Newborn Swaddles

If you've read or watched Happiest Baby on the Block, then you know that one of the keys to settling an infant and keeping the moro reflex from waking him is to swaddle. We tried every option we had in the house to get him to settle when he was fussy in that first week, with varying success, until finally getting into a routine.

Our son was born at 7lb 3oz, skinny and long. We tested these options between 6lb 15oz and about 9lb. His narrow frame is a bit more challenging to fit snuggly, but overall there are a lot of options that are working for us. At 4 weeks, he's comfortably sleeping swaddled every night in the Summer Infant SwaddleMe, mostly because we have three of them, and every now and then we rotate another option in.

Currently, it being -20 Celsius outside, we put him to sleep in two cotton sleepers, and then put the swaddle on top of that.

Summer Infant SwaddleMe - Size Small/Medium

The Summer Infant SwaddleMe is our go to option, as it fits the most snuggly and is the easiest to take on and off.

Reasons we love it:

• Made narrow, fits nicely on our thin 7lb newborn
• Easy to wrap tightly as there isn't a lot of extra fabric
• Though its not designed to be used this way, we often leave one arm out of the swaddle

Reasons I really dislike using it:

• Must be removed to change diaper, a huge con if you have an infant that hates being changed and needs to be changed every time he is fed as this just lengthens the entire process
• The velcro is quite loud, so if you do have a calm baby that can almost sleep through a diaper change, the velcro will likely wake him
• The first few times we used it he easily got at least one arm out, which may have been because he was very small or because we were too afraid to swaddle him tightly enough

Halo SleepSack Swaddle - Size Newborn 

The major difference with the Halo SleepSack Swaddle is that it has an inner layer that you put on your baby, with arm holes and a zipper to close, prior to swaddling. I think this would be really great in the summer when you don't need an extra sleeper underneath, but in the winter I find the extra arm holes to be rather annoying when dressing him.

HALO SleepSack Swaddle

Size-wise, even though it says it will fit 6lbs - 12lbs, I find it to be made much larger than the Summer Infant SwaddleMe. The wrap around swaddling part is too wide and also too long for our baby, and as a result it can't nicely be tucked in under his back and makes for an uncomfortable bulge underneath him. Now that he's 9lbs 8oz and 54cm long it fits a bit more nicely, but the swaddle is still too wide for him yet he's almost outgrown the length.

The major pro for this option is the upside down zipper which, in theory, enables you to change the diaper without taking it off. However, I find the swaddle to be made quite wide, so unless you have a baby with short legs and a long torso, the swaddle overlaps with the diaper so we need to end up unswaddling him. Here I am changing his diaper in the middle of night without unswaddling, doable but really not well designed for it.

A late night diaper change without unswaddling

Note that HALO makes a Preemie size, and the online reviews for this swaddle pretty consistently say that Newborn size is too big, so I'd highly recommend getting the Preemie size if you're anticipating a small to average-sized baby.

Miracle Blanket

The Miracle Blanket is made for magician babies, that can break out of everything. Even in the first week when we were completely new to swaddling and it seemed our baby could break out of every swaddle, he couldn't get out of this one. It also pins his arms to his side so he can't move them to the front or anywhere once he's locked in.

Miracle Blanket

Ultimately, this option is preferable if you prefer something quieter, as it doesn't use velcro, and you need something your baby is guaranteed not to escape!

Ergococoon Swaddle and Sleep Bag

I was really excited to try the Ergococoon Swaddle and Sleep Bag as I thought it'd be the miraculous easy solution to late night diaper changes with its 2-way zipper. It has the softest fabric of all the options, and we have the slightly warmer autumn/spring option which allows us to put just a cotton sleeper underneath.

Ergococoon Swaddle and Sleep Bag

Unfortunately, there's no way to tighten it around the arms, so our little guy was able to move his hands all of the way up to his face while wearing it. I received many recommendations for this one, so if your baby moves his arms around less and you only need to prevent the moro reflex from kicking in, this could be the option for you. Unfortunately, I don't think we'll be able to use this again until we take his arms out.

Summer Infant Muslin Blanket

The Summer Infant Muslin Blanket is designed to be used as a swaddle, but it requires some practice to successfully use. These blankets are soft, and the colours are brilliant, so we use these for a lot of things, including burping, however these have not been a good swaddling option for us as they are simply too difficult to tie tightly. Our little guy was able to escape these every time, and I didn't feel comfortable leaving him swaddled overnight in them because of it.

At 40”x40”, these blankets are larger than receiving blankets, but not quite as large as the Aden + Anais muslin swaddling blankets. They are stretchable, which we found made it more difficult to swaddle tightly. They are also nice and breathable, so these would be great as a summer swaddling option.

Summer Infant Muslin Blanket

Aden + Anais 100% Cotton Muslin Swaddles

The Aden + Anais Cotton Muslin Swaddles are by far my favourite of the muslin blankets we own. They are the largest we've found, at 47”x47”, so we had a bit more success swaddling with them than with the Summer Infant Muslin Blankets. I've use them to keep baby warm and to protect myself from spit up when nursing. The gentle colours make great back drops for brilliant pictures as well.

Aden + Anais Muslin Swaddle

Ergobaby Swaddler

I didn't actually get to try the Ergobaby Swaddler, but when researching which swaddle to buy next, I stumbled upon it and wish I had found it sooner! It is designed for easy diaper access in the middle of the night, and beyond that also allows for hands to be swaddled up as opposed to by baby's side. Definitely worth researching if you're looking for an optimal swaddle.

Perineum Postpartum Care

I researched healing methods and obtained any necessary items to help get me through the healing process after birth. Some of the following are techniques to promote this healing, and others are products I had on hand in case they proved useful.

Baths

If you have had stitches or a tear, baths are recommended at least once a day. I personally found these to be helpful for relieving engorgement after my milk came in as well.

Soak in a clean tub filled with several inches of warm water. You can add half a cup of epsom salts and, after the first three days, you can also add herbs that are known to promote wound healing (i.e. calendula or comfrey). After bathing, allow time for your perineum to be exposed to the air as this also promotes healing: lie down on a towel or pad for around 30 minutes, or use a hand held hair dryer on a warm setting. The normal healing process for stitches or tears progresses from tenderness in the first days to slightly itchy.

I planned to only use epsom salt, and found these to be enough. If you really enjoy scented baths, a few interesting options I've seen available for use in healing baths are:

• Peas In A Pod Sittin' Pretty Perineal Salts
• Anointment Postpartum Herbal Bath Herbs
• Homemade Postpartum Sitz Bath

Use of water and perineal sprays

Your perineum will likely be sore and tender for the first days after the birth, which can cause discomfort when urinating. To help, you can squeeze warm water onto your perineum with a plastic squeeze bottle every time you go to the bathroom to take the sting out of it. You can also use a peri or spray bottle filled with witch hazel or a mix of healing ingredients. There are many available pre-made, or you can easily mix your own.

• Peri Bottle
• Earth Mama Angel Baby New Mama Bottom Spray
• Aromatic Health Postpartum Perineum Spray
• Handmade Natural Postpartum Perineum Spray

The peri bottle is also useful for preventing infection. Use it to rinse the area with warm water after each urination or bowel movement, then pat yourself dry from front to back to minimize irritation and discomfort.

I chose to have Earth Mama Angel Baby New Mama Bottom Spray on hand, however I ended up only using the peri bottle. I found having two to be helpful so I could keep them in the two bathrooms I use most often in the house, as my midwives also recommended that I try to avoid going up and down the stairs in the first couple of days.

Perineum cream

Many people simply apply witch hazel directly using a peri bottle as detailed above, but there are a couple of other options that may be more soothing. Creams can be stored in the refrigerator, which can also help cool the area when applied. I decided to get Earth Mama Angel Baby New Mama Bottom Balm, which contains natural ingredients such as shea butter and witch hazel leaf. There are quite a few options for this as well, but the ones I considered:

• Earth Mama Angel Baby New Mama Bottom Balm
• Anointment Push Perineum Balm

I enjoyed using Earth Mama Angel Baby New Mama Bottom Balm, though I didn't bother keeping it refrigerated. You spend a lot of time sitting and nursing in the first few days, and it felt good when applied.

Compresses

Warm and cold compresses can help ease discomfort. Some midwives recommend warmth as it brings blood to the area. In fact, in some traditional cultures postpartum women are not allowed anything cold and are kept in very warm rooms. To apply a warm compress, just use a washcloth.

If you prefer cold, fill a plastic bag with crushed ice and wrap it in a wash cloth. You can gently apply an ice pack to the perineum for 20 minutes every two or three hours, especially in the first 24 hours, to reduce swelling and relieve pain. Many women I've spoken to also swear by Padsicles, which are pads that have been soaked with witch hazel and aloe vera and frozen. 

• How the F#*k Do I Make a Padsicle?
• Soothing Compresses

I didn't find I needed to do this as I had minimal discomfort. Had I not been able to take daily baths and showers, I probably would have resolved to doing it.

Maternity and menstrual pads

And then there's the bleeding. Most online resources recommend absorbent pads without a mesh cover to prevent irritating stitches. Ideally, they should also not have a plastic liner to ensure the area can breathe. I purchased a few different kinds:

• Natracare New Mother Maternity Pads
• Organ(y)c 100% Organic Cotton Pads with Wings - Maternity or Super Flow

And for slightly lighter flow:

• NatraCare Ultra Super Pads with Wings
• Organ(y)c 100% Organic Cotton Pads with Wings - Heavy Flow

There are also many natural cloth options available. A thorough review of these is available at Maman Loup's Den.

I ended up using the Organ(y)c ones the most, and alternated depending on time of day for the first few days. I found the maternity pads rather thick, which was uncomfortable when spending hours sitting with baby, and preferred the Organ(y)c 100% Organic Cotton Pads with Wings - Heavy Flow to the maternity ones in the end. Within a few days I switched to using Natracare panty liners that I already had on hand, but I didn't really like them as they were very small and still somewhat thick. I'd recommend having some on hand that are larger and very very thin.

Comfortable underwear

Goes without saying that between compresses, pads and bleeding you'll also want to ensure you have comfortable underwear that breathes and that you can happily dispose of after birth. I meant to purchase inexpensive cotton underwear in a size too big, but ran out of time so instead I set aside some comfortable underwear that I'm ok needing to replace. I also obtained samples of those god-awful incontinence panties: Tena and Depends. If you visit their websites each will send you two pairs you can give a try. I didn't end up needing these postpartum, however they were a godsend during labor given that my water broke 24 hours before I went into early labour!

The other option is disposable underwear and/or mesh panties. Hospitals apparently give these out. I couldn't find any mesh undies with good reviews online though, that matched the quality of the hospital ones, so you might be better off making friends with nurses or sticking to the above choices as I have.

Pain relief

Both Acetaminophen (Tylenol) and Ibuprofen (Advil) are safe and recommended for pain management in the postpartum period. Try acetaminophen first, then ibuprofen if you need something stronger. Our midwives recommended taking two regular strength Tylenol and Advil every 4 hours, which I found to be the best pain relief during those first few days and long evenings spent holding and nursing baby. I don't usually take any pain relief drugs, but I found these to be the best item to have on hand. I took them around the clock the first three days and every night for the following week or so. It made all of the difference.


One of many great Canadian online retailers for labour and postpartum care is the All About Birth Boutique. They have many natural products and a section dedicated to postpartum care.

5 Reasons to Request Gift Receipts for Your Baby Shower Gifts

1. Duplicates

People aren't memorizing your list, and end up getting you items in multiples, no matter how hard you try to avoid it.

For instance, I received 3 tubes of nipple cream. I understand my nipples will get sore, but I really hope one is enough to start! If my nipples hurt enough to make it through 3 tubes in the first few months, I'll likely be looking for other solutions and different brands, or (gasp!) give up on breastfeeding altogether!

2. Sales

This reason isn't for everyone, as it requires some patience and some work, but it can really pay off.

People often buy full price, as they think of buying you a gift a week or two before your shower. If you have the patience to go back to the store with the item and the receipt when these items go on sale, you can save a huge amount. The newborn diapers on my registry are $14.99/pack at Toys'R'Us. Yet they often have them on sale for $8.49/pack. With a little organization, I can get two packs of diapers for the price of one; that's 6 days of diapers versus 3! Did I mention diapers are expensive?!

The week after my baby shower, all of Aden & Anais went on sale for 20% off at Chapters. My girlfriends had purchased a set for me from there at full price, but had given me the gift receipt. I was able to go in and get the difference back in gift cards, to put towards another purchase. That's almost $20 to spend on a book or other cute baby item of my choice in store or online! And I know they were genuinely happy I was able to do this, one of them even told me about the sale.

3. Lowest value for returns without gift receipts

Many stores, in particular Toys'R'Us have a policy of giving you only the value of the lowest price they ever charge for that item. Say your child is born huge and never fits into newborn diapers? You get only $8.49 for that pack, even if they are currently being sold at full price, and even if they were purchased off your registry at full price.

With the number of people who use Toys'R'Us for their registries, even knowing they don't have the best prices, you think they would have the technology to help you return items purchased on it at the price that was paid. But what's their incentive to do so? They know you're going to spend money there anyway, and that you have no choice but to return or give it away if you can't use it. If you return something without a gift receipt, which was paid for full price, Toys'R'Us is actually making money for not selling you something.

4. Baby may never fit into certain clothing, diapers, etc

I'm keeping the tags on most of my newborn-sized items until baby comes, in case he never fits into them. Diapers can also stay in their sealed box or bag. Every baby is different, and there's no guarantee they'll ever fit into anything newborn. Wouldn't it be nice to exchange these for items a size bigger and not lose money on them in the process?

5. It's a question of taste... 

This is a controversial one. If you really don't like something you received, and don't plan to use it, should you keep it? Would your family and friends prefer feeling good that they made a great choice selecting a gift for you, or would they prefer you get something you love and really need?

You'll have to use your judgement on this one, but it'll be difficult to even contemplate this if you don't have the gift receipt.