There is nothing that reminds me of my failure as a parent than nap time and “nigh-night” time.
Nothing.
C had horrible reflux when she was younger and went through 2 medications until we found one that stopped the projectile vomit and incessant screaming. Because of this, I admit, Hubby and I babied her. Our excuses included “she’s a baby so she can’t tell us what’s wrong” and honestly, we just wanted to maintain our sanity- so we did whatever worked. Now at the tender age of 11 months, I am convinced that we have created a monster.
Not only does C depend on me (yes, only me- I’m so lucky) to put her to sleep, but she insists on sleeping in our already too small Queen-sized bed. I remember people telling me to put a shirt of mine in her crib, my scent would help her to sleep- wrong! Enter: The Snoedel (pronounced Snoodle).
What is a Snoedel?
A Snoedel “ is the original sleeping and bonding aid doll for babies. It is comprised of 100% natural fibers and has been safe for use with all babies including newborns, premature infants, and other babies in Neonatal Intensive Care units. Snoedels bring comfort as “aromatherapy of the very best kind – Mamatherapy (the scent of mom).”
The very first Snoedel was created by a Dutch woman inspired by the birth of a friend’s premature infant. The Dutch word “snoedel” means “snuggle.”
How does the Snoedel work?
“They are designed specifically to absorb and retain a mother’s (or father’s) scent. Then when held or placed near a newborn or infant the scent is slowly released to comfort the baby, thus improving sleep, aiding in bonding, and soothing a baby’s crying or distress.”
You can read more about the Snoedel and it’s many uses here.
Sharon over at Snoedel Inc. was so kind as to send me a Snoedel to review!
I must admit, I was skeptical, because I knew that I had tried the t-shirt thing with C, but I was also desperate. I read all of the press on the Snoedel and thought that it wouldn’t hurt to try.
The directions state that the parent should sleep with the Snoedel for a few nights before giving it to the child to sleep with. I was so set on making sure that my scent got infused into this Snoedel. I put it right under my body before I went to sleep. When C woke up in the middle of the night, I wondered if I had it in the right place, so I put it under my shirt- I told you I was desperate. I slept with it for 3 nights, for good measure before giving it a whirl with C.
This is going to be her third night sleeping with the Snoedel and while she still wakes up at night, I will say that she is sleeping for longer stretches- ALONE- in her own bed- than she ever has thus far. For the first time since she has been born, last night I didn’t have to give her milk in the middle of the night- I just rocked her back to sleep and put the Snoedel back with her.
I was kind of worried that C would turn it into a lovey and start walking around with it everywhere- but that’s not the case. (phew!) So, do I think the Snoedel works? I am tempted to say that I am a believer. She is napping right now with it and it has almost been an hour- she NEVER naps that long. She wasn’t napping or sleeping like this before the Snoedel, so yes- it has my vote. It won’t hurt you to try, right? Imagine if I had started using this Snoedel from birth- she probably would have never been sleeping in my bed at all!!!!
Check out an article from the Pittsburgh Tribune newspaper about the Snoedel here.
Sharon and the kind folks over at Snoedel, Inc. have offered to give one of my lucky readers a chance to win a Snoedel of their own!
This would make a perfect gift for an expecting Mom, a Mom with an infant or a Mom- like me- who is stressed to the max about their child sleeping in their bed.
This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thank you to all who entered.
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You must first visit the Snoedel website and tell me what pattern you would choose if you won and who you would give this wonderful gift to. This step is mandatory. All other entries will be void if this is not done first.
- Follow me on Twitter (@ABittersweet1), Leave your Twitter ID and email address in the comment box.
- Tweet about this giveaway, leave the permalink to your Tweet in the comment box. You may do this once daily. You may copy the following:
“Buggy BDay Giveaway 6: Help your little one get a good night’s sleep with a Snoedel! from @ABittersweet1 Ends 12/26 http://bit.ly/8b7KZG”
- Become a fan of A Bittersweet Existence on Facebook (sidebar). Leave your Facebook username in the comment box.
- For ten extra entries, make a purchase from Snoedel.
- Subscribe to my blog via email. Leave your email address in the comment box.
- Follow my blog publicly using Google Friend Connect.
- Grab my button and place it on your site. Leave a link to where I can find it.
- Visit my personal blog. Read and comment on any post on the website. Leave a comment saying what post you commented on and what name you commented under. You can receive one entry for each comment you post on my blog.
Please remember to leave a separate comment for each entry.
This contest is open to residents of the USA only. Contest ends on December 26th at 5:00 pm PST. A winner will be chosen using random.org and will be notified via email. The winner will also be announced on the review section of my website in a new post. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me. If you fail to contact me within the 48 hour period, a new winner will be chosen using random.org.
*This product was given to me free of charge from Snoedel, Inc. for review purposes. The views/opinions expressed in this post are my own. Please see my disclosure policy for more details.*
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