Ever since I had my first baby 8 years ago, I’ve been constantly told by the nurses that it’s advisable to swaddle/wrap the baby, to keep them cosy, warm and makes them sleep longer. Honestly, it only worked with my second child, who loved to be swaddled. The other two just seemed to be able to break free from whatever material I used to swaddle them in. Maybe they were not large enough to keep my baby in or maybe they just hated to be all wrapped up. Nonetheless, I know that it has worked for many others and we know that there are quite a few out there on the market.

I received this aden + anais muslin wrap to try out and give a review on. Of course, my kids are all to old to be all wrapped up, so I passed this on to my dear friend Meg, who has just had a baby around 4 weeks ago, baby Fraser. The wrap I received was the “Dino Roar Swaddle“. It came in a matching muslin pouch.The swaddle included a card with instructions on how to wrap your baby. Aden + anais came about when Raegan Moya-Jones the owner, found that most of the swaddles out there on the market were either too thick, small or just unattractive. The swaddle from aden + anais was designed to be versatile enough to be used as a stroller cover, nursing shield, tummy time blanket and even as a burping cloth.  There is a huge array of designs suiting girls, boys and even unisex ones. She’s got a few ranges now – the Classic, the Cosy (2 layers of muslin), the Organic and the Bamboo collection. Prices start from $19.95 and they even come in packs of 2 or 4.

Here is Meg’s review of the swaddle:

One very big square of material! Trying to wrap a 4 week old with all that muslin can be rather bulky. With the instruction they provided, Fraser was able to get his arms out after about 15 minutes of wriggling. Not great when he has no arm control yet. Wrapping him on a flat edge and tucking the bottom edge up and around him to make it all more secure was a lot better and he couldn’t escape. On the plus, the muslin is so soft and comfy you would LOVE to wrap yourself in it. It is big enough that it will wrap an older baby very easily. It kept Fraser warm enough that he didn’t need another layer on him. I could also use it as a sheet in our portable cot. On the whole, I love the size and flexibility of the 120cm x 120 cm square wrap even better that it can go in the clothes dryer, and the more you wash it, the softer it becomes!

So, if you’re after a gift for a Mum of a newborn, I guess this would make a great gift for both Mum and bub! Would you like to be in the chance to win a four pack of the Classic swaddle worth $45.00? The winner also gets to choose the prints available from their site. Simply leave a comment stating the method you have tried or heard of to help your baby sleep. Competition closes on 26th January 2010 6pm AEDT.

This give away is now closed and thanks to radom.org, we’ve picked a winner. Comment number 13, Charlie, was chosen to win the Classic 4 pack swaddle! Congratulations Charlie! Someone will be in touch with you shortly.

Disclaimer: Meg received the complimentary swaddle from aden + anais to try out. All comments made are her own.