I’ve heard that swaddling has been proven to help babies sleep better, longer, and safer. It
reduces incidences of SIDS, colic and fussiness, and it can help make breastfeeding easier. I understand the benefits of swaddling but, as a first time mother, I question how should I swaddle my baby? How tight should the swaddle be? How can I maximize the effects of the swaddle? Basically, how do I know if I’m doing it right? The Woombie is a safe, comfortable, and effective way to swaddle my baby, encouraging her to softly stretch extremities as needed, just like in the womb. It’s an effective way to know I’m doing it right because all I need to do is zipper it up and tuck in the zipper.
The Woombie comforts, softly confines arms, and gently compresses the baby’s unique curves to prevent the startle reflex, face scratching, overheating, and also preventing dangerous loose unraveled blankets from covering the baby’s face, which was my biggest concern with swaddling. The soft cotton fabric gently hugs the baby providing a comfortable secure transition from the womb to the world. It’s easy to use and doesn’t require any additional skills other than working a zipper.
So many new parents and babies are achieving a smooth transition from womb to 6 months; I’m hoping that the Woombie will support that transition for us.
I remember when my daughter was just a new born infant, we had this bed sheet that had something resembling floaters on both sides to prevent her from rolling over. The problem with that though was it restricted her movements way too much, so this is neat alright 🙂
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It’s a great support for easy, practical swaddling. I love it!
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The Woombie is fabulous! I used it with my second pretty much every day for the first 4 months, and I wish they’d been around with my first. I’d be very, very surprised though if it will take you through to 6 months. I was able to eke 4 months out of mine, but she was pretty much busting out of the seams by then — it really stopped fitting correctly by 3 months, maybe even 2.5 🙂 The next size up was just huge, too, so I wasn’t able to use it, had to return it. Still, even though it’s pricey, it’s definitely worth the investment for those first couple of months.
I would recommend getting one or two Swaddle Sleepsacks as well, though. What I found was that when I wanted to stop using the Woombie around 3-4 months, she was so dependent on it for sleeping that she simply couldn’t sleep without it. We had to transition her to sleeping just in PJs without a swaddle. It was really hard to do that “transition” with the Woombie, so we switched to using the swaddle Sleepsack at that time because we could adjust the tightness of the swaddle and leave one arm out (and eventually both arms). Swaddles are awesome, but you don’t want to use them too long, particularly once baby starts to roll over (around 4ish months)!.
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Did you breast feed? I’ve read some replies that suggest swaddling is not great for breast feeding.
Lesley
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It really depends on the baby and how “awake” they are. I had one who had to be unwrapped and naked to stay awake to eat!
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I guess the one thing I’m learning more than anything is that you simply can’t fully be prepared because every baby is unique. I just want to have all the options at hand and even more knowledge to know what to do with them 🙂
Thanks for your comment; it’s appreciated.
Lesley
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I did breastfeed, and I didn’t have any problems breastfeeding while she was swaddled. I didn’t bother to take her out of the Woombie, just unzipped to change her diaper (since she was up) and then fed her swaddled. But I know some babies are too sleepy to eat at night. However, there comes a point when the baby doesn’t need to get up to eat at night, breastfed or not, and if baby would rather sleep, after about the first week, most doctors will say let them sleep!
For some babies, swaddling = sleeping through the night, but that wasn’t the case for us. I couldn’t get my kids to sleep through the night until we stopped swaddling. My kids are both suckers (thumb for my son and first two fingers for my daughter). Until they were able to access their hands to suck, they didn’t really learn how to self-soothe and would wake up several times a night. That’s the major reason I was eager to break the swaddle habit by 4 months — so that i could get a full night’s sleep!
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We swore by the woombie with our second child, and he was sleeping through the night by 3 weeks! He slept better as a baby than he does now–maybe i should see if they have one for 2-year-olds. 🙂
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Oh… I’m so happy to hear that it worked well for you! I’m overjoyed to be pregnant and I can’t wait for the arrival of my newborn baby girl! I’d like to be as prepared as possible and its products like this that bring a little bit of comfort and ease to my worry.
Do you have any suggestions for other great finds?
Lesley
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When my husband and I were foster parents we took in more babies then any other age. We tried swaddling with receiving blankets and then purchased a product call SwaddleMe. I seemed to work well for the children we had. It especially worked well for the babies that had Sensory issues. Babies who needed to held at all times felt more secure with the SwaddleMe. I wish I had known about the Woombie at the time, I would have definitely tried it.
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With the Woombie, all you need to do is zipper it up. It’s very practical.
I have more respect for you than words can express for being foster parents. There is no greater gift that you could have given. It’s simply beautiful!
Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment; it’s appreciated.
Lesley
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Hi there! I am a new mom of a 6 month old and he did like being swaddled for a few weeks, then he started to want his arms and legs free. I think it depends a lot on each individual child whether they’d like it or not. But I wanted to let you know that I recently found out that new research shows that swaddling can interfere with breast feeding. I don’t know if it is your intention to breast feed or not, but I know I’d avoid swaddling all together if I was to have another baby. Let me link you to the article http://www.nancymohrbacher.com/blog/2010/12/3/rethinking-swaddling.html Nancy Mohrbacher is by far the most respected lactation consultant at the moment.
Best wishes in your pregnancy!!!
Coty
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Thank you very much for the link! I’m going to read now since breast feeding is my number one priority.
Happy Holidays,
Lesley
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Happy holidays to you too! If you are looking into breastfeeding, let me recommend you the book Breastfeeding made simple, it was wonderful for me. I had a very rough time breastfeeding, including the baby refusing the breast completely at 4 weeks, and through that book and a lot of help and support I finally got to breast feed at 3 months! I know for most moms it is not as hard as it was for me, but the book did provide insight and some practical suggestions.
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oh man! the swaddle…. we spend many nights reswaddling. Last night was my youngest first full night unswaddled actually! (he sleeps with us mostly anyways…) We just use blankets but this looks great! Love your blog too by the way.
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That’s why I liked the Woombie because I will not need to re-swaddle. 🙂
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p.s i nurse him as well. i swaddled my oldest for 10 months! thats excessive though i am sure. i nursed him as well right up until my younger man was born. not that that means much, but just thought i would include! each babe is different i think!
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I’m glad to know that you nurse his as well. That’s extremely important to me and I want to make sure that I do everything I can to nurse successfully.
Thanks for your comments; they are appreciated. keep them coming with any advise that you have 🙂
Lesley
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Great find, Lesley. I swaddled both of my baby boys (now 2 and 4), who slept great and nursed well up to about a year. Though my husband had mastered it with swaddling blankets, I relied upon the HALO and SwaddleMe products (overtired, baby brain). My babies LOVED to be swaddled until about four months before their arms and legs finally broke free. Totally recommend swaddling and nursing for at least a year if you can swing it.
I also found the guidance from Tracy Hogg, Secrets of the Baby Whisperer (http://www.amazon.com/Tracy-Hogg/e/B001IQXJNK/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_1), to be super helpful to get us on a schedule and set my expectations for what to do and when. And, the other life savor for us was the Happiest Baby On the Block (http://www.happiestbaby.com/) for soothing our first baby who had colic. Though What to Expect in the First Year (http://www.amazon.com/Heidi-Murkoff/e/B001H6L27G/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0) was helpful, there are a number 0f great resources now that provide guidance when your confidence it low.
The best advise I can offer is to read and listen, but take what works for you and your family (not everything you read or hear will be inline with your values) and stay firm to your own parenting intuition and philosophy, despite what well-meaning grandparents and what others inevidly (sometimes strongly) recommend. Good luck!
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I love The Happiest Baby on the Block and at your suggestion, I’m going to look up Tracy Hogg, Secrets of the Baby Whisperer right now!
Thank you so much for your comments; they truly are appreciated.
I am overjoyed to be a mother and I’m happier than I’ve ever been in my life! I can’t wait to actually hold her in my arms and look at her precious face. It brings tears of joy to my eyes just thinking about it!
Happy Holidays,
Lesley
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I swaddled following the advise of Happiest Baby On the Block and it totally worked for me. I swaddled Abi until she was able to turn over by herself. The only thing I would suggest is if you decided to old school swaddle (using a blanket) than remember have your baby’s legs be a little lose. Hip joint displacement can happen if the legs are swaddled to tightly. But like I said I am 100% pro swaddle. I had no problem breast feeding Abi while she was swaddled FYI.
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Thanks for the advice; I can’t wait to try it out. I know each baby is different but I’d like to have all the basis covered when she arrives 🙂
Happy Holidays,
Lesley
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Believe it or not, my younger one would have loved this even up to the age of 10 or 11. She has some sensory issues and loved snug swaddling. I swaddled firmly with blankets, and, like her sister, she nursed until she was ready to ween. Wish they had had something like that when mine were little. Good luck!
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Thanks for the encouragement. I can’t be 100% prepared for when my beautiful baby girl arrives but it’s nice to find useful products like this.
🙂
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I prayed so hard one of this days I could use it for my baby.:)
Best regards,
Bloggeryenyen
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I hope all of your prayers are answered. 🙂
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This is like the third one i’ve seen today. It’s official. I’m getting one..
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I think newborn babies would really enjoy it and most of the comments have been extremely positive. Let me know what you think 🙂
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I love it! I just read your about me and I am so amazed by all of the things you have done with your life! Congrats on being pregnant, I’m sure you’ll be a fantastic mother.
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Thanks for the kind words. I can’t wait to see new countries, cultures, and adventures with my daughter, and my husband, at my side.
Best of luck with your blog,
Lesley
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I have a troublesome cat who would benefit greatly from that. We just need to tie off the open end once she’s in there.
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The open end is zippered up… give it a try 😉
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Swaddling was nothing short of a lifesaver during the first 3 months of Maddie’s life. Here’s the article: http://stayhomepapa.org/2011/08/29/from-swaddles-to-bottles%C2%A0/
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Keep in mind that part of the objective of breastfeeding is skin to skin contact. Cheek to breast isn’t really enough. Babies are rather like kittens, in that they like to grab hold of the breast with both hands and dig in their little fingers. In that respect, swaddling does indeed make it easier, but not quite as satisfactory for the critter.
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I may not always use the swaddle during feeding, but I think it’s a great idea for sleeping. I guess only time will tell, but I’m certain it will be useful regularly.
Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment; it’s appreciated.
🙂
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We’ve been using the swaddleMe.It works well but our son in now kicking it loose. So we’re looking for a larger size or another brand.
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You should give the Woombie website a look – http://www.woombie.com/
They have various sizes and styles; in particular, the Convertible Woombie may be right for you – http://www.woombie.com/convertible_woombie.html
Good luck with your search,
Lesley
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I have no experience with the woombie but can tell you that I just gave you the Versatile Blogger Award! Thanks for the inspiration and continued luck with everything 🙂 http://reinrantnrave.wordpress.com/2011/12/04/versatile-blogger-award-giddy-and-full-of-gratitude/
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Thank you! I’ve been seeing this come up a few times now, and it’s about time I pay it forward.
🙂
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I will keep this one in mind for when I am becoming a parent, ten years from now. 😉
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Swaddling your baby is a great way to help them feel safe a secure. I also used a similar product as my babies got a little older. The product looked similar but there were arm openings, similar to a tank top. I can’t remember what they were called (this was 9 years ago) but I ended up putting them on my babies when they started jumping out of their cribs. I had twins and they would try to get out of their beds to play. They were still young and it was a safter alternative than putting them in toddler beds.
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The Woombie has another version with open arms; I may look more into that for when my daughter gets a little older.
Thanks for sharing,
Lesley
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We also used the SwaddleMe and we swaddled until she was 6 months old. we loved that product, as well as the Happiest Baby on the Block. I’ve never heard of the Woombie… I will def check it out via your links. I just found out I an expecting #2 🙂
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I’m working on swaddling my grandbabies. Thanks for stopping by — I can see I will be back. 😀
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We have swaddled all three of ours, but only using a blanket that we wrapped around in a certain way – TIGHTLY! they can get loose. It seemed the tighter my husband wrapped the blanket, the calmer the baby was! The Happiest baby on the Block, Dr. Karp and his 5 S’s system — swaddling, side/stomach positioning in the parents’ arms, shushing, swinging, and sucking — can calm most crying infants. This activates the baby’s calming reflex during the first three to four months of life by mimicking experiences in the uterus.
http://www.amazon.com/Happiest-Baby-Block-Harvey-Karp/dp/0553381466
Good Luck!
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The Happiest Baby on the Block was my inspiration for swaddling. I’ll be attending a Happiest Baby on the Block clinic in January as well.
Thanks for reading and for taking the time to comment; it’s appreciated.
Happy Holidays,
Lesley
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That looks awesome…too bad I’m done having babies!
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I’ve swaddled both my babies (first one with the Swaddle Me, second with the Halo Sleep Sack w/ swaddler – much better velcro on this one!) and never had any trouble with it interfering with nursing. From what I can tell from La Leche League, their hesitation with swaddling has more to do with co-sleeping b/c they say it’s not safe to co-sleep with a baby in a swaddler (since they couldn’t flail or move freely on the rare chance that something/someone rolled onto them). But I’ve never found any problem with nursing and swaddling – it has helped both my boys sleep so much better!
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This is SUCH a great tool for parents with newborn little ones! I am a big fan of swaddling. I’ve often used it to help fussy children fall asleep (even into toddlerhood). You are absolutely right, swaddling an infant is a bit of an artform, but this tools seems to alleviate that pressure to “get it right.” I love this. Thank you for sharing. Do you mind if I “reblog?”
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I love when others reblog my posts 🙂
Thanks,
Lesley
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Thanks for reposting; I love when my posts are useful to others.
🙂
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This looks like a great product. I was very lucky in that my mum (mother of 6 children) showed me how to swaddle my baby within an hour of her birth, using a sheet or blanket . It worked a treat and definitely soothed both my girls . They did grow out of it quite quickly but they were very big babies! Then I switched to grobag baby sleeping bags right up until they were 2-3 years old 🙂 good luck with your baby. How lucky she is to have a Mummy like you.
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Thank you! I can’t wait to see new cultures, countries, and adventures with her, and my husband, at my side.
I come from a family of six and it was an amazing journey that shaped my life.
Happy Holidays,
Lesley
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My daughter is expecting! This looks like a great gift for her. Thanks for sharing this info and the other products related to babies.
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If you haven’t already, be sure to check out Undercover Mama’s nursing tank giveaway on my blog at https://lesleycarter.wordpress.com/2011/12/07/undercover-mama-camisole-giveaway/.
I’ll draw the winner on December 20th.
Good luck,
Lesley
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We had the Woombie as well because little Miss Houdini was always escaping my swaddling attempts. My only issue with the Woombie was that it gave her rashes under her neck and the neck hole on some of them was a little small, but overall it’s a great swaddle!
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Good to know.
Thanks for your comment; it’s appreciated.
Good luck with your beautiful baby girl. She is precious 🙂
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I swaddled my son until he was around 3 months old. I tried lots of swaddlers, but the one thing I did not like was that most of them were fleece material and I found that they made him too hot. (SIDS risk.) The best one, in my opinion, is the Miracle Blanket. He wasn’t able to bust out of it and it didn’t ride up onto his face. After swaddling, we moved him onto Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit, which is a great transition (many people compare this to the Woombie because it allows more movement for them.)
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When my son was born, he hated being swaddled from day one. He would allow us to wrap him in a swaddle all over EXCEPT for his hands. He HAD to have his hands at his face. He didn’t even suck his thumb, he just needed them there. The nurses, relatives, friends, all would try to encourage us to swaddle him up when he fussed, but if we did he would fuss and wiggle until he got a hand or both free and then be content. Later, when I looked back at all of the ultrasounds, he ALWAYS had a hand up to his face…so I suppose for him, to fully mimic the womb he needed that.
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Can I just say that after I read your post on this one and I let it marinate for a bit I decided to buy two. I love it! I just got them the other day and I washed them and was a little worried that my little guy wasn’t going to fit, he is a preemie and he has been beefing up quite quickly. I was worried when I first started to zip him up in it that it wouldn’t fit…but lo and behold it did! So far I love it! My little guy sleeps so much more soundly in that than the SwaddleMe I have.
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I’ve never heard of a wombie before. I thought it might be a new drink
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