#AD – gifted for review

Ever since my first daughter was born, I have been a massive fan of The Gro Company products, and have used most of the range – from the traditional grobag, to more recently the Gro to Bed toddler bedding now that Erin is older. As soon as my newborn made her arrival, I was keen to try out their new 2 in one Swaddle and Grobag suitable from birth – the Grosnug. If you haven’t tried one before, here’s my grosnug review.

Grosnug REVIEW 2-1 swaddle in packaging

What is the Grosnug?

The Grosnug is a revolutionary New 2 in 1 Swaddle and Newborn Grobag.

The Grosnug enables you to swaddle your baby with either arms in or arms out depending on your child’s preference. The Grosnug is extremely easy to use with no folding needed and a long zip that opens from the bottom for nappy changes. Its unique design creates space for hip healthy natural leg position and perfectly transitions your baby into their first Grobag.

Made from supersoft and stretchy cotton, the Grosnug is available in two different weights – Light and Cosy, tailoring them to different room temperatures.

One size fits all babies from 5lb to 12lb. The Grosnug is Machine washable and can be tumble dried on a low heat.

There are four different designs available including Stars, Polka Dots, Penguins and Rainbows and they retail for £16.99. You can currently get 12% off your first order at The Gro Store – making them just £14.95.

grosnug review - 2 in 1 swaddle and grobag

Our Grosnug review 

From the first few days in the hospital alone, it became fairly clear that Neve liked to be swaddled. She seemed to prefer the comfort of being tightly wrapped in her blankets, perhaps because it reminded her of being in the womb! She also had a tendency to wake herself up with flailing arms, so having them neatly tucked away led to a better nights sleep for all of us!

We had been sent a selection from The Gro Company, and therefore when we returned home, I was keen to try them out and carry out a full Grosnug review!

Unlike some swaddle blankets I had used when Erin was a baby, putting Neve into the Grosnug was really straight forward, without needing a degree in origami like it can be with some others on the market! The Grosnug has a large zip that runs from top to bottom and it really was a case of popping her in and zipping her up. The product has press studs sealing in the arms at the top, and can be changed to arms out when required. The zip doesn’t ever make contact with Neve’s face or body, with small zip protector flaps concealing them safely away from the skin.

There has been some debate about whether swadding is good for babies, so it was reassuring to know that the Grosnug has been designed with curved seams to ensure a healthy hip position.

On the first night of our Grosnug review, Neve slept MUCH better than with a normal blanket. She looked content and comfortable. I slept well too, safe in the knowledge she would stay at the same temperature as unable to kick off her blanket which she had done at times before. The Grosnug material felt soft and cosy, and I really liked the subtle gender neutral design.

The only slight challenge of the Grosnug with the arms contained is when breastfeeding, as I found it could be a little tricky to get Neve comfortable against the breast as her arms were quite bulky in front of her. Also, my milk is a little on the fast side, and so I had to be extra careful not to get milk on the Grosnug, where as with a blanket I would remove this to feed her.  The latter wasn’t a major problem, as I just needed to cover her with a muslin before I started feeding!!

grosnug 2-1 swaddle and gro bag

As Neve got a little bigger, she was less frequently startling herself when lay on her back, so we decided to use the Grosnug to transition to arms out, in preparation for when we move her into her first Gro Bag. We did one arm at a time, and found this to be quite effective. She now sleeps in that adorable arms up position which melts my heart! 🙂

One of the biggest positives I found during our Grosnug review, is that its design still ensures that nappy changes aren’t a challenge, even in a dimly lit room. The zip opens all the way up at the bottom, allowing me to change Neve’s nappy without having to completely remove the swaddle. Not only does this prevent a full wake up, but keeps her snuggly and warm whilst I change her. Neve very rarely cries, but she HATES being cold!!!

grosnug 2 in 1 swaddle and gro bag

Overall I was really impressed with the Grosnug, particularly in those first few weeks at home with our newborn. I think a slow transition has really helped Neve adapt to an “arms out” sleeping position. Now 2 months old, she is getting close to the maximum weight for the Grosnug, so we have now moved onto the traditional Gro Bag. She looks tiny in it, but she is sleeping well! 🙂

You can learn more about the Grosnug in the online Gro Store.

*Disclosure – I was sent a products for the purpose of this Grosnug review, however all thoughts and opinions are my own.*