December baby - Blankets or sleeping bags?

[user2466]

Hi All,

Baby is due in December and I'm starting to panic about sleeping arrangements. I'm going to be using a Next2Me crib for the first few months, but I'm not sure as to whether I should use a sleeping bag in the early days or a cellular blanket (in December)? I wouldn't put a hat on, on a newborn over night would I?

Sorry first time mum here and panicking a bit as the time is getting closer!

Tia x

Sleeping bag, vest and sleep suit. No hat. Set the heating to come back on at 15 degrees.

Allllll about the sleeping bag

I was due in dec with my first and was worried about this too. We kept the house at 19, had a gro egg bjt didnt really use it. We used a love2dream swaddle... sometimes blankets but usually not. Sleep suit and short sleeved vest x

Sleeping bags are safest, and baby shouldn’t be wearing a hat indoors because they aren’t able to regulate their own temperature.

I used a sleep suit and blanket tightly wrapped around the baby so they felt secure.
Sleeping bag at about 3 months.

Consider a velcro swaddle for first couple of months. Some newborns love the feeling of being wrapped up in them (some don't....)

Definitely grobags. You don't have to worry about whether blankets are tucked in securely, have you got feet at the bottom of the bed etc. You can also pick up and feed keeping them snug in their grobag. Tommee tippee do ones that can be used from birth and can be used with arms out or swaddled in depending on baby's preference

Mine was swaddled for the first couple of months as that's the only way she slept, you might have to wait and see what they respond to best!

Sleeping bags usually have a minimum weight of 7-9lbs (depending on brand) so may not be suitable from newborn age if your baby is on the smaller side. Newborns tend to not really move around much so if you tuck them in well with a cellular blanket they can’t really get it over their head. For mine I used a blanket for the first couple of months then switched to sleeping bags when they were starting to kick their legs around a bit more.

Baby doesn’t need a hat- a vest, a sleepsuit and a blanket or sleeping bag will be suitable in most houses unless yours is VERY cold. If you’re worried about temp you might want to get a gro egg which lights up to show you if the room is a suitable temperature.

Personally I like the sleeping bags.

No don't put a hat on whilst they are asleep. A room thermometer is quite handy to have. There are also some guides online which advise on how many layers to dress baby in depending on the temperature.

15 degrees is so cold, I'd set the hearing to click on if it drops below 18-19. I think layered cellular blankets are fine if they are tucked in and baby placed with feet at bottom of the next2me, but sleeping bags are good too, it's personal preference. Or your baby might like to be swaddled, though mine didn't.

Definitely a sleeping bag. Blanket are a suffocation risk.

Buy one of those thermometers and a chart which tells you exactly what to dress your baby in depending on the temperature of the room. I’d buy 2-3 sleeping bags so you have spare ones incase your baby is sick or nappy leaks. Have one 2.5 tog and a couple of lighter ones.

My baby didn’t fit sleeping bags initially so did cellular blankets. Plan to do the same for upcoming December baby and introduce a sleeping bag a few weeks in rather than straight away.

I really loved the sleeping bags, and so did DS. Unfortunately, DD did not, so we've got a box of them that were going to be passed down but she didn't want them at all and got really upset any time I put her in a sleeping bag. So my advice is to buy a couple of sleeping bags and a few cellular blankets (always useful e.g. for in the car) and see whether your baby gets on with the sleeping bags or not.

I swaddled with a basic blanket until ds was a few weeks old then changed to sleeping bags.

Special swaddling blankets and bags are expensive, you need back ups incase you have a poonami, and they only use them a few short weeks. Watch the videos on how to swaddle with a blanket, to is really easy and you can continue to use the blanket later in their pram or for naps.

I used merino wool sleeping bag and sometimes merino wool vests for my peace of mind. It regulates the temperature so unlikely to overheat. Got all second hand on ebay.

I would definitely get both to see what your baby prefers and then buy more of that one. My baby hated being swaddled and hated blankets from the moment he came out (we literally have a photo of him escaping from the swaddle 5 mins after being born!). We used sleeping bags from birth, but as others have said, just make sure they are suitable for your baby's weight. Most of the sleeping bags came with handy guides on telling you what tog bag to get and what to dress them in for the temperature of the room. We still refer to them now a year on. I would definitely recommend a groegg too. It will all feel very overwhelming at first but you will get there, don't worry. Good luck!

I also had a baby that hated sleeping bags and refused to go to sleep in one. She was like a different child when I gave up and switched to cellular blankets instead. She also hated the next to me crib that was in the hospital and would only sleep in the fish tank one, so I was glad I hadn't bought one for home. I hadn't realised until I had her that newborns could be born opinionated.

Use a GroSnug, they are suitable for newborns and can be used arms in or arms out. There is a 'cosy' version for winter. And as PPs have said, vest and sleepsuit (get the ones with built in scratch mitts).

Both

We used sleeping bags have so many cellular blankets and hardly used them except in car and bassinet.
If you want to swaddle make sure you learn about hip healthy swaddling

Multiple bags in different togs and look at temperature chart but always go by baby's temperature on chest/back not just by room thermometer
Think we started of with tomee tippee bags where you could enclose arms

Sleeping bags are great, just keep in mind they have a minimum weight so you may need to use a blanket for the first couple/few weeks. The sleeping bag needs to fit well at the shoulders so baby can’t get their arms out and wriggle inside.

Blankets are absolutely fine too and perfectly safe. Make sure they are tucked in and that you have a clear cot. Check out the Lullaby Trust website for safe sleeping advice.

Hats should never be worn inside. (Apart from potentially in hospital for the first few hours after birth if advised by the Midwife).

Usually, a vest and sleep suit with either sleeping bag of appropriate tog or 1 or 2 blankets is fine. Remember, if you fold a blanket In half then it’s like having 2 blankets on. You can check baby’s temperature by touching their chest or back of neck. Cold hands are absolutely fine and not an indication that baby is cold, you need to check the back of neck or chest.

Also, another poster mentioned sleep suits with scratch mitts, they are fine but remember that touching their face is a self comforting behaviour and we often stop them by covering them up. You can just keep baby’s nails short with clippers or a file. Never bite them as you can tear the nail accidentally.