This Zip-Up Swaddle Is 'Literally the Best Thing' for Transitioning Your Baby to a Sleep Sack
Amazon
A swaddle that grows with your kid! The Love to Dream Swaddle UP Transition Bag was invented by an Australian mom and is winning parents' praise. That's because babies grow faster than you'd ever think possible and are ready to move from a bundled swaddle situation to an arms-free sleeping bag in what seems to be the blink of an eye (but is actually somewhere between 3 and 4 months). Ta-da, this swaddle blanket serves both purposes.
"Literally the best thing I have ever purchased," writes one reviewer on Amazon who uses it in the wings-on position to keep her infant from startling himself awake at night. Apparently the little guy hated being swaddled with his hands down, straightjacket-style, and enjoys the arms-overhead position of this swaddle. Bonus: With his little hands covered, he can get his fist to his mouth but can't scratch himself with his razor-sharp baby nails.
When your baby is starting to roll, it's time to transition to having their hands free for safety. If they get themselves in a face-down position, you want them to be able to push up with their arm and turn their head to keep their mouth free for breathing. This swaddle transitions simply: Zip off one wing for a few nights before you also unzip the other to gradually get your baby used to sleeping hands-free wearing just the snug sack. Reviewers who have done the transition say it works well. "Now that my son is 6 month old, he's started sleeping in footiePJs, but he still loves wearing his Love to Dream.. it's a perfect wearable blanket for lounging!" writes one.
Amazon
To buy: $35; amazon.com
The arms-overhead position of the Swaddle UP line is unique to this brand, but it's actually a natural position. You may have even caught your baby napping this way, as if they fell asleep mid-stretch! Many babies love it—but not all of them do, so keep in mind it's an idea worth trying but not guaranteed to work.
In addition to the unique design, the Love to Dream swaddle has several other stand-out features. The zipper works both ways, from the bottom-up for changing diapers at night and from the top-down for easing your baby in and out of the sack, and you can choose between gray and mint hues. The swaddle comes in sizes medium, large, and extra-large, but small babies do best with the stage-one swaddle the brand makes, the original Swaddle UP, which comes in sizes newborn, small, and medium.
Shop the customer-loved original and Love to Dream swaddles on Amazon for just $30 and $35, respectively.
