On Swaddle Blankets

Let's talk swaddle blankets.

On my registry, I had a couple swaddle blankets. I kind of presumed a swaddle blanket is a swaddle blanket, so I just picked colors I liked and left it at that.

Boy was I wrong.

I ended up with one set that was a warm jersey knit, on the small side, and square. The other set was woven, slightly lighter and larger, and rectangular. Both were your typical swaddle blanket sets that are listed on the sample registries. And both were awful.

Here's the deal with the swaddle blankets:

1. You want a square blanket. Rectangles do not fold well around a baby.
2. You want a large blanket. You can always make it smaller by folding down the top corner farther. However, you're going to use this for a while, so you need it to be large.
3. You want something lightweight. Especially if you have a summer baby. Kai was boiling in the knit blankets.You can always layer more clothes, or use warmer clothes, if it's cold.
4. You want at least 4 blankets. One for the baby, one spare, one in the wash, and one in the laundry basket. You think I joke?I once had 3 blankets in the laundry basket.
   In ONE EVENING.

We ended up buying a 4-pack of Aden and Anais blankets. They are perfect. In addition to being large, square, and lightweight, they're slightly stretchy, which makes swaddling easier. They're also very breathable, so you can use them as a nursing cover or as a sunshade over the carseat.

You might be tempted to get some fancy blanket thing that has straps and velcro and arm pockets and whatnot. However, they're expensive, can't be used as a normal blanket, and you don't need them. Just swaddle the kid with a regular blanket and make it TIGHT.

Tighter.

Are you thinking that it's so tight, you're going to suffocate your baby? No? Then it's NOT TIGHT ENOUGH.

Ok, good. Now you have 2 hours until he Houdini's his way out of it anyway.

And on the subject of swaddling...you want to first buy this book and read it. We read it and thought "Oh, that's a nice set of tips for handling a cranky baby. Perhaps we will use those."

Then we watched the video. And we thought "OMG, this man is a baby whisperer!"