Giveaway: The Essential Newborn List Part 2 – Swaddling wraps

See this? It may look like just a piece of fabric but it’s actually a new Mum’s secret weapon.

It’s a swaddle wrap. For countless generations Mothers have swaddled their children to give them comfort and help them sleep. But wait, there’s more. This wrap isn’t just a swaddle wrap. It’s also a scarf, a beach throw, a late night mid-feed shoulder warmer, a milk mopper-upper, a baby blanket, a school-run baby warmer and a makeshift sarong. Phew! Talk about multi-tasking.

But don’t be fooled, not all swaddle wraps are created equal. This particular wrap is super-charged. It’s a Great Swandoodle from Cuski and it’s made of 100% bamboo muslin from organically grown bamboo which makes it super-super-soft and warm without being bulky.

Every night I wrap Peanut in his Swandoodle after a feed, pop him into his basinet alongside our bed and cross my fingers that he’ll settle himself to sleep. So far he’s been pretty good and is stretching himself out to between 3-4 hours which can give me a good 2 hours sleep between feeds if I’m lucky, safe in the knowledge that he’s snug and secure. Doesn’t sound like a lot but I’m a new woman because of it. And I put it down to swaddling. I know he won’t put up with being swaddled for ever, but in my opinion having such a good quality wrap makes all the difference.

When he’s feeding in the early hours of the morning I often get quite chilly, boobs exposed (as you do) so I drape the Swandoodle around my shoulders to take the chill off and there’s extra fabric left over to drape around Peanut so that he’s parcelled up on my chest. The Swandoodle traps my body heat and keeps us both warm.

Unfortunately I use the Swandoodle every day and as such it gets quite grubby and it’s in the wash and tumble dryer a couple of times a week. So far it’s coped really well with this, retained it’s shape and colour and hasn’t lost any of it’s softness. While it’s having a bath I’m lucky enough to be able to replace it with another Cuski wrap – the Sweet DreameezZ (great names eh?).

This is the first jet black swaddle cloth that I’ve come across and it’s prettily decorated with silver stars. It’s made from natural breathable anti-bacterial muslin and is fully machine washable at 30°C. “But wait, black?” I hear you ask with your eyebrows raised? Yep, and here’s why. When Peanut is a bit bigger I’ll be using it to block out light from the pram at nap time or shade him from the sun in the summer. And black is the new black of course so it’s tres a la mode and a perfect gift for new Dads too.

For colder days the aden + anais Cozy collection is perfect as the swaddles are made with two, rather than one layer of muslin. These wraps are made of 100% cotton muslin and the fabrics light, open weave allows a babys body temperature to regulate itself naturally which helps to prevent overheating. The double layer of muslin helps make baby comfortably warm on cold nights, winter school runs and brisk walks through the park. As well as swaddling with it I use this wrap over the top of the Cuski Great Swandoodle as a blanket for an extra layer of warmth. The other great thing about aden + anais wraps is that they are extra large, measuring 47″ x 47″ and just like the Cuski wraps they can also be used as burp cloths, nursing and stroller covers, portable crib sheets, stroller and car seat liners, tummy time blankets, change table covers, and more.

The Cuski Swandoodle and The Cuski Sweet DreameezZ cost £21.99 and they are available from www.cuskishop.co.uk & Fenwick department stores and Ocado.com.

The Jungle Jam Giraffe wrap from Aden + Anais is £29.95 and is available from www.adenandanais.co.uk.

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