::ultimate survival blanket...for moms and dads::

Every time we see our family and friends--or sometimes even strangers--the first thing out of their mouth is: "are you getting enough sleep?!" Our answer is always: "oh yeah, she sleeps up to 12 hours a night...has been since she was 7-weeks old!"

With that being said, I must emphasize that architectdad and I were a mess for the first month or so after O was born. Even though architectdad stayed home one week before and two weeks after, it was the most grueling time we've ever encountered...and that includes our years in architecture school. Charetting in graduate school is nothing compared to getting up every 3 hours at night and feeding the baby around the clock all day.

The one thing that saved us from complete exhaustion is swaddling. While we were in the hospital, the nurses would neatly wrap O up so that she resembled a potato--they said swaddling makes the baby feel safe (as if she is still in the womb) and helps her sleep better. After we got home, we continued to swaddle O and we really believe that it helped her sleep through the night early on.

O has, for the most part, outgrown swaddling. However, on the rare occasions when she fusses before she is down for the night, we would swaddle her and she'd calm down instantly and fall asleep. It really is amazing to see the effects of what is essentially a piece of cloth. The duration of swaddling will depend on the temperament of the baby, but a larger swaddling blanket is great for babies who like to be swaddled beyond 3 months of age.

The swaddling cloth we use is the Ultimate Receiving Blanket by Swaddle Designs. Several mod styles are available; my preference is the orange polka dots on white and the organics. Each 42"x42" (larger than most) blanket is made of super-soft prewashed cotton flannel, with beautifully finished edges. Also, the material is substantial enough that we continue to use it as a regular crib/stroller blanket. Each blanket has embroidered easy-to-follow swaddling instructions sewn in on one side. The website also has great information on why swaddling is important.

Many stores sell Swaddle Designs, including Nordstrom's kids department. I purchased mine from the Giggle store in SoHo. You can also order them online: http://www.egiggle.com/. I hope it works as well for you as it did for us.