Sleeping Bags

[purplebiro]

Think we're going to go down the route of the baby sleeping bags/fitted sheets/blankets when needed (June baby so unlikely to need one for a bit) but two questions:
1 - What happens if poo/wee/sick gets on the bag - are they usually washable?
2 - On which note, how many would you recommend having for the first six months or so? Or at least starting off with?

[lightgreenglass]

1. They are washable, and thank god for that.
   
2. Two is enough - just rotate them in the wash.
   

DS loves his, knows it's bed time when he's zipped in. Atm he's 14 months and I don't plan to move him on duvets till he is 2.5.

[RedRose27]

I am a bit more lazy with the washing! So I have 5 bags as DD is quite sicky so we tend to go through one a night. Perhaps get 2 or 3 to start with. DD is 4.5 months but is now too long for the 0-6 months, so have had to get a new batch of 6-12 months. Would recommend the NCT nearly new sales for these at a good price.

[purplebiro]

Great - thanks - and do you wash them as you would wash normal bedding or as you would wash clothes? Barring any accidents, obviously.

[Chipandspuds]

I'd say to get at least 2, DS had a grobag one and I found it dried quite fast after washing.

Vanish powder in the pink tub is excellent for getting any baby poo stains out in case if nappy leaks!

[CurlsLDN]

Ds was born in may this year, so similar timing.

For the first couple of months he slept in a 'swaddle wrap' (I think summer infant make them, amongst others) it's a shaped piece of jersey that wraps snugly around the baby and velcroes up. He would wear a vest, a sleepsuit and that to bed. No blankets to fuss with or kick off, and he has always been a good sleeper, perhaps because he felt cuddled?

Once he got too long for his wraps I got grow bags by the gro company. Usually 2.5 tog, though I did buy one 1.5 tog one when it was really hot for a few weeks in summer.

I love both these solutions, i don't intend to introduce blankets or duvets for a long while, as these are so easy, cosy and safe

[whitechocolatestars]

They're brilliant. 2 is plenty, we wash and tumble dry with everything else, it's all covered in the same mess!

Remember to get the 1 tog for summer (you can put extra layer under sleepsuit or blanket on top if it's chilly) and 2.5tog for winter.

We started using them at 3months, DS was swaddled before that.

[whitechocolatestars]

Oh, and the white company ones are nicest I have found. Gro bags are ok but quality feels nicer with WC if you can manage the price.

[Sonics]

My worry with these is are they warm enough? Our house can get pretty chilly and am worried baby will get chilly. I'm due end of jan so will be a winter baby. We've been given loads of blankets so wondering if we should just stick with them as we can layer up as needed. What do you think? This is our 1st so welcome your advice

[MrsMaker83]

Would definitely recommend them.

My baby was really active at night, tossing, turning, kicking etc. Blankets never lasted longer than a few minutes before being kicked away. When she was newborn it worried me she would kick them up over her face or sleep with her face pressed into them and possibly restrict breathing.
Being a winter baby it probably made her cold having nothing around her!

We switched to bags at about 3 weeks old and never looked back. I don't intend to move her on from them until she stays in one position or doesn't move loads in her sleep.

In colder months i put her in a long sleeved vest under pj's/babygro so arms are kept warmer as they aren't covered.

[Halfpastthelegofmyshirt]

You can buy them for £12 or so from most supermarkets. I'm not so keen on the grobags as they are ordinary cotton - I think the cotton jersey is much softer and more comfortable. Grobags are also v overpriced!

[Toadsrevisited]

gro.co.uk/pages/what-to-wear here's a chart of what clothes to wear with what tog sleeping bag. I found this invaluable.

[Dogsmom]

Dd is 20 months and still in them, we tried her with blankets as a newborn but she got cold where the draught could fit down the sides.
I always have two, wash and spare and tend to pickthem up from Sainsburys when they do the 25% off sale.
She's a real wriggler and has always ended up face down or at the bottom of her cot and I worried she'd get trapped in a blanket whereas the bags move with her.

[Rodion]

Love them. Of all the unnecessary baby paraphernalia that you can be tempted into buying, this is the thing to go for!

If you choose Grobags I've found some MUCH cheaper in TKMaxx, so long as you aren't fussy about pattern. We have a variety of different sleeping bags but I personally prefer the Grobags as they don't popper at the shoulder (the older sizes anyway) so can't be escaped!

They're better than blankets if you're worried about baby getting chilly as you can maintain their temperature all night - blankets get moved around/kicked off.

[whitechocolatestars]

Sonics don't underestimate them, they are very warm as they retain all the body heat. 2.5 tog is best for winter, also they are much safer than blankets as less risk of ending up over baby's head. We were given several blankets and only ever used them in the buggy.

Also if you're worried about room temp get a thermometer, gro eggs are good (change colour when room is too hot / cold) or else we use a video monitor that shows temp in ds' room and keep it at approx 19-22c.

[Sonics]

This is all really helpful thank you. Better add gro bags to the shopping list!

[Mrsgrumble]

I love them

We had to initially (asda - perfect) Then we got a proper grobag as a gift.

Then I bought a spare from ikea

I now have stocked up in the largest size as baby (one) sleeps so well in them

One hint to note is a summer bag might be useful to you for a June baby. Also use blankets for as long as you can. Check weight as they can go in them when they are tiny

I love them. Even now, baby sleeps better in them than night we have used blankets.

I wash with normal white and have always used aerial but recently converted to almat powder (stain remover) fm aldi - so cheap and brilliant

[tomanyanimals]

Quick question has anyone used them in a Moses basket as I am looking at having the Moses basket for the first month maybe a bit more were they still ok or would I be better to just use in the cot?

[Mrsgrumble]

We used the in the Moses basket no problem

[Eminybob]

I just have 1 and wash and tumble dry it during the day ready for the night.
When I go back to work I'll probably get a few as I'm sure I won't have enough time to be doing washing every day!

[m33r]

This is all so helpful. Also FTM and due in march.

I was windering two things:

1. I looked at the website to tell me what tog to use and what LO should be wearing at what temp, but when we go to bed our house is 20 degrees but when we wake up its a good bit colder. How do you account for this? Sorry to sound like an idiot but we're quite worried about heating as all our friends have also given us a ribbing for the heat in our house! We really don't want to be too hot (already gor the egg theremimeters to get us used to 20degrees and to keep an eye in things - we're both frozen! )
   

Next, I see most if you have used swaddle for about three months which I'll probably do too but I notice that the grow bags are quite long - do you guys fold the bottom under to the length or baby? Otherwise I thought maybe baby could shimmy down the bag?

Thanks so much!

[Toadsrevisited]

You need to make sure baby is the right size/ weight as someone has already said. That said, the bags popper up under the arms to make it for better IYSWIM. I folded the end under baby to make them 'shorter too. I used cheap matalan sleeping bags from week 1 in the smallest size. Ikea ones are good but take a long time to dry IMO. Sainsburys are good too especially when in the sale.

[Dogsmom]

Another thing is to buy the ones that zip up as opposed to the press stud ones, it's not so much of a problem when they're young and less mobile but the popper ones can be really fiddly when you have a baby who likes to kick and wriggle when you are trying to fasten them in and it's so frustrating when you get to the last one only to realise you misjudged the first one and they're out of line.

Also their feet can escape in the gap between the poppers.

[m33r]

Thanks!

[MrsMaker83]

They cant shimmey down the bag, they are worn like a vest at the top with straps over the shoulders and under the arms

[IShallCallYouSquishy]

DD is nearly 2.6 and we are only thinking of moving her out of them now!

DS is 9mo and we started using them at about 4 months once he moved out of his Moses basket.

They both have 3. One in use, one in the wash/waiting to be washed, and one ready to go.