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:

• It’s easier to put on than PJ’s
• Keeps little hands and feet warm all through the night
• Prevents babies from scratching their face and startling themselves awake
• Makes late night diaper changes a cinch
• The perfect transition after outgrowing the swaddling blanket
• The ideal wearable blanket
• Encourages sounder, cozier sleep
• 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.

a Rafflecopter giveaway