swaddling + sleep sacks

With our first, we swaddled for all sleep for the first 3 months. Some babies hate swaddling and never sleep swaddled (this was the case with our second — she refused swaddles from day one). At around 4 months you have to stop swaddling in any event because the baby learns to roll over and it's dangerous to be on the tummy without free hands to lift up the head. You can swaddle with a swaddle blanket (usually the Aden +Anais swaddle blankets, which we use for everything), and that process is sort of like origami with a squirmy, tiny human. I struggled with blanket swaddling because I'd never do it tight enough. I had much more success with the Halo Sleepsack Swaddle and the SwaddleMe Swaddles because they have velcro patches that are extremely easy to use. We also used the Halo Sleepsack to transition out of swaddling by doing one arm free, then both arms free, then finally no sleep sack at all. The Merlin's Magic Sleepsuit is specifically designed to help babies in the transition out of swaddling (more on how it works here) and many parents love it.

We tried the Aden + Anais Easy Swaddle and didn't like it because it's snaps instead of velcro, making it much harder to get a good/customized fit. Don't go overboard with swaddle materials because you won't know in advance what your baby will like. Get one or two, and if s/he likes it, you can order some more when you figure out what works best.

Swaddling keeps babies wrapped warm in an extra layer, so if you don't swaddle, or if you're done with the swaddling days, lots of parents like to use a sleep sack to keep their baby warm. The sleep sack is basically a tank top on the top and a sealed blanket pocket on the bottom. It's a safe way to give your baby an added layer of warmth while sleeping since you can't give regular blankets at first. Some people continue to use sleep sacks up through the toddler years (I know a 3-year old who still uses one). Think of this the way you would think of a comforter or bedding -- you only need one or two, and you don't need to wash them unless they get dirty, since the baby wears PJs underneath. Some of my favorites are Petit Bateau, Baby Gap, Serena and Lily and Aden + Anais.