I love, love, LOVE babies. Especially when they are mine. But there's something else that I really love: Sleep. Unfortunately I don't always get to love both at the same time. In the past, transitioning from the swaddle has always been a tiring process. But with baby #3, a friend of mine gave me a great tip.
Before I mention her tip, here are two signs to look for to know if your baby might be ready to give up the swaddle:
- rolling over
- waking multiple times while swaddled
You'll want to look for signs that your baby is ready to transition because transitioning too early won't bring the sleep you are so desperately wanting.
My other tip is to first transition from the swaddle during nap time. Since this is a huge change for your baby, you want to start with small increments of time until your baby gets used to the change.
Okay, on to the tip I got from my friend.
She asked me if I had ever heard of the Zipadee-Zip sleep sack and offered to let me try hers. She said it was awesome for both of her babies. Here's why:
The star-shaped pointed sleeves and star-fish design create just enough resistance to let baby move around, but also provide some of the cozy security that swaddling gives. My baby and my niece are about the same age, so we both got Zipadee-Zips to try. Here is my niece in hers:
The website describes it like this:
“The ‘Moro’ or startle reflex is what prevents a baby from sleeping soundly and jolts a baby awake suddenly. The reason babies are startled is because they wake up and can’t feel their edges like they were able to in the womb. The Zipadee-Zip provides those ‘edges’ or that womb like environment while still providing them the freedom to roll around and use their arms and hands safely. This is why the Zipadee-Zip will work when all other products parents have tried to transition their babies typically fail.”
Here's 3 criteria to look for to know if your baby is ready:
- Your baby can roll over
- Your baby is 3 months or older
- Your baby is over 12 pounds
Also Make sure you get the right size for your baby. And if your baby is a thumb-sucker, they are probably not going to like this because there is covering over the hands. Just something to keep in mind if you are considering one yourself.
Here is my son in his:
What I like most about the Zipadee Zip is that it keeps my babies hands and feet warm. With other sleep sacks, by babies always wake up with cold hands, which also interrupts their sleep. I also like that it's a good sleep cue for him. He now knows when I pull it out that it is time to go to sleep.
Has anyone else tried the Zipadee-Zip? What are your thoughts?