Sleep, Brought to You by The Woombie

I originally read about the Woombie on the Cloth Diaper Outlet blog. We were using some swaddle blankets we bought after the receiving blankets were obviously too small to swaddle Second Son, but he was still waking me between six and eight times each night. (That's not an exaggeration!) That boy just didn't seem able to settle down and I was getting pretty tired. I showed it to Kansas Dad and said I wanted it but thought it was a lot of money when we already had swaddle blankets. He pointed out that it would be a small price to pay if it worked and I was able to sleep more.

So I thought about it off and on for another week when we received an unexpected and very generous gift card. I immediately bought it! We ordered the big baby size (14 to 19 pounds) and started using it when Second Son was almost exactly 13 pounds. The first night was Saturday, August 21st, and he woke up once. All night.

Once.

It was heavenly!

Not every night is that wonderful, of course. Sometimes he wakes up twice.

I cannot possibly say enough good things about the Woombie. In addition to giving us some much needed rest overnight, we have been able to zip him into the Woombie and lay him down alone in the co-sleeper in the evenings. (I do nurse him to sleep, though; I like it that way.) He sleeps alone in the bedroom for a few hours while Kansas Dad and I are both baby-free to take care of the million things that don't get done during the day -- or just enjoy having a breather! (I've heard other babies do this, but only one of my four ever did.) He often stirs when we come to bed, but usually doesn't actually wake to eat until the wee hours of the morning (even if we change his diaper).

What makes the Woombie different? You can read about it on the website, but I personally love how easy it is to use. There's no messing with trying to wrap baby in a blanket or even getting the velcro straps adjusted well enough to keep baby inside. Just zip him up! There's a second zipper, too, so you can change the diaper without unleashing the flailing arms. I think Second Son particularly likes the snugged feeling for his arms. He wiggles them, but they don't go far so he feels safe and secure even if we're not holding him.

I love the Woombie so much, I wish I could afford to buy one for all the mamas I know who are expecting or are home with a newborn. I know there are a few babies that don't seem to like the swaddled feeling. Second Daughter managed just fine without it, though she didn't seem to mind. I can only imagine, though, how much easier it would have been with First Son (who didn't let us put him down for the first three weeks of his life) or First Daughter (who insisted on being swaddled until she was over six months old).

I have only one warning: I would recommend not using the Woombie on a baby that hadn't regained the birth weight unless you plan to set an alarm to wake and feed baby. I'd be afraid everyone would sleep too soundly!

You can find the Woombie in a number of stores, in person or online, but at the Cloth Diaper Outlet, you can get a discount if you plan to order more than one. (I'm not even using my affiliate link this time; I feel it's only fair since I didn't purchase mine there.)

I did not receive anything in exchange for this glowing review. 

Has anyone else tried one? What did you think? Is it as wonderful for everyone?