At first, we thought Avery hated being swaddled and we were reluctant to use one on her. But, we eventually grew desperate and gave the traditional swaddle a try and she surprisingly slept almost all night! For a while, it helped contain her crazy arms so they wouldn’t distract her from sleep, but then her strength became too much to contain her beastly baby arms.
Like most desperate parents, we went in search for a solution on the internet. Sometimes, the internet just overwhelms you with other parents’ opinions and you end up more confused than you were at the start; this was one of those times. After a lot of back and forth, we ordered a sleep sack called the Woombie. It had great reviews (like everything else), so why not give it a shot?
Nope, no good. Once in it, her arms could still go right to her face where she would try to eat them. Then, taking advice from the internet again, I first wrapped her arms securely beside her with a long piece of cloth. Success! Avery’s arms were kept safely at her side and she was sleeping mostly through the night in her crib.
But, babies grow, and they become more active by rolling over. Before Avery learned to roll over, a friend of ours asked if we heard of the Zipadee-Zip which is made to transition out of swaddling. I wasn’t aware of the Zipadee-Zip (Zippy for short), but wanted to learn more.
The Zipadee-Zip was born when Stephanie and her husband Brett struggled to find a way to get their daughter to sleep without a swaddle. Stephanie created the first Zippy on her sewing machine at home, and after successfully getting her daughter to sleep in it, she and her husband built a website to market their new product. Stephanie sewed each order herself with true passion and care which explains how their small Texas business has grown all from word of mouth by happy customers.
Initially, I expected something that kept the arms a little more contained, but then that would defeat the purpose of allowing them to roll themselves over. The Zipadee-Zip is made to provide your baby with the feeling of being enclosed, like a swaddle, but allowing for full range of movement to roll around as they please.
Check out this video to see how easy it is to use the Zipadee-Zip:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cS5KMso3UE?rel=0&w=560&h=315]
Here are a few reasons why the Zipadee-Zip is loved by many:
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It’s easier to put on than PJ’s
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Keeps little hands and feet warm all through the night
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Prevents babies from scratching their face and startling themselves awake
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Makes late night diaper changes a cinch
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The perfect transition after outgrowing the swaddling blanket
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The ideal wearable blanket
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Encourages sounder, cozier sleep
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The breathable fabric but enclosed design makes it perfect for both hot and cold weather
To learn more on the Zippy and view testimonials, just visit their website and Facebook page.
I promptly wrote Stephanie about having the chance to review the Zipadee-Zip for my blog, and she kindly agreed to send us two. I was so excited when she agreed, I couldn’t wait to tell Kelley the great news! Remember when I first mentioned them in this post?
Although she wasn’t rolling over yet, I was eager to try it out during one of her daytime naps. I zipped her up and laid her down for an afternoon nap in which she accepted fairly easily; a little too easy.
That lasted 30 minutes. Not a big deal since her afternoon naps are always short anyway. For a while, we stuck with the sleep sack and arm wrap for nighttime and I would use the Zippy during her morning naps. Avery started to get used to having her Zippy and would sleep a good 3 hours in the morning on most days. Now it was time for the big test; nighttime!
The first few tries were not very successful and Avery wound up in bed with us earlier than usual. We stopped using it for a few days, but she still had issues with sleep, so maybe it wasn’t the Zippy.Then, Avery finally started rolling over and we knew we needed to use the Zippy for all of her sleep times!
I was worried on how the first night would go, but surprisingly, she slept great! We have been using the Zippy ever since, and although some nights are better than others, we have peace of mind knowing she can safely roll all over the crib. And she makes certain to use every inch of space in that thing!
When putting her in the swaddle, Avery would cry before, during, and after the wrap, but with the Zippy, she’s more content. Hmmm, I guess babies like to have freedom to move around too!
Another plus is that your baby goes from already adorable to super adorable in this starfish-shaped wearable sleep blanket! I even took Avery out for a run in the stroller, and walk in our Onya Baby Carrier while wearing her Zippy, so don’t limit it to the crib!
Going Mom and I both love the Zippy and the sleep it has provided for Avery as well as ourselves, and we know our baby is safe while wearing it. Avery seems pretty happy and comfortable with her Zippy too….
The Zippy makes you want to just hug and squeeze your adorable baby forever, but don’t do that, squeezing is bad. I can only think of one suggestion to improve the Zippy; adding a second zipper at the bottom. This would allow for diaper changes in the middle of the night or during a long nap and I feel would be very beneficial.
Are you ready to get your little one out of a swaddle and into a Zipadee-Zip? Well, Stephanie, being the amiable lady she is, has agreed to let me give one away to a lucky reader! Awesome, huh?!
To enter, just click the Rafflecopter link below and follow the steps to earn entries. The contest ends next Friday, April 11, 2014, and I will announce the winner soon thereafter.
I love the Little Angels design. So adorable.
Shelia S
Yee haw cowgirl!
the little luv bug is just too cute! definitely my favorite. thanks for doing this giveaway.
Love the baby belugas!!
I think the look hoo loves you is too cute
I love pretty poppy and yeehaw cowgirl
I love eLOVEphant!!! So cute!
I love eLOVEphant!
I love the look hoo loves you pattern!! Or the plain pink!!
The Funky Monkey is cute!
My favorite design is the baby beluga
The elephant design 😀 x
We love the zipadee zip too! Our Daughter sleeps amazingly in it, its truly been a great thing for our whole family’s sleep. I highly recommend it to any parent with a baby.
Glad to hear! Avery is growing out of the ones we have and we’re about to order newer, bigger ones soon. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
I would love one of these! After having a miscarriage last year, we are pregnant again!
Congrats! We loved using the Zippy and think Avery really enjoyed it too. Now she’s out of the swaddle and sleeps just give without it. Thanks for commenting!
I missed your giveaway by a few months. Found out 12 weeks ago I’m going to be a grandmother for the first time. I want to be called Layla! I saw the Zippy on Sharktank and have been wondering about its effectiveness and it would appear you like it a lot. What age did you start using it? I’m eager to hear more before I start purchasing! Thanks!
Hi Trish! Congrats on being a grandma!
We started using the Zippy when she was 4 months and loved it. Whenever they can roll over us when you should take them out of a traditional swaddle and use the Zippy. They make larger sizes, but she no longer needed a swaddle after she grew out of it. Wish you and your family the best, and I highly recommend the Zippy!
MORE SLEEP is a real need! I am just grateful that this thing exist. The Zipadee-Zip really works. My daughter wears the Trendy Teal and Birds of a Feather 🙂
No doubt about that, sleep is a precious commodity we take for granted when younger! We don’t use it anymore, but will always love the Zipadee-Zip! Thanks for visiting and commenting!
The Zipadee-Zip worked so great for my boy! He slept through the night the very first time I used it. That made me very happy, of course 😉
The Zipadee-Zip works! The first night my son wore it, I placed him in his crib and within 20 minutes he was sleeping! I also noticed that his startling was reduced which kept him sleeping longer. This product is simply a miracle and if your child is breaking out of his swaddle, then I suggest you get one. The swaddle transition blanket is a must 🙂
The Zipadee-Zip totally works! My would not sleep when he started busitng out of his swaddle. It was a nightmare to be able to put him to sleep. When we finally got a Zipadee-Zip, he was able to sleep for longer periods of time, would fall asleep faster and stay asleep as well. This is the product to buy!
Sleep is always up in the air, huh? Love having the Zippy to help in at least one aspect of the daunting task. Thanks for visiting!
I missed the giveaway!? I already have two Zipadee-Zips and gotta say not only does my son sleep “like a baby” but my wife and are as well!
Oh yes, this giveaway was about a year ago now. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your story though, we love the Zippy and yes, it helped the whole family sleep better!
My absolute favorite product for our daughter is the Zipadee-Zip. It was a sleep life saver! Loved the swaddle blankets too before that along with natural diaper cream & glass baby bottles. I could not agree more with the additional uses mentioned above!
So glad to hear other parents who agree with these methods! Thank you for visiting and commenting!
I found the solution to the swaddle transition nightmare! My son REFUSED to sleep without the swaddle and we tried every trick in the book. He just hated having his arms free and would scratch himself to bits. I finally tried the Zipadee-Zip and was super skeptical that it would even work since literally nothing else had and to my utter shock, he slept 12 hours the first night in it! Crazy! I guess the resistance in the arm span is what gives him the feeling of being swaddled and soothes him when he has a startle reflex but the star shape gives him the ability to push up and roll over. He couldn’t safely roll in the swaddle and when he’d break free, I’d find the loose fabric over his face which terrified me! The Zipadee-Zip (www.sleepingbaby.com is where I found it) gave him the security to be able to sleep swaddle free which means I SLEPT TOO!!! Thank goodness for this thing!
We were the same way, skeptical at first, but soon we became believers! Love it and recommend it to everyone! Thanks for visiting and sharing your story!
My sons first night in the Zipadee-Zip was a huge success. He fell asleep within thirty minutes inside his crib! This is huge victory as we would only co-sleep. He sleeps an additional two hours more daily as well. We are so happy with this swaddle transition sack.
It’s such a simple thing, but works wonders, huh! Thanks for sharing and stopping by!
who won the Zipadee-Zip? Any updates about how it improved your babies sleep? This swaddle transition blanket is the best!
Hello, I love your review of the zippy. My son is larger and longer than average, so much so that he is outgrowing the 3-6 month halo swaddle sacks at 3 months, but still needs a swaddle. My concern, and an issue we’ve had with the halo swaddle sack, is it bunching near the back of the neck as baby scoots or slides down the mattress during the night. No rolling over yet to worry about, just wiggling in his sleep, but I was wondering if you experienced bunching along the back with the zipadee zip. And if you have, does it cause problems with baby being unable to stretch out his or her legs? Does this make sense? I don’t know what to do! I hope you can offer your input. Thank you!
Hello, thank you for the kind words and for visiting. We never had an issue with the Zippy bunching. I get what you are talking about and can see how that’s an issue though. I would say getting your son in a Zippy now, even if he’s not rolling over, would be worth a try. Then, when he does start turning over, you’ll be ready and he’ll already be used to it….hopefully.
Sorry I’m not able to offer advice on any other fixes, but hope getting a Zippy or something else solves your issue. Best of luck!