PRIORITY CLAIM This application claims priority to provisional application serial number 60/437,868 filed on January 3,2003, and entitled INSTRUCTIONAL SWADDLING BLANKET AND RELATED ITEMS. The provisional application serial number 60/437,868 is hereby incorporated by this reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A dictionary defines the verb swaddle as"to bind as with a bandage; to bind or wrap tightly with clothes; to swathe ;-used esp. of infants; as, to swaddle a baby." Many newborns enjoy being swaddled, or wrapped tightly in a warm blanket, because it reminds them of being in the womb. Often it helps to calm and comfort them.

New parents have difficulty properly swaddling infants. Much of the difficulty stems from the unfamiliarity with an effective swaddling fold. Selecting blankets that are not suitable for swaddling due either to their ratio of width to length or their width to the length of the infant compounds the difficulty.

What is needed, then, in the art, is a method for instruction and a suitable blanket for swaddling infants.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention comprises a swaddling guide illustration for instructing in a method of swaddling an infant in a blanket. The illustration may be advantageously placed on such baby goods as would be in the proximity of the infant when the infant might be swaddled. Such goods would naturally include a swaddling blanket of suitable proportions or design. Other included goods might be a layette pad, a bassinette, a changing mat, a diaper bag, a crib or crib bumpers, a bath towel, a playpen, a diaper hamper, pajamas, a sleeper, a gown, or a baby monitor. The illustration may be advantageously imprinted upon diapers or on burp cloth.

In accordance with further aspects of the invention, the illustrations might be included in a tag sewn onto the baby good or a detachably attached label. Other means of attachment that would be suitable include the application of a decal or applique, embossment, embroidery, paint, ink, dye, or thermal binding. The illustrations might be woven into a label or even woven into the fabric of the blanket, diaper, burp cloth, or other baby good.

In accordance with other aspects of the invention, the swaddling guide illustration is advantageously included in a repeating pattern on a baby good to form a pleasing element of a design for application to textile fabric. Once applied to the textile fabric, the fabric is advantageously used to fabricate baby goods. Such goods would include a swaddling blanket of suitable proportions. Other included goods might be a layette pad, a bath towel, a changing mat, a diaper bag, crib bumpers, a playpen, a diaper hamper, pajamas, a sleeper, a gown, or diapers or burp cloth.

As will be readily appreciated from the foregoing summary, the invention provides a method and guide for instructing a person in swaddling an infant in a blanket is provided. A first illustration for positioning an infant on a blanket is provided. A second illustration for a first fold of the blanket to cover the infant is provided. A third illustration for a second fold of the blanket to cover the infant is provided. A fourth illustration for a third fold of the blanket to cover the infant is provided. The illustrations are attached to a baby good, such as to the blanket.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The presently preferred embodiments of the invention are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings.

FIGURE 1 a is an illustrated guide to swaddling an infant; FIGURE lb is a label including the illustrated guide to swaddling an infant; FIGURE 2 is a drawing of a first swaddling blanket including the illustrated guide to swaddling an infant; FIGURE 3 is a drawing of a second swaddling blanket including an illustrated guide to swaddling an infant;

FIGURE 4 is a drawing of a diaper bag including the illustrated guide to swaddling an infant; and, FIGURE 5 is a flowchart of a method for compiling an illustrated guide to swaddling an infant.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION By way of overview, a method and guide for instructing a person in swaddling an infant in a blanket is provided. A first illustration for positioning an infant on a blanket is provided. A second illustration for a first fold of the blanket to cover the infant is provided. A third illustration for a second fold of the blanket to cover the infant is provided. A fourth illustration for a third fold of the blanket to cover the infant is provided. The illustrations are attached to a baby good, such as to the blanket.

FIGURE la is an illustrated guide 10 to swaddling an infant 1. The illustrated guide 10 is incorporated in labeling and design of a number of baby goods to place the illustrated guide immediately in front of the infant's caregiver during response to events, when the response might be enhanced by including a swaddling of the child. Such events include the infant soiling a diaper, the infant going to sleep after a feeding, bathing the infant, or getting the infant dressed for bed.

The illustrated guide 10 includes a first illustration 12. The first illustration 12 portrays the infant 1 suitably positioned upon a suitably folded blanket 11. The first illustration 12 of the blanket 11 may optionally include reference numbers for each of the remaining corners, corner 1 111, corner 2 112, and corner 3 113. Additionally, the first illustration 12 may include the presence of a tag 22. The tag 22 is portrayed in the first illustration 12, as well as subsequent illustrations to orient the blanket 11 to the infant 1 for the caregiver, especially where the blanket 11 may be rectangular, asymmetric, or may include ties or Velcro fasteners, for instance, thereby identifying an orientation of the blanket 11 with respect to the infant 1.

The illustrated guide includes a second illustration 14 portraying the blanket 11 folded over the infant 1. To indicate the movements that constitute a transition from the first illustration 12 to the second illustration 14, the second illustration 14 advantageously includes an arrow 115 to indicate a movement of corner 1 111 over the infant 1 resulting in the configuration of the blanket 11 portrayed in the second illustration 14. Corners 2 112 and 3 113 as well as the label 22 remain visible and umnoved from their portrayed positions in the first illustration 12.

The illustrated guide further includes a third illustration 16. To indicate the movements that constitute a transition from the second illustration 14 to the third illustration 16, the third illustration 16 advantageously includes an arrow 116 to indicate a movement of corner 2 112 up over the infant 1 resulting in the configuration of the blanket 11 portrayed in the third illustration 16. Corner 3 113 remains visible and

unmoved from its portrayed positions in the first illustration 12 and the second illustration 14. The label 22 is portrayed above corner 3 113.

The illustrated guide further includes a fourth illustration 18 showing the penultimate configuration of the blanket 11. To indicate the movements that constitute a transition from the third illustration 16 to the fourth illustration 18, the fourth illustration 18 advantageously includes an arrow 117 to indicate a movement of corner 3 112 over the infant 1 and further under the infant 1 resulting in the configuration of the blanket 11 portrayed in the fourth illustration 18. A second arrow 118 indicates a final movement of the corner 3 113 portraying the tuck of corner 3 113 into the blanket 11 to secure the swaddled blanket 11 around the infant 1.

In the presently preferred embodiment, the illustrated guide 10 comprises the sequence of the first illustration 12, the second illustration 14, the third illustration 16, and the fourth illustration 18. Where, due to considerations of space or other issues warrants, the illustrated guide 10 may consist of as few as the second illustration 14, the third illustration 16, and the fourth illustration 18 portraying three principal folds for swaddling a child. Where, due to the configuration of the blanket 11, for instance where additional flaps (not pictured) are placed on the blanket 11 to engage the infant's arms, legs or head, distinct illustrations serve to appropriately instruct the caregiver according to the configuration of the blanket 11.

FIGURE lb is a label 20 including the illustrated guide 10 to swaddling an infant 1. The label 20 advantageously places the illustrated guide 10 in a manner to assure the visibility of the first illustration 12, the second illustration 14, the third illustration 16, and the fourth illustration 18 in a serial order.

In a presently preferred embodiment, the label 20 is configured to be folded along a fold 25 to allow attachment at the time of sewing a garment, pad cover, bag, or other such sewn baby good. In such an embodiment, the label includes a field 21 to add length sufficient to preserve the visibility of the first illustration 12, the second illustration 14, the third illustration 16, and the fourth illustration 18 in a serial order on one aspect of the label. The field 21 may be blank as shown or may contain suitable additional information about the baby good or such information as may be advantageously included. Margins 23 are included at the top and bottom of the label for insertion into the seam to assure secure attachment.

FIGURE 2 is a drawing of a first embodiment of swaddling blanket assembly 24 including the illustrated guide 10 to swaddling an infant 1. The swaddling blanket assembly 24 includes a blanket 26 and a tag 22. The tag 22 bears the illustrated guide 10 and is advantageously sewn on an edge of the blanket 26 above corner 3 113 to assure that the illustrated guide 10 is visible for the greatest duration in the swaddling process.

Rather than sewing the illustrated guide 10 onto the blanket 26 with a tag 22, the tag 22

may be detachably attached, as by Velcro hook and loop fasteners or even tied or printed on. Placement of the tag 22 serves not only to instruct the caregiver but also to orient the blanket with reference to the infant 1.

FIGURE 3 is a drawing of a second swaddling blanket assembly 24 including an illustrated guide 10 to swaddling an infant 1. Placement of the illustrated guide 10 onto the fabric of the blanket 26 as a pleasantly repetitive pattern assures visibility at all steps in the swaddling. Because of the nature of the swaddling, the illustrated guide 10 is advantageously portrayed with illustrations 12,14, 16, and 18 (FIGURE la) that are suitably cute and pleasant to view. The illustrated guide 10 is therefore readily incorporated in repetitive patterns that are suitably arranged on the blanket to assure its dual purposes of containing the infant 1 and instructing the caregiver.

FIGURE 4 is a drawing of a diaper bag 30 including the illustrated guide 10 to swaddling an infant 1. A vast number of baby goods may receive the illustrated guide 10 to supplement the utility of the illustrated guide 10 by placing the illustrated guide 10 in the presence of the caregiver during response to events, when the response might be enhanced by including a swaddling of the child. Such events include the infant soiling a diaper, the infant going to sleep after a feeding, bathing the infant, or getting the infant dressed for bed.

One such advantageous placement of the illustrated guide 10 is to place the guide on a diaper bag 32. Diaper bags typically contain supplies for feeding and for diapering an infant 1. The infant's experience of either event is enhanced by advantageously swaddling the infant 1 before or after feeding or after diapering. While any portion of the diaper bag may bear the illustrated guide 10, or may be detachably attached to the illustrated guide 19, or may contain (as in the case of a separate placard contained in a pocket of the diaper bag 32) the illustrated guide 10, one advantageous placement is to print, apply, weave, or embroider the illustrated guide 10 onto the flap 34 of the diaper bag 32. An interior side of the flap 34 additionally assures that the illustrated guide 10 is only visible when it would be useful but hidden when the diaper bag 32 is only carried rather than accessed.

FIGURE 5 is a flowchart of a method 40 for compiling an illustrated guide to swaddling an infant. In the presently preferred embodiment, the method 40 includes providing a first illustration at a first block 42, providing a second illustration at a second block 44, providing a third illustration at a third block 46, and providing a fourth illustration at a fourth block 48.

At the first block 42, the first illustration is provided. As discussed above with reference to FIGURE la, the first illustration portrays the positioning of the infant on a suitably folded blanket. The remaining corners of the suitably folded blanket are appropriately identified for ready reference for orienting the infant on the blanket.

Optionally, a location of a tag may advantageously be shown to orient the blanket to the infant.

At the second block 44, the second illustration is provided. As discussed above with reference to FIGURE la, the second illustration portrays the portraying the first remaining corner of the blanket, that at the infant's right hand when suitably positioned on the blanket, then folded over the infant.

At the third block 46, the third illustration is provided. As discussed above with reference to FIGURE la, the third illustration portrays the second of the remaining corners of the blanket folded upward; the second remaining corner being that near the feet of the infant on the suitably folded blanket.

At the fourth block 42, the fourth illustration is provided. As discussed above with reference to FIGURE la, the fourth illustration portrays the final folding of the third remaining corner of the blanket wrapped over the infant and the first and second corners of the blanket around the infant and suitably tucked between the infant and the blanket to hold the blanket in place snuggly around the infant.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the illustrated guide might be imprinted upon a baby bath towel to allow swaddling after a bath. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of the preferred embodiment. Instead, the invention should be determined entirely by reference to the claims that follow.