From the beginning, our goal at Solly Baby was to create products that supported parents and babies with a variety of needs—whether that was being able to carry baby immediately after a C-section, having a carrier that was aesthetic enough to wear to a black tie event, or offering pajamas that could accommodate a NICU-stay. From the quality of our signature fabric to our beautiful designs and attention to functional details, we take pride in knowing that parents can confidently bring our products into their homes.
Still, every once in a while, a customer shares about a product benefit that we weren’t initially aware of—enter our recent conversation with a nurse in California.
Sarah is a NICU nurse in Monterey Bay, California. After seeing a large spike in babies born with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) since the pandemic as a result of mothers suffering from drug addiction, her coworker brought in a Solly Wrap for one of the patients. Sarah emailed us excitedly, sharing, "It worked WONDERS!!! I could not believe how much it helped the baby to be held in the wrap.”
It’s no secret that babywearing has all sorts of benefits, but one of the biggest is that it allows infants to be easily held for extended periods, which is essential for bonding and neurological development. For infants experiencing withdrawal especially, the best way to care for them is by holding them constantly. Being close to the wearer's chest and hearing their heartbeat is shown to help calm babies’ overstimulated nervous systems, but when babies are in the NICU for extended periods, parents often can’t stay all day.
That’s where the Solly Wrap becomes an essential tool for NICU providers. “The Solly Wrap allows us, as nurses, to hold the infants while charting. We can use the wraps with babies on telemetry and oxygen monitoring, as well as infants being fed through a feeding tube, without it getting in the way,” explained Sarah.
Fair warning: You might want to grab a tissue box before you continue reading. The stories from Sarah’s unit are incredible.
“We had a very sweet baby who was unfortunately going through withdrawals and was with us for a couple months. Once the baby was stable enough, we started using the Solly Wrap to hold him and calm his nervous system. It was the only time he ever slept. Sleep in neonates is imperative for brain development, so we prioritized using the Solly Wrap as a therapy for his healing. He loved his wrap time—he would snuggle in and it always stabilized his vital signs.”
Introducing NICU Loved
Sarah’s email inspired us to launch our NICU Loved program, which gives name to something that we’ve been doing since our inception—donating Solly products to hospitals and families to bring comfort and connection to their NICU journeys.
Through NICU Loved, we’ve already donated hundreds of Solly Wraps, Sleepers, and Swaddles, and we hope to continue collecting stories of hope and recovery like those from Sarah’s NICU in Monterey Bay.
*Note: Though many people think of the NICU as a place primarily for preemies, they often also care for full-term babies. Sarah’s NICU follows Solly Wrap weight guidelines and only uses them for babies 8 pounds and over. The Solly Wrap should only be used for babies under 8 pounds with a medical provider’s approval at the discretion of the wearer.
