Preparing your baby’s essentials and wondering “How many swaddles do I need?”
Scroll down below to find the answer here and more.
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How Many Swaddles Do I Need?
You will need a minimum of 2 swaddles and a maximum of 4 swaddles.
If you want to stay minimalist and you don’t mind doing the laundry often, having 2 swaddles would do just fine.
One for wearing and one for back-up.
If you’re worried about spit-ups, vomits, diaper leaks, and blowouts, especially at night, having 3 or 4 swaddles would be enough.
One for wearing, one for changing, one for accident #1, and another for accident #2.
Helpful to have more swaddles, especially if you have a barfy, poopy baby!
Which Swaddle Should You Buy?
A swaddle in general has 2 main types.
One is the traditional swaddle which is a large, soft blanket, usually made from cotton or bamboo material or muslin fabric.
Then there’s the other type.
The modern “two-in-one” swaddles, where you have the choice to wrap your baby up or have one arm out or two arms out, depending on the brand.
This modern swaddle usually comes with zippers or velcro or snaps, to make swaddling easier and more secure.
Compared to a traditional swaddle, it’s so much easier to put a baby in a modern swaddle.
You don’t need to do any folding, adjustments, or arrangements.
You just put in your baby then zip them up or velcro them!
So I would highly recommend getting the modern “two-in-one” swaddles, as there’s no learning curve in wrapping and swaddling your baby.
Pros and Cons of Various Swaddles
Here are the pros and cons of using different types of swaddles:
Traditional swaddles
Pros
- Multipurpose – can also be used as a nursing cover, sun shield, stroller blanket, changing pad, picnic blanket, tummy time mat, burp rag, sun shade, car seat cover, and many more!
- Can be used longer, even after the newborn phase
- Can be used for playing (eg. superhero cape, making a tent)
- Can be used for cleaning (eg. wiping tables, catching spit-ups)
Cons
- Has learning curve to wrap baby securely
- Baby can easily break free of swaddle
- Can cover baby’s face if it unravels or comes undone
- You need to keep wrapping your baby after every diaper or clothing change
Velcro swaddles
Pros
- No learning curve to swaddling baby
- Easy to use on a wriggly baby
- Easy to use at night, especially when changing diapers
- Can come with removable arms, depending on the brand
Cons
- Sticky velcro part can be loud and can wake up baby
- Velcro part can stick to clothes and diapers, further irritating baby
- Some babies can break free or get an arm or two out of it!
Zipper swaddles
Pros
- No learning curve to swaddling baby
- Easy to use on a wriggly baby
- Easy to use at night, especially when changing diapers
- Can come with removable arms, depending on the brand
Cons
- Zipper can get stuck or break
- Zipper can hurt baby’s skin if you’re not careful and you zip up too fast
Things To Consider When Choosing a Swaddle
Consider the ease of use, where you live, and your baby’s personality when choosing a swaddle:
Ease of Use/ Convenience
Some swaddles like the velcro or zipper ones are easy to use.
Especially when you have a wriggly baby or you need to quickly swaddle them in the dark, after changing their diapers.
Then some swaddles can also grow with your baby, like a swaddle with removable arms.
It can help transition your baby when they’re ready to roll over.
Room Temperature
If you live in a cold country, it will make more sense to buy a thicker swaddle material.
And vice versa if you live in a tropical climate.
But maybe your baby feels easily cold and would prefer a thicker swaddle material?
So consider those things before getting 2 or more swaddles.
Baby’s Personality
It might be surprising to know but some babies can be pretty opinionated when it comes to their clothing and even swaddles!
Borrow or buy one first to see how your baby will react to it.
Some babies are fine with velcro swaddles but some will hate it, especially the sound it makes.
Some babies will either hate or tolerate a certain swaddle material.
Then you have some baby Houdinis who can get out of their swaddles, no matter how tightly you wrap them.
While other babies won’t care at all! As long as they’re swaddled, they will be perfectly fine with any swaddle.
So just get one or borrow one if you can, and see how your baby reacts to it.
Laundry Day
Do you wash clothes every day? Or do you do laundry less, once or twice a week?
You need to think about this so you can gauge how many swaddles you would really need.
Best Swaddles
Here are the best swaddles that are popular and are highly recommended by parents online:
HALO 100% Cotton Sleepsack Swaddle TOG 1.5
HALO Sleepsack Swaddle TOG 3.0
Swaddle and Babies
Do newborns need to be swaddled all day?
No, newborns don’t need to be swaddled all day.
According to Claire McCarthy, MD, a pediatrician at Boston’s Children’s Hospital, babies don’t need to be swaddled, especially if they’re happy without it.
When do I stop swaddling my baby?
You should stop swaddling your baby when they’re starting to roll over, as you don’t want to impede their development.
Swaddling a baby who’s learning how to roll can also raise the risk of SIDS), as your little one might not know yet how to roll back over.
How many weeks should you swaddle a baby?
That would depend if your baby still likes being swaddled or is starting to roll over.
If they’re starting to roll over, which typically happens between 2 and 4 months, you should stop swaddling your baby.
FAQ on How Many Swaddles Do I Need?
How many swaddles do I need of each size?
If you’re going minimal and you’re okay doing the laundry frequently, you can just get 2 swaddles.
But if you want to be on the safer side, buy 3 or 4 swaddles.
One for wearing, one for changing, 3rd for accident no. 1 (etc. diaper leakage), and 4th swaddle for accident no. 2. (eg. extreme diaper blowouts)
How many swaddles should I put on the registry?
The number of swaddles you’d want to put on your registry would depend on your lifestyle and your baby.
If you want to go minimal and you’re on a tight budget, 1 or 2 swaddles would do.
If you know that your baby would be spitting and having diaper leakages and explosions several times a day, 3 or 4 swaddles would be better for your baby registry.
Takeaway: How Many Swaddles Do I Need
Someone gifted us a lot of muslin swaddling blankets which I find extremely annoying.
I couldn’t get it to wrap securely around my wriggly baby and no matter what I do, it always comes undone.
There was one time my baby managed to squirm out of it and it was covering her face when I got to her crib!
That’s when I decided to turn to a modern swaddle.
I tested a velcro swaddle and I find it too loud when getting it undone. To the point that it wakes up my newborn when I change her diaper at night.
So I got a zippered swaddle instead and boy, did that change our lives.
Don’t get me wrong, I was still extremely sleep-deprived but that god-sent swaddle was one of the few things that can make my baby sleep longer at night!
I bought 4 because my newborn tended to spit up a lot. And have diaper leakages. I don’t want to keep doing the laundry so I bought 4 swaddles.
Most days, I will just use 2 swaddles. Sometimes, I only use 1 per day.
I hope my little story there gave you some insight into how many swaddles you really need.
Just think about your routine, borrow or just get one swaddle and test it out first on your baby, before buying more.
