Eli is 5.5 months old, rolling left to right and every other which way, so that means it’s time to ditch the swaddle. *Que the ugly cry.* If you didn’t know, we love swaddling in our home. Rusty and I can count the number of times we have ever had to wake up more than twice a night with one of the three kiddos on our fingers and we thank swaddling for that luck. We start swaddling from day one and we use that as a basis to establish great sleep habits from the beginning that last forever. Sadly, once the skill of rolling is learned, it is no longer safe to swaddling and the transition from swaddled to un-swaddled can be rough. Thankfully, we found the Nested Bean sleep sack this time around and the swaddled/un-swaddled transition has gone perfectly smooth.

The reason babies need swaddling is becuase of the newborn startle reflex that we all have when we are falling asleep but is amplified in infants. This reflex happening over and over again can unnecessarily wake your baby over and over and can also cause your baby to feel stressed, anxious, and vulnerable. Keeping a tight wrap around your baby’s arms and body keeps this feeling to a minimum and keeps baby feeling safe and secure. In case you don’t know, the reason parents have to stop swaddling once rolling starts is that baby needs the use of their arms to prevent suffocation. At this point, your baby still has that amplified startle reflex, but it is no longer safe to keep baby swaddled. The Nested Bean has come up with a really great way to combat that feeling of vulnerability with their unique sleep sacks, and trust me, it makes a difference.

The Nested Bean sleep sack comes with a weight in the chest area that is meant to mimic the feeling of the parents hand resting on baby’s chest. This weighted feeling gives baby a feeling of security and minimizes the negative effects of the newborn startle reflex. This sleep sack gives baby the best of both worlds; the ability to use her arms to roll over while sleeping, but also provides a safe and secure feeling that encourages long stretches of sleep.

If you are interested in trying out a Nested Bean sleep sack or swaddle for your babe, use discount code  PR-GLAZE15 for 15% off of your order. Check out all of the different fabrics and adorable print designs on their website NestedBean.com. Want to know more about when to stop swaddling? Click here. Happy sleeping!

Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.

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