Fussy baby? Try wrapping your newborn in Aden + Anais organic and bamboo swaddlers. Moms worldwide have practiced this technique which can help calm your baby, keep her warm until her internal temperature kicks in, help her sleep better, and remind her of the warmness and tightness of the womb. The organic collection is made of muslin grown and manufactured in an environmentally and socially responsible manner and the bamboo line ($40/3) is made of silky bamboo fiber muslin that is super soft. Pick from fashionable prints like pyara, diwali, mela, enchanted, bloom, star struck, safari, oasis, blue sky, and snuggle bug. Plus, there is nothing cuter than seeing your tiny babe all wrapped up.

Written by Greenista Girl Shivani

Photo by Aden + Anais

Having seen several close friends’ children have miserable sleeping patterns, I became obsessed with how my baby would sleep…even before she was born! I started doing some research about sleep – talking to other moms, talking to physicians, reading books, watching DVDs…you name it (stay tuned for other posts on things I learned about sleeping). Perhaps the most prominent strategy I came across was “swaddling.” Now I know this may seem like an obvious concept for a lot of you, but trust me, there are some people who have never heard of it!

The idea is that you want to recreate the feeling of the womb for your newborn, who has just spent 9 months nestled very snuggly in the warmth of your (or your wife’s) belly. So, in preparation for Radha’s arrival, I watched videos, went to classes and read books on how to swaddle. By the time Radha came along, I was a swaddling pro! And I found that without a doubt, swaddling leads to better sleep. But alas, there is one main problem with this seemingly perfect plan:

No matter how hard you try, a little arm, or a little leg will somehow find a way to break free from the ever so perfect swaddle!

Solution: Swaddle me to, swaddle me fro, the Miracle Blanket is the way to go!

I tried many different types of swaddling blankets. All of them were basically either squares or rectangles. The basic idea is that you fold one corner down, put the baby in the middle with their neck at that fold. Bring one side over the baby, then bring the bottom up, and then the other side over (this is a little simplified…trust me, I was trying all of the most detailed swaddling tricks). The problem is, that depending on the size of your baby, and the stretchiness of the blanket, little babies’ legs and arms can wriggle their way through.

One of my friends finally suggested: the Miracle Blanket (www.miracleblanket.com). I hesitated to buy it, because it costs between $26-$29 a pop! I doubted it could be that good…. So, I borrowed one from a friend, and lo and behold, it WORKED! It is actually a little bit complicated to use (see this YouTube Video or website) but you get used to it very fast, and you will fall in love! As soon as I started using it, my daughter starting sleeping better. She, like all babies, sometimes cried more while I was swaddling her, but once she was swaddled, she would calm down, and because her limbs wouldn’t break free, she would sleep for long stretches in the night! It was awesome. Before I knew it, I owned 3! Hope you find this helpful – I would love to hear your comments and stories!

SUMMARY: The Miracle Blanket

PROS: It works! Arms and legs do not come out and babies stay asleep longer. You can use it from when your baby is a newborn until you want to wean the swaddle. Some babies do get too big for it, but they are usually ready to wean by that point.

CONS: Pricey… but no different than the over-sized receiving blankets that you will have to get once your baby gets bigger than 7-8 pounds. And a little complicated to use at first, but don’t worry, you’ll catch on quickly!

PRICE/AVAILABILITY: The Miracle Blanket is available online at www.miracleblanket.com – you can get many different colors and styles. The price is usually about $26 (~$5 cheaper than in stores) but you have to pay for S&H. You can also find it at BuyBuy Baby, for $29.99. Definitely the way to go if you want it ASAP. You will have limited color options, but should at least be able to find green, pink and blue.