Here at Dreamland Baby HQ, nothing makes us happier than to hear our customer’s feedback! That’s why we created a new blog feature, Dreamland Baby Spotlight, to introduce you to “real” families who can share their unique experiences with our products. If you’d like to be profiled in an upcoming post, email us at [email protected].
We look forward to hearing from you!
Meet Dr. Aimee Halles
Let’s get started! Dr. Aimee Halles is a PT, DPT from Knoxville, Tennessee. Dr. Aimee works with patients of all ages, and she loves helping children that have sensory and motor impairments. Dr. Aimee and her husband, Michael, are the parents of a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Ainsley, and a two-month-old son, Rhett.
Aimee’s Story
My daughter was 10lb 1oz, and my son was 9lb 0.5oz at birth. During my first pregnancy, my husband was deployed to Afghanistan for 9 months, and he returned a day before I was induced with my daughter. With my son, I found out I was pregnant while we were planning to move down to Tennessee from Illinois. We moved in with my in-laws for a few months while looking for a house, then moved into our current home in May.
Rhett was set to be induced on Aug 4th but decided to come on July 30th instead. His labor was quick, and he was out fairly easily. But he had low blood sugar (I’m a diabetic) and a heart murmur that turned out to be a congenital defect called Bicuspid Aortic Valve. He will likely have surgery in the future, but his condition is currently stable, so we’re in the clear for now.
Dreamland Baby Experience
Rhett was a very fussy baby for the first eight weeks of life. He refused to sleep unless he was held, had his days and nights confused, and even when he had a clean diaper, was fed, and had enough love and attention, he was still very fussy all the time. My husband returned to work after a two-week paternity leave. So, during the week, my husband slept in the guest room, and it was just the little man and me. The lack of sleep was not easy and was getting to me.
I was desperate to try anything that could help him sleep!
I use a weighted blanket when I sleep and have done research on how the added weight assists with sensory issues, so I figured it was worth a try.
The first night I put Rhett in the Dreamland Baby swaddle, he slept peacefully for 3 hours. He sometimes likes his arms up and sometimes pinned to his sides, so I like that this swaddle gives us both options.
Since we started using the gently weighted swaddle from Dreamland Baby, he seems to sleep much better overall!
I love that Rhett can sleep better, which also makes him happier during the day. Anything that provides my kids with comfort makes me a happy mama!
As a physical therapist, I liked the concept of gently weighed sleepwear, but it did make me nervous that he may not be able to move if he got into a position he shouldn’t be in, such as one restricting his airway. But after I watched him and saw that the evenly distributed weight would not impede movement, I was happy and more at ease.
Rhett had a mild case of torticollis (tightness in one side of the neck) and plagiocephaly (flattening of the opposite side of the head). While wearing the sleep sack, he could still roll from his side to his back and move his arms freely when not swaddled to his sides at 1-2 months old. Babies calm when swaddled as it simulates a womb-like environment. The additional weight acts as a soothing mechanism.
When I take off my doctor hat and purely look at the benefits this swaddle has provided me as an exhausted mother, I’m so thankful that I was introduced to it. The bottom line is that with Rhett getting more sleep, I’m getting more sleep, and therefore I’m better able to take care of my family.
As a Physical Therapist who works with children and a mother of two, I can confidently recommend that exhausted parents try this gently weighted swaddle. It may be the help you were looking for and has been a game changer for my family.