our girls enjoyed it for four weeks and then the party was over on swaddling.

INFANTS/TODDLERS: As they grow (and it happens quickly so don’t spend too much on swaddling) it doesn’t get any better. Our 1 year olds move all around the cot in a night so we’ve invested in Merino wool sleep sacks. I decided on natural breathable fibres because the suggestion that you need to buy multiple “TOG” sacks (at up to $100 a pop) dependent upon the room temperature seemed like a money grab by the retailers. You should simply be able to add or remove a pajama layer underneath the sack to adjust to temperature changes.

After scouring the web for the best prices on Merino wool sacks I actually found it was cheaper to buy them from the UK. It cost me AU$150 for TWO which is usually what you’ll pay for 1 item in Australia or New Zealand.

Merino Wool Sleep Sack

So rather then try to keep socks on your infant/toddler, which they LOVE to tear off the moment you put them in the cot, (I remember sneaking in after they’d fallen asleep to re-don their socks. Holding my breath and peaking with anxiety at the potential for waking them up. Urgh) keep their feet, legs and chest warm through winter by investing in a good quality versatile, but above all, natural fibre sleep sack.

Pro’s to look out for when choosing a sleep sack are: adjustable clips under the arms for growth, a zip from the side down around the base, not down the centre of the garment which is too tempting for little fingers to open, and a natural fibre that isn’t limiting for season (ie: not having to buy different TOG’s for different temperature ranges). The size of the Bambino Merino sack is a bonus too. Good till around age 2 so it’s great value. We bought ours online at Bambino Merino.

Happy hunting!

Somehow, even swaddled, our twin girls would wriggle over to be close to each other. That only lasted the first week and then it was fisty cuffs and give me some space sister! I enjoy these rare few photos of them cuddling in as if they were still in the womb together :*)

When buying swaddling cloth choose at least 1m x 1m. Anything smaller is a waste of time as it comes undone when bub starts to wriggle (which will be faster than you ever imagined!). I bought slightly smaller ones but thank goodness a wonderful, cluey friend sent us two really big stretchy cotton ones (pictured) 1.2m x 1.2m from Bay Bee Cino (thank you so much Megan!). They were an absolute dream and we swaddled the girls in them every day as they were winter babies. When they passed the swaddling stage we used them to drape over the pram if the sun was too bright. The smaller ones I bought are still on a shelf barely used. They became burp cloths!

Swaddling (wrapping baby tightly in a blanket) is a great way to soothe your baby giving them a sense of security similar to being in the womb. It also reduces the risk of SIDs by restricting their ability to roll over.

There are many designs for swaddling out there including pre-shaped versions. If you have a winter baby I’d be inclined to buy 2 really good quality ones and if yours is a summer baby you really aren’t going to be able to swaddle them in too much. Square muslin cloths would be ideal. Again, at least 1m x 1m. Choose fabric that is appropriate to the season and remember the wrap counts as a layer of clothing.

Babies can get tired of having their arms restricted by around 4 weeks of age and start to really protest so don’t spend too much on swaddling. Buy 2 quality ones and you can rotate them in the wash. Any more than that and you’ll find in a month you could have better spent the money elsewhere. They always make a good burp cloth if you’ve bought or been given smaller ones.

Some babies are happy to be swaddled longer, some babies never want to be swaddled even from birth. It’s luck of the draw!

And of course if you can get your hands on it, organic is best. Babies are in their swaddling nearly 24/7 the first month when they sleep the most and my feeling is the less colouring and chemicals in their clothing, the better! Brand new baby skin (and their organs) haven’t been exposed to any of the multitude of our nasty chemicals in this world yet so in their first few months especially cheapie fabrics/outfits (from China and the like) should be carefully avoided. See story on Organic Baby Sleepwear for info on PBDE’s. Organic material and pre-loved (aka pre-washed) clothing reins king!

Some favourite swaddling recommendations from other mums in my circle:
The Woombie
The Miracle Blanket