Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Fabulous Swaddle Blanket + Snuggle Nest = Cozy Kid
Posted by Missy W. @ 1:03 PM
It’s newborn season in my life. Many of my friends are having their second baby right about now. While they all knew what to expect at least a little more the second time, there are always new challenges, lack of sleep, feeding issues, lack of sleep, fussy kids, lack of sleep.
My friend Leigh’s newest baby is very jerky and unsettled when she sleeps. She’s been busting out of the swaddles which then wakes her up, which then makes for one crabby baby. Now that’s a challenge I am familiar with! Sy was colicky for what felt like years, but was really only about three months (oh, but what long months they were). We also had to swaddle her for a long, long time to either help calm her down or to keep her jerky limbs from waking her up (once we got her to sleep, that is). We tried a lot of different swaddling cloths, but found the Swaddle Designs Ultimate Receiving Blanket to be the best one out there. It is huge, has directions sewn in and is a really strong, soft cotton flannel material. We’d wrap her up in that and then rock her for what felt like hours (oh, that’s because it did take hours) until she fell asleep. Once she was conked out, we’d give our arms a break and transfer her to her Snuggle Nest where she’d sleep almost peacefully for at least 28 minutes, give or take 20.
The Snuggle Nest is a little rectangular sleep zone with a waterproof foam mattress (no PVC) and mesh sleep-positioning bumpers that you can put in the middle of your bed, or in the middle of the crib, to help your newborn baby feel more cocooned as they sleep. It even comes with a night light! Sy slept in her Nest for almost four months. When we transitioned her from our room to the crib (about three months) we removed the sleep-positioners and just put her in the Snuggle Nest in her crib to help ease the transition. It seemed to help. I also appreciated the washable cover since Sy spit up constantly. It folds and zips up so you can toss it into the car when you go see Grandma. That way you have sleeping quarters that feel familiar to the baby. I see now that Baby Delight makes one with an incline (the Supreme vs the Deluxe), which I think is brilliant if you have a gassy baby. The Snuggle Nest is manufactured to acknowledge safety precautions outlined by the SIDS Alliance. I rarely worried about rolling over onto Sy in those early days, but it’s nice to know that there’s a small barrier between you and your precious, sleeping cargo. Oh yeah, it comes with a sheet or two, but it’s nice to have a couple extra in case your kid likes to spit up. The only reason this review is four stars instead of five is because the sleep positioners are not listed as washable. The mesh cover yes, the bumpers themselves, no. When your kid spits up as much as mine, it’s nice to be able to really clean up camp once in a while.
Ah, babydom. At the risk of sounding like my mother…where does the time go?
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October 22, 2007 @ 02:23 PM
Shauna said:
I have to give a shout-out to the Miracle Blanket. Our MB was passed along to us by my sister , who is soon a mother of three (soon to be four) kids under 5 and a genius with all things babe. The Miracle Blanket really was a miracle for our fussy girl and we kept her swaddled happily in it until she was four months old. For me, it felt so much easier than using a regular swaddle, especially in the middle of the night when I was bone tired and slightly delirious.
I think they’re less than $30 at Amazon and well worth every penny!