Using sleeping bags for newborn?

[LadyMetroland]

Before I waste £££ on buying newborn sleeping bags, I'm wondering if Mumsnet would recommend them for such a young age? Am rookie first timer, 25 weeks pg, so know nothing

Am slightly worried he won't feel 'covered' enough. Blankets look so snug but as I'm planning to have the baby in a bedside cot next to me, I thought it might be easier to pick him up for bf if he's in a bag rather than faffing around with blankets in the dark

thanks in advance for advice!

[tentgirl]

Hiya,

When my DD was newborn we swaddled her and used this which was so good we bought two.

Once she was a little older and didn't need the security of the tight swaddle we moved her to grobags.

Worth noting that the grobags are only suitable for babies over 7lb, so if you have a tiny baby they may be too small IYSWIM?

[feralgirl]

Seconding the Grobag swaddle, I wish someone had told us about it before DS was born. He refused to sleep anywhere apart from on us until we got one when he was four days old, after that would kip in his moses basket very happily.

Take a couple to hospital with you in case you have to stay overnight; hospital blankets are too small to swaddle properly with.

Good luck and congrats.

[bitofadramaqueen]

I used them on my DS from when he was a week or two old. He hated being swaddled so they were perfect him. That said, it was really warm when he was first born and more often than not he was put down in just a sleeveless bodysuit with no sleeping bag or sleep suit!

[wahwahwah]

Do loathed it... loathed it! Friends little ones loved them though. Can you borrow one for a trial first?

[ChocOrange05]

Our DS also liked to be swaddled (well tbh he didn't like being put in it sometimes but it really settled him when he was as it stopped his arms and legs flailing all the time.)

We moved him to a grobag when he was about 12 weeks old.

[LadyMetroland]

thanks everyone
might buy just one and see how it goes - and get swaddling blanket as well

tis v difficult working out what to do when there's so many options -- am now in dilemma about getting a moses basket, or just a cot.

[lobsters]

My DD loved being swaddled, it really worked. We used Grobags from about 3 months, it seemed to work well. One thing to bare in mind about Grobags is that they tend to have a minimum weight so that the baby doesn't slip inside. Mothercare were 7lbs, Mamas and Papas 10lb, so if you have a little baby you can't use one for a while.

[dan39]

I used grobag from about 10 days, prior to that she mostly slept on me!!! Never took to the swaddling really...you can get cheap ones on eBay if you don't wana waste money also I would suggest buying one as you might need a smaller one, I got two really good smaller ones, can't remember where but if you google small sleeping bag you will find it. They really do take away the stress of worrying about suffocation, leaving you worrying about everything else nice and calm!

[bitofadramaqueen]

Meant to say that tk maxx are very good for buying grobags out of season. So at the moment you can get winter ones pretty cheap, and in the winter you can buy lighterweight ones.

On Moses basket vs cot - we did have a moses basket and it was handy for daytime naps when I was far too pfb to even consider putting ds down somewhere in a different part of the house. It's a complete waste of money to spend a fortune on one though IMO. Worth considering borrowing one or buying second hand (but advice is to get a new mattress).