Bedtime can be one of the trickiest parts of having a baby in a Pavlik harness. The harness needs to stay in place while your baby sleeps, which means traditional swaddles, pajamas, and sleepwear don’t always work. We found that choosing sleep products specifically designed to accommodate the harness — or adapting pieces we already had — made nighttime much easier. We spend so much time focusing on safe sleep practices for baby, and a Pavlik harness can make that difficult. Please avoid buying oversized clothing. When in doubt, just put he/she in a onesie and a sleepsack.
🌙 Swaddles & Sleep Sacks
Love to Dream Swaddle Up Transition Bag – Hip Harness — designed specifically for babies in a hip harness. We used it with the arms zipped off.
ErgoPouch Hip Harness Sleep Sack — another option specifically designed to give baby’s hips and legs plenty of room while sleeping.
🌙 Pajamas & Gowns
Convertible gowns from B Steps — we loved these because we could leave them open at the bottom, making them easy to wear over the harness while still keeping her cozy.
Little Hippy Co. Hip Harness Pajamas — these are specifically designed for babies in a hip harness. We haven’t personally tried these, but they are an option worth considering.
🧸 Keeping Arms Warm
Kissy Kissy kimono tops — when we left Molly’s gown open, we used lightweight kimono-style tops to keep her arms warm without adding extra bulk around the harness.
👕 Bodysuits
Next hip dysplasia bodysuits — these are specifically designed to be worn with a hip dysplasia harness, with a higher cut and easy popper fastening for changes. We found these particularly useful as a base layer under gowns or other sleepwear.
Pavlik Harness Guide 