Merlin Magic Sleepsuit

If you're new to this whole parenting thing, the idea of a swaddle is to to dampen your babies startle reflex, so they won't wake themselves up (as often).  This reflex is stronger at birth and then lessens over time.  At the hospital, the nurses were master-swaddlers - turning our son into a baby burrito in a matter of seconds.  We were not as talented and opted for the easier route - SwaddleMes (these are the best, seriously, you need these).

Unfortunately, once your baby can roll or is 8 weeks old (whichever happens first) you can't have their arms inside the swaddle anymore.  We tried to use the SwaddleMes with Jackson's arms out, but he was a little Houdini.

Like any new parents desperate for sleep, we scoured the internet for a solution and discovered the Merlin Magic Sleepsuit.  I like to call it the "next level" swaddle.  The heaviness of this suit helps to lessen your babies reflex to prevent those extra wake-ups.  People will commonly ask me if Jackson is too hot in the suit.  We have the cotton suit and he sleeps in it in either just a diaper or a diaper and a onsie and we've never had a problem with him overheating.  The fabric actually seems quite breathable.  As for safety, babies can stay in this suit until they are able to roll while wearing it (I am not looking forward to that day).

I know that it really depends on the baby, but the Magic Sleepsuit really works for us.  Jackson seems to like going in it and he sleeps so well in it.  We were using it just for bed time, but started using it for naps as well and he instantly napped about 10 minutes more than normal.

If you're impatient and don't mind paying full price, then you can purchase the sleepsuit from Amazon for $40.  OR, if you don't mind waiting a little longer, you may be able to snag an open-box suit for half the price!  All you have to do is call the company and ask if they have any suits available in the size and material that you need.

The one downside to the suit is that you can't put it in the dryer, you're supposed to air dry it and it takes FOREVER to dry.  We pull it out of the washer as soon a possible, flip it inside out and hang it on a hanger in an open area and even so, it takes almost the full day to dry.  With that being said, I strongly recommend purchasing two suits!