It never fails. With each new baby comes a somewhat desperate quest for the perfect swaddle that will undoubtedly lead to a full night of sleep. I always start with my very favorite baby must-have, the beloved Aden and Anais swaddle blanket. It is perfect for a newborn and really all you need to successfully swaddle your sweet little bundle of joy.

I loathe the hospital swaddle blankets. They are rectangular in shape, which makes swaddling a baby a rather difficult task. A good swaddle starts with a square blanket, which is precisely why you need the soft, light weight, and beautiful swaddle blankets made by Aden and Anais. I have packed these blankets all five times I have checked in to the hospital to have a baby, and I rarely leave home without one.

But after a month or so, you may need to call in reinforcements. Your baby will grow stronger and will most likely wriggle their arms free from a swaddle blanket. With Baby Cora, I tried out the Love to Dream Swaddle UP and the Woombie, but what led to the longest stretches of sleep for her was the SwaddleMe Original Swaddle combined with a secondary Aden and Anais swaddle blanket.

So what exactly does that look like? First, I start with a basic Carters onesie, as I want to keep this layer light weight. After that, I velcro her into the SwaddleMe Original Swaddle. I love this particular swaddle because it is so easy to use! Now Cora did end up with a free arm a handful of times, so I decided to add an extra layer to ensure she couldn’t escape. A loose arm wouldn’t bother me if it didn’t wake her up.

Adding the secondary swaddle is my “secret swaddle sauce,” as it increased Cora’s night time sleep from 2.5 hours at a time to 5 hours at a time, and that’s a win in my book.

-Lacey

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3: