As the mom of two small children, I can certainly attest to the benefits of swaddling. With my daughter, we waited three weeks to start swaddling her, as I initially felt bad wrapping her up so tight. The mere thought made me feel claustrophobic! At the same time, she (and in turn I) would wake up so easily because of her startle reflex. Not to mention the scratches on her face as a result of those jerky hand movements!

My sister suggested I start swaddling her, and we instantly became huge fans. I could actually see her body relax and settle in each night when I would start to wrap her up. And then we saw the sleep benefits – longer and longer stretches of uninterrupted sleep. Which, as any new mom will agree, is like gold.

A baby or escape artist?

When my son came along a few months ago, we swaddled him immediately. He was a sound sleeper right from the start, going for six to seven hour stretches by four weeks of age. Only problem? He quickly started busting out of our standard swaddle blanket thanks to his large size and absurd baby strength. No matter how tight I swaddled him, he found an escape. My silly little Houdini!

SwaddleBuddy to the rescue!

After writing a blog post last month about my swaddling dilemma, Pea Wee Baby, manufacturer of swaddles, blankets and accessories, contacted me with the opportunity to test their SwaddleBuddy. Bring it on!

I received the SwaddleBuddy, a swaddle accessory for just the arms. It uses a special technique to wrap fabric flaps up and over the arms and then fastens at the back with a hook and loop system. You can then use any other blanket to wrap around your baby and secure their legs. It is available in two sizes and a variety of colors/designs.

In addition, they design a SwaddlyBuddy Sack, which is an all-in-one piece. The leg pouch is open at the bottom with a zipper closure so diaper changes are a snap. They also feature the SwaddlyBuddy Suit, which wraps the arms and torso, but leaves the legs free for naps in a swing or bouncy seat.

How did it go?

I am happy to report we had great success with the SwaddleBuddy! What I like best was that my son’s arms stayed secure thanks to the fabric closure on the back, but at the same time he was able to wiggle them around just a bit. I love the separate arm-restraint, so we can use whatever other blanket to secure his legs. No more triple blanket swaddle!

The owner of Pea Wee Baby started this line of products because she too, had a swaddle-busting-baby. Her passion and dedication resulted in a fantastic product line, helping many moms like myself get their baby back on a good sleeping schedule.

Win a SwaddleBuddy of your own!

We have a SwaddleBuddy and matching receiving blanket to give away to a lucky Mom Central Baby reader. Here’s how to enter:

• Leave a comment below about your swaddling tips or tales about your swaddling-busting baby.
• One reader will be chosen at random.
• Giveaway will end November 12, 2010, at midnight EDT.
• You must be in the US and over 18 years of age to enter.

To learn more about Pea Wee Baby and the SwaddleBuddy line, visit their Facebook Like Page.

Amy Turner is VP of Client Strategy for Mom Central, helping brands connect with Moms through cutting-edge social media campaigns. She is also a wife, proud mom of two and devoted owner of a Belgian Malinois. Connect with Amy at Amy@momcentral.com and follow her @amyjo917.

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Disclosure: Mom Central received one SwaddleBuddy and matching blanket for review and another set to give away to a reader.

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