The Woombie–Giveaway!

In just a few weeks, our not-so-little baby will be six months old. Six months! Fellow mamas, I know you know how bittersweet this milestone could be for me. Six months is when babies start sitting up. Six months is when babies rock back and forth on their hands and knees to let you know that they are dangerously close to crawling. Six months means solid foods and a fading bald spot. Six-month-old babies mimic “words” and are vocal about their likes and dislikes. Six months is, in my mind, when babies officially graduate from newborn to baby.

And when we hit the six month mark, I’ll be sad. I may cry. Because these past six months have been precious,  sweet, calm, and dare I say it?…fun.

Compare that to our first six months with our older daughter. As I’ve already mentioned, she was not an “easy” newborn. One mistake I think we made with our oldest is that we didn’t swaddle her long enough. That is not a mistake we’re in danger of repeating this time! This baby is still swaddled (loosely, I’ve read all about hip dysplasia) every night. And now that we have this new baby swaddle she’s in it for her long nap every. single. day.

Here’s what I honestly think of our Woombie (Convertible, Mega Baby):

Pros:

It’s foolproof. When it comes to swaddling, I’m a complete fool. But even I can’t mess this up. And that, I believe, is the Woombie’s greatest strength. Lay the baby down, zip it up, done!

It helps the baby sleep. For reasons I cannot explain, our baby has regularly taken a three-hour afternoon nap since she was about 2.5 months old. Unfortunately, all of the credit doesn’t go to Woombie. If it did, can you imagine how fast their swaddles would sell? Parents everywhere would be begging for one! But our sweet, sleepy baby slept that long even before the Woombie. HOWEVER, this swaddle sack has reduced the number of times the baby has pulled out her paci and woken herself up. And I think it helps her sleep more soundly. Like all swaddles, it certainly reduces the startle reflex.

Our Convertible Woombie converts to a regular sleep sack. Now that she’s older, our baby likes to have a toy or lovey in her hand. The Woombie allows for that.

Woombie makes sizes that fit bigger and older babies. This is a big deal to me! Ours is the 20-25 pound Mega Baby size. No, our six month old isn’t quite that big, but I think the extra room is mostly in the length. Additionally, when we kept her arms in the swaddle, there was enough stretch and give for her to hold her own hands, a self-soothing habit she enjoyed.

Because they make sizes that fit older babies, the convertible option has use far beyond the normal age of a commercial swaddle blanket. Lots of moms use sleep sacks instead of blankets until their babies are toddlers. The “Convertible Leggies” option is also good for older babies.

There’s no velcro! Velcro can come undone, and my baby can wiggle out of a velcro swaddle. Also, time will take its toll on velcro, but the zipper on the Woombie isn’t going to wear out like the velcro on other swaddle blankets.

The two-way zipper allows for easy diaper changes. Since our baby is older (and FINALLY needs fewer diaper changes!), this isn’t an issue for us. But it is a handy feature.

There’s enough room for her hips and legs to move. Again, this helps with hip dysplasia.

The Woombie and our curly-haired, sleeping baby.

Cons:

It’s looser than some of the other swaddles. If you want a tight swaddle, consider one of the other Woombie products, not the convertible swaddle (check out the Houdini).

It’s not exactly pretty: I hate to say it, but it looks like a baby straight jacket. (For the record, it’s definitely NOT a straight jacket. As Woombie explains, it needs to be snug to imitate the womb.  Plus it’s made with four-way, stretchy fabric. This allows the baby to move naturally.) However, because we use it for every afternoon nap, family, friends, and strangers had plenty of opportunities to give us odd looks and comments during Christmastime and on vacation. People just aren’t used to seeing a baby zipped up. But, parents, is that a deal breaker? If it helps your baby sleep, do you care how it looks? Absolutely not! Bring on the comments and stares!

Final verdict? It helps my baby sleep and makes my mommy job easier. Of course I love it! And if you win the one that Woombie has offered to send one lucky winner, I hope you will, too!

Want to win a Woombie?

Click on over to the giveaway link and enter here: a Rafflecopter giveaway.

(It’s easy! I promise!)

By commenting, you agree to the official rules. Giveaway ends on Monday, January 28 at 3:00 p.m. EST.