Baby Merlin's Magic Sleepsuit - Cotton Baby Swaddle Transition Product - Soft and Breathable Design, Double Zipper for Easy Diaper Changes, Promotes Safe Sleep - Cream - Small 12-18lbs

This is literally the first review I’ve ever left on an Amazon purchase but I thought it was necessary because I was looking for a review like this when I was shopping and it was hard to find.My daughter just turned five months old and has been swaddled since she was six weeks old (& the first night I ever swaddled her was the first time she ever slept through the night & has been sleeping the night ever since) I was terrified of the idea of having to transition out of swaddling but knew the day would come.When she turned four months old she started getting the strength to bring her arms up through the halo sleep sack into her face waking herself up/scratching herself/putting her hands in her mouth which made her start babbling away at wee hours of the night. I decided to try swaddling with one arm out to see how it would go and occasionally it would work but most of the time she would wake up in less than an hour from touching her face with the free hand. So I continued to wrap her in the halo sleep sack, but just did it tighter than ever..& it kept working..till it didnt. She would fall asleep great but would move her arms up after an hour or so & would get frustrated trying to free her arms (even started arching her back which mad her roll to her side..I knew it was getting too dangerous to keep it up.I purchased things like the “love to dream sleep sack”, the “woombie”, & the “nested bean zen sack.” (all of which i heard great things about)..but they didnt work for her.The love to dream sleep sack allowed her to have her hands up which she had never slept like before so she was flapping like crazy trying to escape it. The woombie was good for a couple nights but she woke up to the fact that she could bring her hands up to her chest freely but then not extend her arms so she was constantly crying out of frustration. The nested bean zen sack was supposed to mimic “touch” by having a weight on the chest but the weight is light as a feather so it was like she wasnt in a sack at all. I didnt know what to do.I decided to search the web ONE MORE TIME & came across this “magic suit” ..yea ok I bet it wont work for her..but I bought it & decided to try it out.When it came in the mail yesterday I thought it looked rediculous...but that’s what all the other reviews had said..and even though it looked ridiculous..it still somehow did the trick. So when it was time for her nap I gave it a shot. IT WORKED! She slept and hour & 1/2..which she never does for a nap! (she’ll only sleep that long being held or on my husbands chest!)* I also feel that it’s important to mention that prior to trying this out we would always wrap her up in the halo sleep sack first and then rock her to sleep in our arms or on our knees on the Boppy pillow- and she would always already be asleep before I transferred her to the crib.So I knew that that with this suit I had to kill two birds with one stone: not only transition her out of the swaddle, but also have her fall sleep on her own in the crib.I waited until she was already tired, even fussing a bit..put her in the suit while it was lying in the crib, and walked away. She started crying ( naturally because this was the first time she was ever awake in her crib without a swaddle) I reassured her after 2 minutes of crying & 2 minutes later..she was asleep! On her own! Without a swaddle! Arms free to move about!I thought maybe it was just a fluke and it was just because she was so tired..so I knew the real test would be at night.Here I am at 7am writing this review..while shes still ASLEEP! We put her to bed at 9pm (going to try earlier tonight) & shes still out. She usually wakes up at 6 or 6:30.I’ll be honest I did have to go in her room and put her pacifier back in her mouth around 5 AM because she was moaning in her sleep, but I think she was just having a bad dream, I don’t think it has anything to do with the suit. I also watched her several times on the monitor throughout the late-night hours bring her hands to her face to rub her eyes..but her arms always settle back down slowly and she fell back asleep. That would not have been possible with traditional swaddles or with having her arms completely free with armless sleep sacks.I would say give it a try even if you’re skeptical that your baby is already older and even if you tried other things and they have failed…ESPECIALLY if that’s the case, try this suit out !

Why I bought this: My two month old seemed to outgrow his swaddle early. I was also worried it was actually becoming a safety hazard at night. When he kept wiggling out of the swaddle I knew I needed the next solution. (He also seemed to get "choked" a bit by it because it never fit right) I was also concerned that the older he got, the more it was interfering with his sleep and causing him to wake up more throughout the night.How he sleeps in it: The first night was like a miracle --- a 6 hour stretch! But, don't get bummed out if the suit doesn't deliver long sleep cycles every night. His sleep continues to fluctuate a bit. He wakes up more if he doesn't get enough feedings in, has bad reflux episodes, gets his shots, going through a growth spurt.My advice: My baby actually prefers the Baby Merlin's Magic Sleepsuit Microfleece - Blue - 3-6 months. My mother was concerned the fleece material was "too hot" but my baby seemed to prefer being all cozy in it with the central A/C on (ironically, he would sweat in his swaddle and not the sleepsuit). The cotton suit worked too but he would wake up more from his reflexes (cotton is looser, enabling easier use of arms/legs).Putting it on: Do expect some mild resistance at first. My baby is a pretty big boy (14 lbs) and we have a hard time snaking his arms and legs into the 3-6 month size whereas the swaddle is a easy 1-2-3 wrap. You may also decide to leave pants and socks on or off depending on room temperature.Since these reviews often detail personal experiences, I am also sharing other sleep advice we found useful:1. GET THE RIGHT FORMULA Unfortunately, I was unable to breastfeed and had to go the formula route. We started out with Enfamil Gentlease Baby Formula - Powder - 21.5 oz - 4 pkbut it didn't seem to do much for his gas and burps. He was still crying during a feeding and climbing up my chest in pain. We then switched to the more expensive ready-to-feed Nutramigen Ready to Use 32 Oz. Bottle, 6 Count. There was significant improvement but then he would go potty after EVERY feeding. I guess this can be normal (the pediatrician said to not be concerned) but then ----- he had a diaper with blood in it. The doctor said it was due to a severe allergic reaction to cow milk proteins. Poor guy! We then had to put him on PurAmino Hypoallergenic Amino Acid Based Formula with Iron Powder - 14.1 oz Powder Can It can be found on Amazon but we required a prescription due to health insurance (yes, insurance did end up covering it and thank goodness -- because it would cost us about $900/month). Now, he's the happiest baby! The gas is gone. He barely burps. Miracle. BUT -- it is not the right formula for every baby on the block. But it was a miracle for ours.2. CONSIDER REFLUX MEDICATIONI was really anti-medication but realized that reflux played a big role in my baby's discomfort and I wanted to try something to help him. It was also affecting his sleep. He would wake up from naps and yelp from his reflux. He would also cry during feedings due to it. When I described these symptoms to my pediatrician she said, "all babies have reflux." She was hesitant to prescribe something -- but I demanded it. My baby is now on Zantac and it has helped him tremendously.3.GET A FEEDING CHAIRMy baby gets his bottle (and night bottles also) in the BABYBJORN Bouncer Balance Soft - Black/Dark Gray, Cotton. He drinks his bottle in an upright position, making it easier to digest = less reflux. (For some reason, he hates me holding him when he feeds) I try to give him about 5 oz. before he goes to sleep and he'll sleep about a 6 hour stretch.4. USE A ROCK N PLAY, THEN MOVE TO CRIB WITH SLEEP WEDGEMy baby loved sleeping in a Rock N Play (lFisher-Price Newborn Auto Rock 'n Play Sleeper, Aqua Stone Fashion) Some of my friends won't use it, because they claim its unsafe for nighttime sleep --- but it worked for us. Although, once my baby turned about 7 weeks he started to outgrow it. I was concerned about moving him to a crib so early, but tried to "recreate" the rock n play experience in the crib by propping up the mattress with a wedge https://www.amazon.com/DexBaby-Universal-Wedge-Positioner-Mattress/dp/B00067AUP2/ref=sr_1_1_s_it?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1471461887&sr=1-1&keywords=crib+positioner. For a few nights I stuffed pillows (not safe, I know) around him to make him "feel" like he was still in the rock n play and then slowly took out all the pillows over the next few days. (I also used the infant pillow from Amazon that looks like a sheep). He now sleeps in his bed like a champ.5. KEEP LIGHTS LOW, GET NOISE MACHINE FOR SLEEPDitch those cheap noise machines (like the ones on a swing) and invest in a Marpac Dohm-DS All-Natural White Noise Sound Machine, White. I did and I'm convinced it helps my baby sleep better and he doesn't get woken up by noises in the house at night. (I should also confess I bought the shusher on Amazon because I was getting so tired saying "shhh!!!!!" --- the device didn't work for us.6. USE A SLEEP MONITOR AND ADJUST THE VOLUMEBabies make A LOT of noise and I was running into his nursery several times a night thinking he was "awake" when really he was making a noise or going back to sleep on his own. Now, I put the monitor volume on low and only wake up when he is crying and obviously needs me.7. TRUST YOUR INSTINCTI find great advice by reading reviews on Amazon and other blogs -- but I also know that the best advice is your own (and that of your pediatrician). I'd be happy to answer any questions about our own sleep journey..

We were really struggling to transition with both of my babies out of the swaddle—she couldn’t sleep without it, and the moment her arms were free, the startle reflex would wake her up every time. Enter the Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit, and honestly, it has been a game-changer.It’s easy to put on, feels high quality, and gives us peace of mind knowing it was designed with safe sleep in mind. I only wish we’d started using it sooner!Highly recommend for any parent whose baby struggles with unswaddling or those tough sleep transitions.

We used the Magic Merlin Sleep Suit when transitioning my baby out of the swaddle, and it was a game-changer. She loved it, and the transition went smoothly — no worries about suffocating in blankets while staying warm.It also made it harder for her to roll over, so I didn’t have to stress about her flipping over in the night.We switched her out when she got better at rolling, but until then, it was a lifesaver!