The ancient practice of swaddling a young infant in the first months of life has resurfaced in Western cultures as a means of providing a womb-life atmosphere that give comfort and helps babies sleep more soundly. Swaddling uses a cloth wrapping to restrict an infant’s upper body movements, curb the “startle reflex” and calms some fussy babies as well as easy-going infants.
While a standard, thin infant receiving blanket can serve to swaddle babies, clever designers have invented ingenious baby wraps that make swaddling easy for parents and caretakers.
Following are some of the baby swaddling wraps available online.
The Woombie Swaddles with Ease
Nothing could be easier that swaddling a baby with a quick zip and tuck. The Woombie (pictured below) is made of stretch cotton/Lycra blend that holds baby securely, but allows arms and legs to flex and stretch. Available at thewoombie.com, the swaddling device encases baby in a tube-like sack with no sleeves and is available in a variety of styles, sizes, and colors. Thewoombie.com also features videos of babies sleeping angelically in their Woombie and instructions on how to swaddle a baby using a Woombie. Prices start at $23.99. Buy two and get free shipping in the U.S.
Swaddle Your Baby with the Cozy Cocoon
A baby body sock made from stretchy cotton, the Cozy Cocoon, see photo below, contains no zippers or snaps or hooks. Just roll the cocoon, available at Cozycocoon.com, over the baby’s legs and torso, and the little arms are kept snug inside the light fabric. A variety of styles, including those made from natural and organic cotton, are available. Prices start at $20. Shipping varies.
Miracle Blanket for Swaddling
The 100-percent cotton Miracle Blanket (shown below) from Miracleblanket.com keeps baby’s arms still with arm restraints built right into the blanket. A video on the company’s website shows users how to fold the blanket around and over a baby. No zippers or hook-and-loop fasteners are on this blanket; the voluminous breathable fabric simply rolls up baby in a snug embrace. Available in a variety of colors. Price: $29.95. Shipping varies.
Fleece SleepSack Swaddle
The Halo Micro-Fleece SleepSack Swaddle from Halosleep.com uses hook-and-loop closures to swaddle an infant, but also allows caregivers to move the swaddle flaps down to let arms free. The fleece version is available in prints and solids and features a zipper to make diaper changes easy. Price: $29.95. Shipping varies.
LullaWrap Swaddle Blanket
The 35- by 35-inch LullaWrap from cloud.b is created from breathable 100 percent cotton and features a simple fold, tuck and secure design. The cotton pointelle Lullawrap comes in white, blue, or pink. Price: $27 for one, or $52 for two. Shipping varies.
Leave Legs Free
All of the above baby swaddling products leave room for the legs to bend and kick and for the hips to stay flexed. Healthy hip development depends on the baby’s legs to stay flexed and free to move around.
Judith Zwolak - Judy is a mother of two and a freelance writer living in South Dakota. Raised by notoriously frugal parents, she comes by her family ...
