Read about a BONUS occupational therapy PRO TIP below!
Yes. 19. I’m going to tell you all the ways you can use a muslin swaddle. I’ve done each an every one of these!
I know you’ve been gifted at least one and bought a few yourself. It’s so hard to resist those cute prints! My favorite brand is Malabar Baby.
Here are some of my favorite prints; if you have to look at baby & kid stuff all day every day (and night), make sure you enjoy looking at it! These swaddle prints (most are organic) bring me immense amounts of joy:
Avocado (Malabar Baby)
Carrot (Malabar Baby)
Fly me to the Moon set of 2 (Malabar Baby) or Starry Night which is part of this set
Berries & Lemons set of 3 (Little Unicorn)
Elephants & Peacocks set of 2 (Malabar Baby)
Tacos (Lululollipop)
Sushi (West Elm)
Metalic (west elm)
In Motion set of 3 - high contrast black and white prints which can be perfect for the BONUS usage below!! (Aden & Anais)
Cars set of 2 (Bumblito)
Neutral Gray set of 3 (Burts Bees)
Watermelon (Three Little Anchors)
Let me tell you how many times we actually used them as a swaddle though. Almost none. We tried! My husband was definitely the master of the DUDU wrap. But I was the one home with baby; ain’t nobody got time for that! I was too busy doing everything except getting sleep, so I just wanted to get the swaddling right the first time without having to think or re-do it or have our baby escape.
I used the HALO and the SleePea velcro sacks. Way faster. Although, if you don’t secure the velcro before the wash it will annihilate the rest of your laundry.
As an occupational therapist, I’m a big fan of multiple use items (using one item or toy for a bunch of different things). It’s how I can work with several kids in a day, and change an activity to meet the needs of different kids of all ages. It also saves money because you can buy less stuff.
I’ve taken this skill and applied it to parenting and baby registry/gear buying as well. I didn’t want to buy something for baby unless I knew I could use it at LEAST three ways.
Challenge me! If you’re looking for three ways to use any item you’re considering for your baby or child, contact me here! I’ll take on the challenge!
Let me give you an example. It’s like that $400 you spend on a pair of jeans. Okay I’ve never done this. I don’t even know where to find $400 jeans. But say you spend $400 on jeans and wear them 10 times; that’s just $40 per wear! If you can buy a children’s toy or piece of gear, but use it multiple times and ways, you
get your money’s worth
save money
don’t take up too much space in your house
have fewer piles of crap everywhere
help the environment
feel like a baller
So let’s get to it. Buy a handful of really cute swaddles, and barely use them for swaddling (or, you might be amazing at using them for swaddling!). But they’ll come in mega handy for these things:
Rolling up 1 or 2 swaddles to make a prop for sidelying (a position that is almost as important as tummy time!) play
Makeshift tummy time mat - place the swaddle on your lap or the floor to work on tummy time anywhere (i.e. waiting in the doctor’s office)
Airplane - as a liner for the basinets they have on some flights
Airplane - As a barrier between you and baby - let me tell you on long flights a sleeping (hopefully) baby curled up on you can get super sweaty without this)
Airplane - as a light blocker while baby is sleeping - it’s breathable, but make sure you’re comfortable that your child’s airway is open and not restricted
Stroller cover (just buy some multi-use stroller clips to secure it) so that nosy strangers don’t poke their faces and hands in a newborn’s stroller bassinet, or to block some light while they sleep - don’t use anything that’s not breathable for this!! Infants can get very hot or have trouble getting air otherwise. As always use your judgement for this one, but I felt safe using a breathable, organic muslin swaddle for this.
Peek-a-boo - hold it up to cover your face and then drop it to the ground while squeaking “PEEK-A-BOO” enthusiastically!
Hide and Find - show your baby some toys, cover them, and then discover them! again…and again….and again…
We fold ours in a rectangle and place it on our Keekaroo changing pad for a little comfort during changes; if it gets wet or soiled, just rinse and toss in the wash
To block light while an infant is sleeping in their carseat, since none of those window shades on Amazon work! - obviously don’t do this if you can’t see out your back window
As a light, breathable cover blanket for baby’s feet once they can sit upright in a regular stroller seat
To wipe runny noses during allergies and colds
As a burp cloth over your shoulder
To wipe spit-up & milk off of things - we kept one of these by our daughter’s play mat and kept wiping spit-up with it all day and then tossed it in the wash at the end of the day (or if it got extra wet or gross, then earlier)
Rolled into a tube, tied in a few knots, as a fun, lightweight toy to play with
A scarf - pick prints you love so that you can use them for this!
Nursing cover (to prevent baby from distraction or to use in public if you choose to cover)
A bandana style pandemic mask that won’t make you sweat
A sun shade at the park/beach if clipped (with stroller clips!) to the stroller (pictured below)
Pro Tip BONUS: High contrast colors and prints are great for improving an infant’s vision, visual attention, tracking etc. Black & White prints and other bold prints are great for this. You can place the swaddle on a carpet/tummy time mat or alternatively, tie a few knots in the swaddle to use as a swingy (such a technical term!) tracking toy.
We used our avocado print swaddle for some sun shade during a picnic. Notice the stroller clips mentioned above are in use as well!
P.S. I only link to products I love/use! I may earn a commission from some of the links above, which helps to run this website!