Works For Me Wednesday- Swaddling (and a GIVEAWAY!!)

Yes, yes I know I am way far off from having the baby, but let’s face it I have got baby on the brain. And my wonderful sister in law is not so far off from having her baby so I have been really thinking lately about all the tricks that you wish you knew when you were a first time mom that are old hat the third time around.

One of my favorite tricks to calming down a baby and getting her to fall asleep and sleep for longer than 15 minutes is swaddling. And besides the fact that it works, they look so darn cute all wrapped up like a little burrito. Sure they taught me how to swaddle in our “get ready for baby- wholly crap what did I sign up for” class, but they made it look really easy. And when I practiced on the STILL, LIFELESS DOLL it was really easy. Oddly enough when I tried to do it to the very real, squirmy, squishy baby it was not so much.

Thankfully, my hubby was an expert swaddler. Seriously, he could wrap that baby up in no time flat. I would get all mixed up and twisted up and she would pop out of the blanket in no time flat. But here are some tips to swaddle effectively. I really like this video for 2 reasons: I am a sucker for the accent. And I really liked the second swaddling method which I actually hadn’t heard of, but I think it would have really been effective for Hannah who didn’t like having her hands bundled.

I should say that not all babies like swaddling. It totally worked for Lily and helped her sleep like a baby (what moron invented that phrase), but Hannah absolutely hated being confined. She would scream and kick until she had worked her way out of it so we abandoned that plan pretty quickly. The other thing that is key is using the right kind of blanket. A receiving or swaddling blanket preferably. Other types of blankets and quilts probably won’t work well to fold and/or the baby will easily kick out of it.

I am actually really excited because the swaddling blanket they talked about in the video, I was recently asked to try. I was really impressed with the fabric used. I had never felt anything like it before in a swaddling blanket. And it is so much bigger than other blankets which I found my kids grew out of quite early. Aden and Anais, the makers of these wonderful blankets, has generously offered a set of their Winter Warmth wraps to a lucky reader. These are a bit heavier than their normal wraps, but still a great weight that won’t leave your baby overheated.

To win, simply leave me a comment. So simple!! I will pick the winner with random.org. Also, if you would like your own swaddle blanket and don’t happen to win the contest, you can still get a discount on their Winter Warmth Blankets and Dream Blankets. Their Winter Warmth Swaddles are on sale for $29.95 (normally $49.95) and their Dream Blankets are on sale for $39.95 (normally $59.95). Visit adenandanais.com and enter promo code “wintersale” to receive the discount.

For more tips on what works for other bloggers, head over to We Are That Family.

Diaper Diaries

Jill is the author of The Diaper Diaries. She has been changing diapers for 6+ years as a stay at home mom of three children. She also has a devoted husband who graciously puts up with this little internet hobby. They all probably wish she would exercise a bit more discretion as she shares their life's ups, downs and in-betweens with anyone willing to read it. You can (almost always) find her on Twitter @DiaperDiaries.

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