 Why the Woombie Bili Pod Is Transforming Developmental Care During Neonatal Phototherapy and NOWS Tx
By Child Life Specialist and Co-creator, Chelsea Vail In neonatal medicine, we are constantly balancing two priorities: delivering effective clinical treatment while protecting the fragile neurodevelopment of the infant. Phototherapy for hyperbilirubinemia is one of the most common interventions we provide in NICUs, nurseries, and birth centers worldwide. Yet historically, phototherapy has required us to compromise developmental positioning, containment, and comfort in order to maximize skin exposure. That is why the Woombie Bili Pod represents, in my professional opinion, one of the most important advancements in neonatal developmental care in recent years. After integrating it into clinical practice, I can confidently say: this product should be considered best practice in every NICU, nursery, and birth centers worldwide. Closing the Gap Between Treatment and Developmental CareTraditional phototherapy often leaves infants unswaddled, exposed, and dysregulated. For preterm infants and babies with neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS), this can lead to:
The design supports optimal light exposure while maintaining a womb-like, flexed, midline position — exactly what developmental care principles demand. Maximizing Luminosity Without Compromising SafetyOne of the most impressive features of the Woombie Bili Pod is its ability to allow exceptionally high luminosity during phototherapy. In my experience, it outperforms other containment products on the market in terms of light transmission while still providing developmental support. The specialized mesh fabric allows light penetration across the infant’s body while minimizing shadowing. At the same time, the breathable material reduces the risk of overheating — a critical consideration during phototherapy, particularly in preterm or medically fragile infants. The balance is elegant:
The Double Zipper: A Clinician’s DreamIf you have worked in a NICU, you understand how often we need access — quickly and safely. The Woombie Bili Pod’s double zipper design is a deceptively simple but transformative feature. It allows:
For nurses and respiratory therapists, this translates into workflow efficiency. For babies, it translates into physiologic stability. Snap Option for Umbilical IV AccessFor our smallest and sickest patients, umbilical lines are common. One of the reasons many developmental products fail in the NICU setting is incompatibility with central access devices. The Woombie Bili Pod addresses this directly with a snap configuration option specifically designed for infants with umbilical IV lines. This thoughtful feature allows safe line management without compromising containment or light exposure. It is clear this product was designed with real NICU realities in mind. A Powerful Tool for NOWS and Withdrawal CarePerhaps one of the most exciting applications is its role in caring for infants experiencing Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS). These infants often struggle with:
Because the fabric is breathable mesh, it avoids the overheating risk that sometimes accompanies tighter swaddling during phototherapy. This makes it particularly well suited for babies who require both bilirubin treatment and withdrawal support simultaneously. In my clinical view, it functions not just as a phototherapy garment, but as a neuroregulation tool. Infection Control and Cost PracticalityAnother major advantage is its flexibility in use. The Woombie Bili Pod can be:
Why This Should Be Standard of CareDevelopmental care is no longer optional in modern neonatology — it is evidence-based medicine. We know that positioning, containment, sensory regulation, and sleep protection influence:
Instead of choosing between bilirubin reduction and developmental integrity, we can now achieve both. That is why I believe this product deserves consideration as a new global best practice for phototherapy management. A Shift in MindsetFor decades, neonatal care has evolved from survival-focused to developmentally intentional. The next frontier is ensuring that every intervention — even routine ones like phototherapy — supports long-term neurodevelopment. The Woombie Bili Pod is not just a swaddle. It is a bridge between treatment and tenderness. Between technology and human-centered care. As infant care specialists, we have a responsibility to implement solutions that protect not just life, but lifelong potential. In my practice, this is one of them.  There are babies hospitalised on nearly every unit of a paediatric hospitals all over the world right now wearing loose, paper thin hospital gowns, struggling to feel safe. They're often strapped into papoose boards for IVs, blood draws, eye drops or sutures and, although the hearts of the staff members bleed for these babies, there doesn't seem to be another way.
Well, there didn't seem to be another way- until now... I became a Certified Child Life Specialist in June 2007, roughly a year after working in the field. I completed a Practicum at a children's hospital in Texas on the Medical/Surgical Unit and spent most of my days with the "trach babies" reading stories, singing songs, and doing my best to get them into the strongly advocated for hands-over-heart position. Every 15-20 minutes (it seemed), one of the babies, wearing a diaper or loose gown, was being suctioned by a nurse and their arms would flail wildly as they struggled to cope with this necessary nuisance. I remember my twenty-year old self wondering if there was a better way to comfort them... I then completed another practicum in a different hospital nearby including a NICU and ER rotation. In the NICU I learned from a Child Life Specialist I'd come to refer to as "The Baby Whisperer" for the next twenty years and who I'd eventually serve on a team with. In fact, she'd help review my future product designs. She advocated heavily for swaddling and taught me the importance of containment and creating boundaries for newborns, not only for comfort and safe sleep, but for bone fusion and muscle tone. She taught me how to swaddle babies during various procedures to keep them calm, reduce trauma and negative touch. I noticed that without the guidance of a Child Life Specialist, many of these babies went unswaddled during procedures and would arch their backs, splay their finger and toes (an infant stress signal) and start hiccuping or yawning, which are also signs of stress. I knew from my coursework in Child Development that stress causes an increase in cortisol levels and the firing and rewiring of neurons in the brain that say, "You're not safe." I knew that babies preferred to be swaddled and when they're unswaddled, especially in the first three months of life known as "The Fourth Trimester," they feel as though they're falling. They flail the arms and legs around desperately looking for boundaries to get a sense of safety. Following these practicums I'd complete an internship in the ER and the Surgical units and then work Day Surgery and PICU before finally accepting a senior level position covering Hematology/Oncology and Gastroenterology. What I noticed across all of these units was that babies are EVERYWHERE in paediatric hospitals, yet there are NO swaddles and NO developmental care garments outside of the NICU. This bothered me immensely but, in my twenties, as a fairly new Child Life Specialist, I felt helpless and small, just like them. But, then I started a Parent Coaching business supporting new moms and teaching Newborn Care classes and sleep coaching outside of the hospital. I was advocating for parents to use a developmental care product called the Woombie, at home for safe sleep and comfort during distress. I reached out to Karen Barski, creator of the Woombie, and asked her if we could work together to redesign a Woombie to meet the needs of hospitalised infants. Luckily Karen is a "yes" person so together we created Woombie Med Pods and the famous Woombie Bili Pod, the first swaddle for babies undergoing phototherapy that provided full luminosity! We need Child Life Specialists to be our soldiers on the ground, advocating to their Charge Nurses and hospital system buyers to offer the Woombie Med Pods line on each unit! To Child Life Specialists who seek to comfort the tiniest peanuts on their units, The Woombie Sleepy Pod can be given to term babies (NB 0-3m or Big Baby 14-19lbs) for safe sleep, developmental care, and procedural support. Try this swaddle in the ER after stabilising an infant after a car crash, head sutures, abuse, or removal from a domestic violence situation. Use the Woombie Sleepy Pod for infants on the respiratory unit admitted for RSV, flu or croup. Use the Sleepy Pod in Radiology for EEGs or utilise the double zipper for a VCUG whilst keeping the baby swaddled waist up. The Woombie Trach Pod can swaddle babies with a trach placed or post-op cardiology patients. The Woombie Gastro Pod supports babies with post-op stoma, umbilical IV, ostomy bags, or g-buttons and the Woombie Bili Pod can be used for babies undergoing withdrawal symptoms from opioid addiction without the risk of overheating due to its breathability factors. Consider the Woombie Med Pod for sickle cell patients, after PICC line placement, or the Woombie Trach Pod for patients with port-a-caths or broviacs. What if the Woombie Sleepy Pod was available in wound care? Trust me, I remember how hard it was to safely hold a baby into a comfort position during an unpacking of a wound! The double zipper makes it easy to access the limb needed for the procedure while keeping the rest of the baby contained and warm. Whichever unit you cover, we need you, Child Life Specialists, to advocate for Woombie Med Pods for developmental care and procedural support! Please reach out to a fellow Child Life Specialist Chelsea Vail at [email protected] to discuss your unit's needs. We'd like to help you get started! Answers to YOUR questions Woombie Med Pods made their debut at the AAP conference in Chicago in 2017, but Woombie has been safely swaddling babies for more than twenty years. Woombie has sold well over a million swaddles without a single safety recall. The patented peanut-shape is the shape to be trusted.
The peanut-shape of the Woombie Med Pod puts baby in a womb-like position to ease the transition from the womb to the world during the fourth trimester. Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, and Child Life Specialists love the Woombie Med Pod line. "Finally! A swaddle that actually works!" -Hannah, NICU nurse, Texas The Woombie Bili Pod has been successfully swaddling babies during phototherapy worldwide whilst allowing full luminosity, but did you know it can also be used to provide developmental care for NAS/NOWS babies? Have you, and your staff, used it to meet full-view initiatives? What about using it to swaddle squirmy peanuts in the Turtle Tub or during bath? FDA/CE Marks: Here at Barski Vail Designs, LLC, creators of the Woombie Med Pods line, we're often receiving inquiries about FDA approval and CE marks. Woombie Med Pods classify as accessories, or support garments, therefore these certifications are not required of our products. They have; however, been safety tested in a third party lab and have passed OSHA requirements for sanitation. LAUNDERING Although the pods can be laundered and refused, we recommend they be used as disposables to avoid cross-contamination or losing them in the wash. This is why we keep our prices low! We recommend every patient be given 2-3 pods during their stay so that baby can remain safely swaddled even in the event a pod is soiled. Woombie is one of the top recommended products for new moms to have on hand when they bring their new baby home, but we believe well-baby units and Newborn Nurseries should offer our Woombie Sleepy Pod as a birthing gift to new moms. The Woombie Sleepy Pod allows baby to be swaddled for safe sleep, swaddled throughout vital signs checks, heel sticks, and even diaper changes to avoid hyper stimulation or negative touch in those early days. The Woombie Sleepy Pod is a best practice for family centered care initiatives and should be the standard swaddle for every term baby and neonate. Reach out directly to us to inquiry about Woombie Sleepy Pod, Woombie Gastro Pod and Woombie Trach Pod [email protected] . Woombie Bili Pods can be purchased via our distribution team at International Biomedical [email protected] Swaddle every baby! |
AuthorChelsea Vail, MA, CCLS, Newborn Care Specialist and contributing inventor of Woombie Med Pods. Archives
February 2026
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