Mothercare Swaddle Blanket review

The Mothercare Swaddle Blanket – also known as the ‘Miracle Blanket’ - features a 'bag' into which you tuck your baby's legs. You then wrap two fabric ‘wings’ around your baby's arms and tuck them under his back. Your baby's own bodyweight holds the blanket in place and keeps his arms tucked at his sides.

Once your baby’s arms are in place, one side of the cloth is again tucked under his back (between his body and one arm – quite tricky) and then the rest of the cloth wraps around and around, leaving your baby looking, and presumably feeling, like a cosy little grub.

I wasn't keen on this the first few times I did it, since it did look like my baby was wearing a teeny-tiny straight-jacket, but once I realised it didn't bother Joe at all, I stopped worrying about it. That said I still occasionally find myself accidentally referring to the swaddler as a 'muzzler'!

What we love

The Mothercare Swaddle Blanket is lightweight, easy to use and easy to wash and dry. More importantly, it really works - Joe has been waking just once a night since he was 6 weeks old.

While you can swaddle your baby with a simple cotton sheet, this specially designed swaddling blanket makes it much easier.

What to watch out for

It's a bit tricky to work out exactly which bit goes where, but the instructions are clear and it becomes easy with practice – and with the amount of time babies spend sleeping, you'll definitely be getting enough of this!

Who is the Mothercare Swaddling Blanket best for?

Mums with babies under 3 months. You should all at least give it a try.

MadeForMums verdict

Although it can be tricky to get the hang of, once you've mastered swaddling you'll never look back. The Mothercare Swaddle Blanket is an essential piece of baby kit that makes the whole process easy. However, if you’re on a really tight budget, look into just using a basic cotton cot sheet instead.