SNOO
Written by
Happiest Baby Staff
SHARE THIS ARTICLE
Bestsellers
Gabrielle Merchant had high hopes for SNOO…but, when she purchased it before the birth of her son, she could not have foreseen just how helpful SNOO would become.
'The biggest thing for us was the safety aspect. My wife is a police officer, so unfortunately, we know firsthand what dangerous sleep situations result in,' she says.
Though SNOO’s safety features gave Gabrielle the peace of mind she was looking for, soon another benefit of SNOO revealed itself.
Gabrielle’s son Greyson was born with minor form of a cleft lip, called microform cleft lip, that required surgery to repair when he was a little over 5 months old. During the three-week recovery period, children often have to wear arm braces (aka 'no-no’s') to keep them from touching their mouths to let this delicate lip repair fully heal.
'Often parents complain that after cleft repair, their kids don’t sleep. We’ve heard so many horror stories,' she says. 'Instead, since he is able to be safely swaddled in SNOO, even at 6 months old, and he has no access to his hands and can’t damage his lip incision, he can sleep like he normally does.'
They got a taste of what sleep outside of SNOO might look like when they went without it for the night following Greyson’s surgery.
'He slept horribly,' Gabrielle says. 'He really didn’t sleep at all, and I was a disaster because I didn’t sleep at all. We decided we wouldn’t ever go anywhere without SNOO again.'
Fortunately, within two days of surgery, Greyson was back to his normal sleep habits.
'With having to take so many of his normal sleep comforts away, like his pacifier, this consistency means so much,' Gabrielle says. 'It’s been a glorious tool for us. Especially in post-op recovery. Having him in something comfortable and familiar and something that’s safe.'
Gabrielle’s currently preparing to transition Greyson out of SNOO…but she is not looking forward to trading SNOO for the cot.
![[object Object]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2F301lhh0a%2Fproduction%2F3f6e38d69b1cb2e43937a09f6240357e3fe07e14-480x320.jpg&w=1080&q=75)
'We really have loved it,' she says. 'We will be keeping it for a potential future sibling. We have felt safe every night, and that peace of mind is worth every penny. Knowing that he is safe and sound next to me means I can sleep soundly. It’s a true gift. It’s made this early newborn period so much better.'
Disclaimer: The information on our site is NOT medical advice for any specific person or condition. It is only meant as general information. If you have any medical questions and concerns about your child or yourself, please contact your health provider. Breastmilk is the best source of nutrition for babies. It is important that, in preparation for and during breastfeeding, mothers eat a healthy, balanced diet. Combined breast- and bottle-feeding in the first weeks of life may reduce the supply of a mother's breastmilk and reversing the decision not to breastfeed is difficult. If you do decide to use infant formula, you should follow instructions carefully.
