The Miracle Blanket: An ode to swaddling

A few weeks ago, I wrote about our transition to the crib.

In that post, I mentioned the Miracle Blanket, which was indeed a miracle for our strong little baby. Elle was no match for regular swaddles - she'd break them in no time and be alert and awake. I asked around for advice on what would work, and I got several suggestions for special swaddles and swaddling blankets, like the Woombie, and other baby gear, like a Rock N Play.

I weighed my options, based on reviews and word of mouth. I could either spend $50 on a Rock N Play that would take up more space and duplicate some of the features of my Pack N Play, swing and bouncy seat, or I could shell out $30 for a blanket that might work a miracle. But $30? For another blanket?

I asked a mommy blogger friend after she blogged a similar post about swaddling her son, who is just a few weeks older than Elle. She suggested the "Uber Swaddle" as an alternative to the Miracle Blanket, and we had *some* success. But it wasn't keeping Gigantor swaddled completely or tightly, and she was waking up a lot.

And then an e-mail arrived. An e-mail from BabySteals.com, a site where I've gotten several cool baby things (like an Ergo baby carrier) for more than 50% off. And the advertised sale of the day? The Miracle Blanket, for $14.99.

SOLD.

I ordered a blanket, figuring if nothing else, I was out only $15 and could always try it on a future kid. But this blanket? It worked. For the most part, anyway, and for quite a while. It seemed intimidating at first, but we got in to a routine - Elle would nurse on one side, I would burp her, we'd change her and then we'd swaddle her in the Miracle Blanket, a signal to her that it was time to wind down and prepare for sleep. Then I'd nurse her on the other side, burp her, and she'd be out like a light.

For several magical weeks, she slept 7-10 hours. Without waking. Fussing, yes, but not waking. And when she woke, she WOKE, grunting and wriggling as soon as she was awake enough to realize she was confined like a mummy. (But she was the cutest little burrito baby you'll ever see!)

But this all worked fantastically until E decided she didn't want her feet to be swaddled anymore, and being lengthy, she could kick out of the bottom pocket and work her legs free. Sometimes she could use that momentum to get part of the blanket unwrapped. I have no idea how she managed all of this, but she apparently is quite skilled in the art of escapism.

Tim has always hated that E was swaddled. He refused to swaddle her on nights that I wasn't there. Being her primary food source, I always told him that if he wanted to get up with her every time she startled herself awake, we could stop swaddling. He would quickly drop the subject. Sometimes, though, I think he and Elle were conspiring against me, and she would spit up - and I mean SPIT UP - during her final burping of the night, rendering the blanket impossible to use. Then we'd use a Halo sleep blanket, from which she could easily break free. (Girl is strong, people.)

On our recent trip to Ohio, we woke one morning to the familiar sounds of Elle struggling to get out of the blanket. Tim looked at me and said, "Hear that? Plunk, plunk. Two separate thuds." Instead of a cohesive hefting of her mermaided legs, we both knew what we'd see when we peeked in to the Pack N Play - a swaddled baby's torso, with two legs kicking away, unswaddled like nobody's business. She made it until the second-to-last night in Ohio before she peed through several layers, including her Miracle Blanket, rendering it unusable for the rest of the trip. (The biggest downside of the blanket? It takes FOREVER to dry. So when I did laundry, I knew it would need extra time in the dryer.)

I used a Halo sleep blanket ... and realized that Elle was nearly too long for it. Which meant I was running out of options. She was routinely kicking out of the Miracle Blanket, sometimes before I'd even put her down in the crib. And she was too long for my back-up option.

We got back from Ohio and had Elle's two-month pediatrician appointment two days later. Tim went with me, and I asked the doctor a few questions, including one about swaddling. I know that there are pros and cons of it, with the cons including the fact that it can affect development of joints, muscles, etc. But from most of the reading I've done, that isn't a real issue unless the baby is swaddled for more than a few months, or longer than most babies need to grow out of their startle reflex. Dr. P said that we should probably stop swaddling her now and "let the baby move." (Cue Tim's cheering.) Most people seem to have issues with their baby's trying to break free of swaddles around their arms - our baby was constantly fighting to free her legs. But regardless, she was restricted, and she won't be 21 and swaddled, so we had to start somewhere.

So at 10.5 weeks old, on the day of her first vaccines, we stopped swaddling.

And the baby slept! For about four hours. I was shocked, as she usually only napped for 20-30 minutes if left unswaddled and on a flat surface like the crib.

But then she was up, and I changed her, fed her and tried to put her back down. And every time, she'd drift off to sleep in my arms. And every time I try to put her down in the crib, she'd wake up. And it was party time. This went on for about an hour. I figured it might be a result of the vaccines and prayed that it wasn't the new normal.

But the next three nights were the same. E slept for 3-4 hours, was up for an hour, then slept for another 4-5 hours. I told Tim I wouldn't mind it if she wouldn't fight so much to go back to sleep. And if I knew what exactly was causing this new shift in schedule, I'd feel better about it. But was it the absence of my beloved Miracle Blanket? The trauma of the vaccines? The newness of the Tylenol used to combat the fever after the vaccines? A growth spurt? A delayed reaction to our travels in Ohio? Or just some random quirk in an infant's pattern?

We may never know. But last night, E slept for a solid seven hours. And she's been napping better during the day, so I have to hope that we might be on the path back to our stellar little sleeper. Sans swaddle, of course.