Aden & Anais Muslin Swaddle Wraps

I hesitated before starting this post today, because when a product has literally thousands of five-star reviews on Amazon, it doesn't exactly need any additional hype. But then I remembered that my goal in creating this site was to help people who might not otherwise be aware learn about baby and pregnancy products that rock. (Or suck.) And the fact is, I'd never heard of Aden & Anais blankets until the time came for me to build my registry and solicit opinions from my friends. Only then did I realize how universally beloved these wraps are. So I'm covering them on Baba G & Me in case 1) your friends aren't as in-the-know as mine, or 2) you don't have kids (or perhaps you do but they're well past the baby stage) and you're buying a shower/baby gift for someone and wouldn't have a clue about A&A if it weren't for little old me.

A typical four-pack

Why are the Aden & Anais blankets so special? As my friend CM said when sharing her experience with her newborn son, "They are by far the best blankets for swaddling." Her husband considered himself something of an Expert Swaddler (I'm proud to say my own husband eventually joined those prestigious ranks) and felt that the muslin material A&A used was the key. It is lightweight, soft, and stretchy, and can hold a swaddle-wrap together no matter how squirmy the baby.

Here's poor little Baba G when he was just a matter of days old, not knowing what in the hell is going on, all swaddled up in an A&A blanket next to his friend the fox. (We take this same picture, without him in a swaddle, on his monthly birthdays.)

Mom, this is embarrassing.

BG has grown out of a swaddle at night (we use a Halo Sleepsack now, which I'll write about soon), but we still go through many, many A&A blankets daily. While I rely on the BRU burp cloths for major spit-up duty, I absolutely always have at least two A&A blankets by me when it's feeding time, because they're large, absorbent and really easy to throw across a room. (As in, "Quick, he's spitting up! Throw me some blankets!" - me to my husband, or vice versa, on too many ill-prepared occasions to count.)

We use them for a ton of other things, too. Like putting them under Baba G when he's drooling on his playmat. 

Bring on the drool!

Or as a lightweight cover when he's taking a snooze on a warm day. (Don't worry, we never leave him unattended with a blanket in the Pack 'n Play.)

Too cool for school

Now that BG's showing signs of teething, I sometimes put an A&A blanket over my shoulder when I'm carrying him in case he feels the urge to bite down on something. He seems to like the feel of the swaddles, both to the touch and in his mouth. Who am I to deny him, right?

The bottom line: Since we have at least 20 of these blankets, I think it's safe to say that we love them. They get softer and softer with each wash, too. The only downside is that during the first few washings you will have A LOT of white fluff in your lint filter. But it's worth it! They're about $38 for a four-pack, of which there are ENDLESS designs.