Everyone has a swaddle opinion. Your nurse will show you how to do the hospital blanket burrito and you’ll feel like a genius for about four hours until it unravels for the ninth time at 3am. Here’s what actually worked for us across two kids.
For the Hospital (And Week One)
Bring three aden + anais wraps. Not one, not two — three. Babies spit up constantly and you will burn through them. We love these when they’re brand new and really just need to be squeezed to calm. The cotton knit has enough stretch to get a snug wrap without fighting a traditional blanket, and the zipper bottom means you’re not unwrapping the whole situation for a diaper check.
Some people prefer the HALO SleepSack Swaddle. It’s more structured and seems to be able to hold tighter. I also found it to be more finnicky/hard to use - and with stronger velcro adjusting was harder/louder.
Long Term (Once They Find Their Arms)
Both of our kids like sleeping with their arms by their face. The Love to Dream Swaddle UP was perfect. Arms up, hands by their face, but still contained enough to manage the startle reflex. This was our long-term swaddle for both kids.
Good to Know
Size matters. They grow long before wide and they’ll size out when they can’t stretch their legs all the way out in the bottom. It’s normal for swaddles and sleep sacks to look way too long for such a tiny baby — they’re not. You want plenty of extra space for their legs to move super freely - that's how you make sure their hips develop right.
Pay attention to TOG. That’s the temperature rating — basically how warm the swaddle is. Love to Dream has a great explainer on their site. You’ll also figure out your kid. Cleo slept hot — she was in onesie only for months. Mouse sleeps cool — he wants all the blankets.
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Also see: The Snoo: Rent It.