Single Organic Cotton Muslin Swaddle

Single organic muslin swaddling blanket. Made of organic cotton that is grown free of toxic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, aden + anais® organic swaddles are as soft and beautiful as they are environmentally conscious. Designed especially for sensitive skin, the fabric’s light, open weave allows air to flow seamlessly through so that a baby’s body temperature can adjust naturally. Because the cotton is grown and manufactured in an environmentally and socially responsible manner, you can rest assured you’re doing something wonderful for baby and the environment at the same time.

Why Swaddle with Muslin?

The practice of swaddling goes back nearly as far as human history, itself. The oldest archaeological evidence of mothers swaddling their babies begins in 4000 B.C. with the migrating peoples of ancient central Asia. The ancient Greeks and Romans swaddled. There are even biblical references to the practice.

Swaddling’s ability to soothe and calm babies has been known to mothers around the world for countless generations. But while the evidence of its benefits has been clear to women for thousands of years and across every continent, today we can turn to science for proof that swaddling is one of the most gentle, effective, and beneficial practices for mothers and their children.

In 2002, the medical journal Pediatrics published a study that explained why babies who are swaddled sleep more peacefully by preventing spontaneous movements (called reflex motion) from waking them up continually during the night. The same year, the Journal of Applied Physiology wrote that swaddled infants stay in REM sleep (the most restorative, deepest sleep) longer than those who were not. There is growing evidence every year that swaddling may indirectly help prevent SIDS, as well.

Swaddling is said to be as familiar to babies as it is to their moms because it recreates the secure and cozy feeling of the womb -- and using swaddles made of natural cotton muslin only enhances that blissful feeling. Muslin is a finely-woven breathable fabric believed to have originated in Bangladesh during the Middle Ages. It's delicate, yet durable weave, makes the fabric stretchy, and therefore ideal for swaddling, as the natural give" allows the blanket to be tucked snuggly around a baby without being overly restrictive.

The lightweight muslin also permits air to circulate around the baby's body, while still providing comfort and warmth without the worry that the baby may overheat in moderate weather. Cotton muslin is also a workhorse fabric, in that wraps woven from this natural fiber stands up to repeated washings only becoming softer -- and better -- with age.

Of course, all the scientific evidence in the world is no substitute for the experience of millions of Mothers through uncountable generations: that swaddling in muslin is one of the most loving, gentle, restorative acts a mother can perform for her child.

Story of Muslin

Cotton muslin is the world’s oldest, most cherished woven fabric. It adorned the members if the Indus Valley Civilization 7,000 years ago. It was used by the Egyptians to both swaddle their babies and to wrap those who had passed away. It graced the robes of ancient Greeks and Romans. It was used for the elaborate petticoats of 17th century France and as garments worn by the underprivileged working classes of medieval Europe. The story of muslin is the story of civilization.

Muslin has protected its wearers from the heat and the cold. It has swaddled countless babies from every land and draped the shoulders of the wise and the elderly from every corner of the earth. It is a fabric that binds us all together-- through out all time, all places, and all cultures. It is the purest, simplest, most gentle, and, in our opinion, the most perfect fabric in the world.