This is a sponsored post
When Dave and I became parents for the first time, we were on a majorly steep learning curve.
We’d never had much to do with kids before, so it was all very new to us.
Dave was chilled, of course, and figured things out through trial and error. I was the super organised one who read all of the baby books (I can recite Save Our Sleep backwards if needs be), I kept the feeding journals, and trawled the Internet for what to expect month by month.
During those early months, I was addicted to Google. In the wee hours of the morning I could be found Googling the likes of Why won’t my baby sleep? Why is my baby’s poo green? Why does my baby click when she feeds? Oh, and why oh why does my baby hate being swaddled?!
Honestly, our first was a mini Houdini. No matter what I did she would wriggle her cute little arms and legs out within seconds. I’d wrap one side and attempt to wrap the other at the speed of light, but no matter how quickly I worked, the first arm would wriggle out before I had a chance to wrap her second. If I did manage to pin her down and wrap her up like the perfect baby burrito, within 30 seconds she’d wriggle her way out. Frustrating to a sleep deprived and emotional first-time mum.
Dave and my mum were experts at swaddling. They seemed to be able to find just the right way to wrap her firmly and securely to prevent her from escaping. Here is how my attempts ended up.
I used to fret that I’d wrap her too tightly, that I’d squash her little body, or she would overheat. I was absolutely obsessed with temperature back in those days.
While I knew swaddling helped to protect against SIDS, and was meant to soothe babies, and ease their startle reflex to help them sleep better, it just seemed like I spent more time wrapping and unwrapping than my baby spent sleeping.
I had quite the collection of wraps, muslin, flannelette, cotton etc. I tried them all and in all different sizes.
In a moment of desperation rifling through our cupboard, I found a Gro swaddle that I’d received as a baby shower present. I’d never used it before because it looked a little complicated, but I tell you what it did the trick in that early period.
The Gro swaddle comes with a short flap on one side, a bottom flap, and a longer flap to wrap right around. It seemed to be the perfect size to keep our mini Houdini under wraps. Get it?! 😉
As our first child got older, she became even more determined to have her arms free. Someone suggested we wrap her from the armpits down which worked a treat. There came a time though when she needed to progress from the swaddle.
I was very lucky to be gifted as yet another baby shower present, a grobag. Oh my goodness, that was an absolute life saver.
I absolutely love how the grobags are categorised by a warmth rating (tog). The tog tells you which temperature each bag is suitable for and provides suggestions on how many layers your child should wear under the tog. As a temperature obsessive new mum, these tog ratings were a dream come true. Not to mention, grobags come in the most beautiful designs.
When The Gro Company contacted me to promote their business, I knew I had to share the love with other new mums out there on Google at 3am wondering why their baby hates being swaddled.
Today, The Gro Company is kindly letting me giveaway a grobag or gro swaddle of your choice to two lucky readers (subject to availability).
This competition is now closed. Congratulations to Alison Fidler and Nicole Kent. Thank you to all who entered.
All you need to do is tell me in the comments why you need a grobag or gro swaddle.
Terms and conditions
– This giveaway is only open to Australian residents (excluding ACT).
– This giveaway closes at 8pm AEST on Thursday 4 June.
– Winners will be contacted via email on Friday 5 June.
– This is a game of skill. The most interesting answer as judged by a panel will be deemed a winner.
Mummy, Wife, Me received financial compensation for this post. As always, all opinions are my own.
Sarah
May 28, 2015 at 6:12 am (2 years ago)We are planning to have a third child, hopefully soon, and I would love a Gro Swaddle. My two older children didn’t have a lot of success with being wrapped. I’ve also given my other swaddles to friends and family to borrow but I’m not actually sure who has them and what they even were now so a new one would fabulous.
mummywifeme
May 28, 2015 at 7:25 pm (2 years ago)The gro swaddles definitely do the trick, Sarah 🙂
Bec @ Seeing the Lighter Side
May 28, 2015 at 7:09 am (2 years ago)Oh those baby pictures are so gorgeous! “Baby burrito”: love it. We’re past grobags now, though I’m very glad everyone around us is still having babies otherwise I might be sorely tempted to jump back in. I still very to wrap my baby niece up in her grobag every week when we mind her:)
mummywifeme
May 28, 2015 at 7:26 pm (2 years ago)Aww that’s lovely you get to see her every week 🙂
Emily @ Have A Laugh On Me
May 28, 2015 at 10:03 am (2 years ago)My hubby is a GUN wrapper and so am I but I still preferred bags as it meant I didn’t have to worry in the winter about them kicking off blankets! x
mummywifeme
May 28, 2015 at 7:26 pm (2 years ago)Yes, that’s another great thing about them!! x
Kellie Marshall
May 28, 2015 at 10:42 am (2 years ago)My husband used to be in the army so he put some crazy wrapping skills to the test with our bub and could not escape. My sister in law is about to have a bub and fear they wont have the same technique so would love to give them something to make their life easy and their bub happy and warm.
mummywifeme
May 28, 2015 at 7:27 pm (2 years ago)You’re a great sister in law, Kellie. You made me laugh about your husband.
Karen.E
May 28, 2015 at 11:05 am (2 years ago)We’re trying for baby number 4, I’ve heard from friends that the Gro Swaddle is a life saver which sounds perfect to me.
mummywifeme
May 28, 2015 at 7:27 pm (2 years ago)It sure is a lifesaver, Karen!
Jessie Reid
May 28, 2015 at 12:08 pm (2 years ago)Baby number 4 is cooking away and one thing I have learned is that keeping things simple is the key and wrapping is not simple for sleep deprived parents! Miss 2.5 still sleeps in a bag because our children are wiggly worms who won’t keep their blankets on, get cold and then wake everyone else up! I would love to gro-bag the new baby!
mummywifeme
May 28, 2015 at 7:28 pm (2 years ago)You’re doing well with baby number 4, Jessie. I can imagine everything you have is quite well worn by the time your fourth comes along.
Andrea Phillips
May 28, 2015 at 2:52 pm (2 years ago)Grobags are the bomb! Miss R bug is in hers right now, best thing ever for babies.
How much fun did you have looking for photos of your ickle beauty in her wrap and bed? Sooooooo cuuuuute! Xxxx
mummywifeme
May 28, 2015 at 7:29 pm (2 years ago)Thanks 🙂 🙂 I just love that photo in the grobag because it shows her cheeky side. Can’t believe they used to be that small! xxx
Tash @ Gift Grapevine
May 28, 2015 at 4:09 pm (2 years ago)No matter how tightly I swaddled them, both my tornadoes were houdinis (Mr TT continued on with this trend when it came to pram restraints too!). Quality sleeping bags were a lifesaver and well worth the investment. I must admit I was a little sad once they grew out of them – they grow up too fast!
mummywifeme
May 28, 2015 at 7:30 pm (2 years ago)Me too, Tash!! They really are a lifesaver and yep, you’re right about money well spent too 🙂
Bec @ The Plumbette
May 28, 2015 at 8:46 pm (2 years ago)I was the same with all three of my girls but in the end if their arms came out, they came out. The first 6 months with Phoebe went so fast we were in sleeping bags before we knew it. How beautiful are your girls as babies? They are growing into gorgeous little ladies. Xx
Mummy, Wife, Me
May 29, 2015 at 1:31 pm (2 years ago)Thanks Bec x
Emma @ Life, kids and a glass of red
May 28, 2015 at 8:48 pm (2 years ago)Love Grobags! Both my boys were Houdinis, but always slept better once one hand or arm was free. If they made Grobags to fit six year olds, I’d still have him in one as he’s always kicking his doona etc off during the night and then complaining he didn’t sleep well because he was cold! Argh! At least my toddler is snuggly warm in his. Perfect for keeping warm in the pram for the cold morning walk to school. Would love a Grobag 🙂
Mummy, Wife, Me
May 29, 2015 at 1:32 pm (2 years ago)Oh that’s a good idea for the pram! I never thought of that before.
Toni @ Finding Myself Young
May 28, 2015 at 8:51 pm (2 years ago)I need a Grobag so bad because bub refuses to use blankets so the only way to keep her warm at night is in sleeping bags and we only have one she fits into at the moment {which sucks on washing day}.
P.S. I’m totally buying those Groswaddles for the next baby because bub was a Houdini and I didn’t find out they existed until after she was already rolling so I never got to use them with her.
Mummy, Wife, Me
May 29, 2015 at 1:33 pm (2 years ago)They were a lifesaver for us, Toni. Plus the grobags are perfect for those kids who don’t like blankets.
Lydia c lee
May 29, 2015 at 6:18 am (2 years ago)I was a wrapper but eventually learnt that bags were fab when they were bigger!!
Mummy, Wife, Me
May 29, 2015 at 1:33 pm (2 years ago)They sure were!
Amy @ HandbagMafia
May 29, 2015 at 6:42 am (2 years ago)Ha, I had the exact same blue grow bag for my youngest! They’re a great product 🙂
Mummy, Wife, Me
May 29, 2015 at 1:34 pm (2 years ago)They sure are good quality.
Leanne @ Deep Fried Fruit
May 29, 2015 at 7:48 am (2 years ago)No more iddy biddy babies in my world …
Yet …
Mummy, Wife, Me
May 29, 2015 at 1:34 pm (2 years ago)Lol, Leanne.
Caroline Raj @ Mamma Raj Says
May 29, 2015 at 9:23 am (2 years ago)Oh I would love this. Baby Raj is certainly a houndini and I am lousy at all things swaddle. She can get out of anything. I need something to wrap her in tight and then fingers, toes and arms crossed perhaps we will get more than a few hours sleep. What are my chances?
Mummy, Wife, Me
May 29, 2015 at 1:35 pm (2 years ago)You can only hope, can’t you, Caroline?! 🙂
Kaz @ Melting Moments
May 29, 2015 at 9:43 am (2 years ago)I liked the stretchy cotton wraps as my bubs would always wriggle out of the muslin ones… as soon as Moo was ready for a GroBag, I was relieved I didn’t have to wrap her anymore! They are great and we have a good collection of them here. I made the mistake of buying on off eBay though… I think it’s a fake lol… that’ll teach me for being a tight arse! You can’t beat real quality.
Mummy, Wife, Me
May 29, 2015 at 1:36 pm (2 years ago)Lol!! I could never get used to those stretchy ones, but I hear a lot of people saying they’re good.
Nicole kent
May 29, 2015 at 12:17 pm (2 years ago)I need that Grobag to keep Mr 7 months warm and toasty on those cold winter nights. I keep finding him wrapped up in the blankets or with the blankets completely off and him freezing cold! Little wriggler!
Mummy, Wife, Me
May 29, 2015 at 1:37 pm (2 years ago)Oh I know. I hate it when they do that. Poor little guy.
Ingrid
May 29, 2015 at 1:28 pm (2 years ago)Gro Bags are great! Good luck to all the mums with this competition!
Mummy, Wife, Me
May 29, 2015 at 1:37 pm (2 years ago)Thanks Ingrid 🙂
Karin @ Calm to Conniption
May 29, 2015 at 2:58 pm (2 years ago)We love not having to do the whole manual swaddle this time around. Sleeping bags are brilliant but I have never tried a Grobag. We are just about out of the swaddling days so need to step up. Gro(w) is what babies must do and my little lady baby certainly does a lot of that.
Mummy, Wife, Me
June 4, 2015 at 7:32 pm (2 years ago)Cute, Karin 🙂 There’s no stopping them!
Malinda @mybrownpaperpackages
May 29, 2015 at 4:32 pm (2 years ago)This would have been great for both my little ones, they were both houdinis! #FYBF
Mummy, Wife, Me
June 4, 2015 at 7:33 pm (2 years ago)Little tricksters!
Ern
May 29, 2015 at 6:19 pm (2 years ago)No worrying about our little one kicking the covers off, or having them somehow cover her head.
Mummy, Wife, Me
June 4, 2015 at 7:33 pm (2 years ago)Yes, that was always a worry for me having their head covered.
Alison F
May 29, 2015 at 8:02 pm (2 years ago)My sister is about to have her first baby and I would love to gift her with a grobag because I know what a huge difference they made when I started using them with my boys. Both were little escape artists (despite my paediatrician teaching me how to “spring roll” wrap them”!) and as soon as I used grobags they started sleeping soooooo much better! Best inventions ever!
Mummy, Wife, Me
June 4, 2015 at 7:34 pm (2 years ago)They really are the best inventions ever!! I’ve never heard of spring roll wrap 🙂 Love it!
Grace
May 29, 2015 at 10:34 pm (2 years ago)You’ve brought back some very fond memories, Renee!!! I loved the Grobags! I used to walk in the morning and see the twinions stand up opin their cots, still in their Grobags. Ah, those early days!! x
Mummy, Wife, Me
June 4, 2015 at 7:35 pm (2 years ago)Aw so cute, Grace!
karina lee
May 30, 2015 at 10:57 am (2 years ago)A Grobag means the little one can roll and kick all she wants and she will still be warm.
Mummy, Wife, Me
June 4, 2015 at 7:35 pm (2 years ago)They are awesome, aren’t they!
Kasey E
May 31, 2015 at 9:37 pm (2 years ago)I’ve seen many posts over the internet about Grobags stating how great they are for little ones I’d love to try them myself for when bub arrives later this year.
Mummy, Wife, Me
June 4, 2015 at 7:36 pm (2 years ago)They are fantastic, Kasey.
laura powers
June 3, 2015 at 3:20 pm (2 years ago)I would have loved these for my first born I just had our 2nd son a month ago just what he needs in our chilly house
Mummy, Wife, Me
June 4, 2015 at 7:36 pm (2 years ago)They are perfect on cold nights.
Maria Stringer
June 3, 2015 at 9:02 pm (2 years ago)I don’t really need one, although I wish they were available when I had my babies! This would be gifted to my niece who is expecting her long awaited baby, I’m sure she will love one.
Mummy, Wife, Me
June 4, 2015 at 7:39 pm (2 years ago)How nice of you, Maria 🙂
stephanie@stephsjoy
June 3, 2015 at 11:21 pm (2 years ago)Grobags are awesome, we found them especially useful when we travelled.
Mummy, Wife, Me
June 4, 2015 at 7:40 pm (2 years ago)They would have been perfect, Steph.