Swaddling

[Taler]

I never seem to feel confident about ensuring my baby is at the right temperature!

Unfortunately the room she sleeps in (she's currently in with us a she's only 8 weeks) is a cold room. It doesn't get the sun all day which doesn't help and even though we constantly have the heating on (albeit low at night), I still don't feel confident I'm getting it right.

I swaddle her in either a cellular blanket or a large muslin, then put another cellular blanket over the top.

Does that sound enough?

What temp Is the room? (what do you need to keep warm in there).

Does the back of her neck feel warm - that's how I always check mine.

We have it at 17 degrees at night.

I usually feel her chest (as always think the back of her neck will always b warm from laying on it??) and it feels like warm at best.

I'm just very consciously aware of not over-heating

What does she wear? A long sleeved vest and a sleep suit along with two layers of blankets sounds okay but it depends how she feels.

I've bought a groegg temperature thing for our room.I'm equally paranoid about temp as the room is warmish but has a fireplace that the wind just rattles down. My sister (mum to 3 now teenagers) was convinced I was keeping DSeat too cool so ignored technology and went with instinct- warm wheatpack in moses just to warm it for transfer from arms ( then removed)then gently swaddled in a thin fleece- then a cellular loosely over top to try and keep out any draughts- early days but he did actually go in the basket for 30 mins for the very first time- he's 12 days. Now think that I was keeping him too cool as I was chilly in just pjs- use yourself as a guide was sisters advice. I've also bought a convection heater to top up heating at night

I'd prob put her in a fleece baby grow esp as I assume you won't be swaddling much longer (you have to stop at a few months I think?) - mine would sleeper in one with a blanket in 18 and felt warm.

how heavy is she - will you be moving up to a grow bag soon - I think temp is easier to get right then.

A cold baby will wake and let you know! Hands and feet are always cold (icy boob hug at 3am anyone?), so check temp on their core.

Gro eggs are amazing. As are sleeping bags - I'm a convert, but DD is a kicker and was waking up cold.

You don't have to stop swaddling soon. I swaddled DD until she was 6 months. She wore short sleeve vest and a babygro. I swaddled her using a jersey cot sheet then used a large cellular blanket doubled over on top, if it was really cold I put a fleece blanket on top. (She was born in January and it got down very cold). We used to have a small oil filled radiator on low through the winter months.

She is 8 weeks old and weighs 11 pounds. What age should you stop swaddling then? We did use a grow bag for a few weeks and was looking forward to using them as much easier ham blankets but switched to swaddling to try and help with the startle reflex problem (she has a much more disturbed sleep when her hands are free)

And another thing - people talk about fleece blankets but is fleece breathable?

Not sure about fleece blankets or when you should stop swaddling but I've recently started swaddling DS in the extra large muslins and put a folded cellular blanket on top. Seems to keep him warm enough and stops the arms coming out. The startle reflex is still quite apparent and he's 13weeks. My DD was in grobags by 8 weeks so this is very different to what I'm used to but every time we've tried the grobags he's much harder to settle.

That's exactly what I'm using - the large muslin (folded into triangle shape) covered with cellular blanket - but our bedroom is rather cold. Just hope its sufficient

I would stop swaddling when they can roll as they'll need there arms to move about (DD didn't roll until 6 months and her rolling coincided with some really hot weather so we stopped swaddling then). I did put her in a gro bag and then swaddle over the top of that using a cotbed sheet.