Have you ever had a baby that immediately wanted to break free from the swaddle the moment you put them in? Has this baby also woken up multiple times a night because of the micro reflex that many babies have? Well, the Love To Dream Swaddle Up is going to be the answer to your prayers then. Over time your baby will sleep longer and longer and so will you! Here are the reasons why so many parents turn to the Love To Dream Swaddle Up.
Free Moving Swaddle
The reason why this swaddle stands out from the more basic swaddlers like the Comfy Cubs Swaddle Blanket that I reviewed here and other similar swaddlers is that it doesn’t pin your baby’s arms down.
Check out how it looks in the video below:
Many swaddlers, ones that I have successfully used in the past, will pin your baby in like a straight jacket. This is effective to keep your baby from waking at night from the micro reflexes that all babies experience, but it looks so uncomfortable. But like I said, I’ve had success in the past at keeping babies asleep longer with the basic swaddlers, so why is a free moving swaddle like the Love To Dream Swaddle Up important?
Why It Works
According to the Love To Dream Company, 90% of babies prefer to have their hands up near their head when they are sleeping. They say that babies are this way in the womb and it is more natural and more comfortable for them.
I personally had one child who was born with his hand up by his cheek and he always had to have that hand out of his swaddle when I swaddled him. But it was really difficult to keep him asleep at night because he would startle himself awake every few hours with the micro reflexes.
Snug Fit
The Love To Dream Swaddle Up is a sleep sack that fits snugly around the middle and allows the arms to move freely near the face. Babies need to feel secure and safe. One of the reasons they enjoy to be swaddled is because they are contained nice and snug. The snug fit around your baby’s trunk will help them feel held in place.
Hands Loose
The hands will be up at your baby’s face, which will allow your baby to self soothe at night. Although your baby might be a little frustrated at first that he or she can’t access their fists, but they quickly will learn to soothe themselves sucking on their fist through the fabric.
Your baby will be able to have their hands up by their head and be able to move them around. They won’t be tied down by their sides. The Love To Dream Swaddle Up has just enough give in the arms that they can move about freely, and just enough snugness that your baby won’t smack himself in the face with the micro reflexes.
Soft Fabric
Whenever I buy any baby product that my baby will wear against his or her skin, I always take extra care to make sure the fabric is something that will work with sensitive skin. The Love To Dream Swaddle Up is made from fabric that does not contain any harmful chemicals or flame retardants. So it should be a fabric that wouldn’t give my babies any kinds of rashes or skin irritations.
It’s also important for me to know what kind of fabric it is before I buy it because I like to know just how much give it has. This particular fabric is 93% cotton and 7% elastane. This is the perfect combination of a soft, breathable fabric and the elastane, which will allow your baby to stretch the fabric in every direction as he or she moves.
It is very important, when you are buying a snug swaddler to make sure that it fits snugly but also has some give to it so your baby can be as comfortable as possible.
Reverse Zipper
The most convenient feature that so many baby brands have been putting in their clothes and swaddlers is the reverse zipper. I cannot tell you how much I love this feature! I discuss the importance of this feature at length in my review of the Comfy Cubs swaddler. The Comfy Cubs swaddler does not have a reverse zipper, but it is something that I wished it had many times when I used it.
This feature is so important when you are doing the nighttime feeds because more often than not, your baby will pass gas and it’s very difficult to tell whether it is just gas or a poopy diaper. But unswaddling your baby could wake him or her up and then you would have to redo the entire process of soothing your baby back to sleep, which is a nightmare when you are a tired parent just trying to get some sleep.
The Love To Dream Swaddle Up has the reverse zipper feature, and I’ll give you a small piece of advice that will save you many frustrating moments in the future, only by jammies that have the reverse zipper as well. There is a great selection of these sleepers out there now, and you should be able to find them in all stores near you.
Fit Neckline
Another thing I love so much about the Love To Dream Swaddle Up is that it has a fit neckline similar to your child’s jammies. Other swaddlers that wrap your baby’s arms down have wide necklines. The two other reviews I’ve written about swaddlers, the Comfy Cubs Swaddler and the Bluemello Swaddler both have these necklines if you’d like to check them out.
The wide necklines are very inconvenient because if your baby wiggles a lot in his or her sleep they can wiggle right out of them. Your baby can also break out easily with these wide necklines. The Love To Dream Swaddle Up has a normal baby neckline similar to what you would find on their jammies. There is literally no way your baby can break out of this swaddle, but with the free moving arms, it is unlikely that they would want to break free.
Important Tools
Have you ever swaddled your baby and wondered if he or she is too hot or too cold? It is so hard to make all these decisions for a little baby, who has a lot of needs but cannot express any of their needs.
Well, Love To Dream posted a little handy dandy chart that tells you exactly how to dress your baby under the swaddle for all different temperatures. Of course, you should always be vigilant and feel your baby’s skin to see how they are reacting to different ways of dressing, but this is a great place to start.
Complaints
As with many baby products, even the best ones on the market, there are some complaints. This product, in my opinion is as near perfect a swaddler as you can get, so take these complaints with a grain of salt.
Too Small
One of the most common complaints is that the Love To Dream Swaddle Up is too small. Most swaddlers are made to be a snug fit, so this is not very surprising. However, there is an easy fix to this. There are three different sizes you can choose from, Newborn, Small, and Medium. If your babies are on the bigger size then don’t even bother with the newborn size. It’s a good idea to buy one in each size and see what works for your baby.
Arm Position
Another complaint from some parents is that they worry that the arm position is dangerous. When babies have their arms pinned to their sides like with the basic swaddlers, it is basically impossible for babies to roll over. However, when their arms are free moving above their heads, it is easier for them to roll over by accident. If you notice that your baby is rolling at all, then make sure you stop use of any kind of swaddler because that can be dangerous. However, if you keep an eye on them and notice their skills as they develop them, this shouldn’t be a problem.
Conclusion
Overall, the Love To Dream Swaddle Up is a great option for a swaddle that is a little unconventional. It solves all the problems that I had with my swaddles in the past. With the reverse zipper, you don’t have to worry about waking your baby in the middle of the night to check on their diaper. The neckline makes it impossible for the baby to wiggle out. And best of all, your baby will be able to move his or her arms around freely. They won’t feel constricted and will be able to self soothe during the night. This leads to a happier night’s sleep for your baby and yourself. And honestly, when you’re a new parent, is there anything more valuable than a good night’s sleep?