Baby swaddling is something you’ll quickly learn when you become a parent. If you’re already a parent and reading this, you know exactly what I am talking about. Baby swaddling is a method of baby wrapping designed to mimic the nurturing, cocoon feeling of the womb in the real world.
While baby swaddling offers comfort to your newborn, it also helps prevent trigger bub’s Moro reflex (also known as the startle reflex). Newborns are super sensitive to noise and movement, meaning they are prone to waking themselves up but baby swaddling can prevent triggering the startle reflex as its designed to keep your bub on their back and their arms restrained. The startle reflex usually disappears when your baby is about 2-3 months and it’s recommended to stop baby swaddling when your baby first shows signs of starting to roll (which is around this time but differs for every baby).
There is a bit of a technique to baby swaddling, which Red Nose takes you through on their helpful guide here. I found baby swaddling using a muslin or cotton cloth, really effective when Mimi was a fresh newborn (the good thing about swaddle cloths is that you can wrap them to any size). Baby swaddling is also excellent as it helps your bub sleep on their back during the night, however if your bub is a bit of an escape artist they might be able to wriggle free (as Mimi sometimes did).
Another baby product that takes the guesswork out of baby swaddling is baby swaddle pouches and bags. These products offer the same benefits of baby swaddling with a cloth but without any wrapping required. We surveyed thousands of Australian parents about their favourite baby swaddling pouches and bags. You can read about their top picks here, including the Original Grobag Snuggle by Tommee Tippee, which I tested with Mimi.
Key takeaways after testing this product
The Original Grobag Snuggle by Tommee Tippee transitions from an arms down to arms out swaddle bag. There’s a few things you should know about this feature and if it’s the right choice for your little one.
Firstly, swaddle bags typically come in arms up or arms down variety. It’s hard to know which your bub will prefer until you use them, which is why I would recommend only buying one style first before buying multiples. If your bub responds well, you’ll need about three on-the-go (one for wearing, one spare when one’s in the wash, one just in case back up). If bub feels unsettled, try the alternate style and hopefully this will help!
Arms up is for bubs who prefer to be swaddled with their arms up, while arms down is for bubs who prefer the opposite. The Original Grobag Snuggle by Tommee Tippee is for bubs preferring the arms down position.
As mentioned earlier, baby swaddling (aka your bub’s arms being restrained when sleeping in a swaddle wrap, pouch or bag) is recommended until your baby starts showing signs of being able to roll. Once this happens, you’ll have to wean them off swaddling and transition them to arms out sleeping. The good thing about this product is that it gives you the option to use it for this transition period as there are press studs on the sleeve that you simply pop open for bub’s little arms to go through. I found Mimi outgrew it well before it was time for arms out but it was handy if I wanted her wrapped up and warm during the day but with free arms.
Another difference between this product and other swaddle bags I tested is the placement of the zip. When it comes to babies, trust me, zip placement makes a huge difference! Many of the swaddle bags I tested had a two-way zip positioned in the centre of the bag, but the Original Grobag Snuggle has it positioned running diagonally and then around the edge of the bag. This made nappy changes (as long as she had a two way zippy suit underneath) really easy as the whole bottom half opened up. Getting Mimi in I found a little more difficult though. The zip would often be twisted to one side and I’d have to try again. Like the ergoPouch I found her arms would sometimes pop out while getting her in, meaning I’d have to try three times to get the zip done up!
On the plus side it had the same great features as the ergoPouch being nice and thick so no extra blankets, less washing as she couldn’t chew on her hands (like she could in an arms up position) and the ability to undo the press studs around the arms to use it with arms out. What I liked most about this one is the softness of the fabric (it was softer than the other two bags tested).
The Original Grobag Snuggle was tested by Emily and her daughter Mimi (from 0 to 6 months in various sizes as Mimi grew). To find out which baby sleeping swaddles, bags and pouches ranked highest according to the thousands of Australian families we surveyed click here.
This is general information only. If you need personal, health, medical or technical advice when it comes to your growing family, please seek out a professional.