NOW CLOSED Tesco Loves Baby bedding tester review thread: non-testers - win £100 cash by sharing your top tips for getting babies to nod off

[AlexMumsnet]

This thread is for the MNers who are putting the Tesco Loves Baby range of bedding to the test. We'd love to hear what you think of the item you've been trying with your baby. We've provided a few questions to get you started but please feel free to add your own comments - the more detail the better!

Every tester who adds their feedback on this thread will be entered into a prize draw to win £100 cash (to hopefully spend on Tesco Direct's Baby & Toddler range!).

We'd also like testers to add a review of the item they've tried here.

Please remember to tell us what item(s) you've been testing in your response

~ What was your overall impression of the product?

~ What did you think of the quality? Have you washed the item? How did it cope with being washed?

~ And how about value for money? You can find out how much the item you've been testing costs here

~ If it came up in conversation, would you recommend this product to a friend?

~ Now that you've tried a product from the Tesco Loves Baby range, do you think you'd try any others? If so, which one(s)? You can see the whole range here

If you're not a tester, the team at Tesco Direct would still love to hear from you - for a chance to win a separate £100 cash prize please share on this thread any tips or advice you have on the topic of baby bedding, and getting babies off to sleep more generally - what do you find your LO finds most cosy? Any sure fire winners for getting them to nod off? Please share this on the thread and you'll be entered into the prize draw.

Lastly, Tesco Direct are offering a special discount for all MNers - save £10 when you spend £50 on Baby and Toddler ranges for First Time Shoppers when you use code TDX-7GRT - ends 12/05/13 Link here. See T&Cs below*.

Thanks and good luck with the prize draws

MNHQ

• eCoupon code TDX-7GRT entitles you to save £10 when you spend £50 or more on baby & toddler ranges.
  This eCoupon applies to first time shoppers only.
  This eCoupon is valid on orders placed on or before 23.59 on 12/05/2013.
  Normal eCoupon terms and conditions apply.

[InMySpareTime]

Non-tester:
My top tip is to have at least 3 of any comfort object, and swap (and wash) them regularly. You can guarantee that the time your DC needs their comfort object most will be when they have just spewed all over it, and being able to magically produce another, clean and dry, will raise your status as a parent.

[firawla]

non tester - i find they sleep better if i really tire them out in the day! but on topic of bedding, going to get mine a slightly thicker duvet as they have very low tog and wondering if thats why they always prefer coming to our bed - warmer and cosier?

[nextphase]

non tester: top tip Never listen to anyone who says their baby sleep through. It will just make you demoralised at 2am when your doing the 5th feed of the night.
Or, I guess another way to word it: Baby doesn't have a sleep problem, its doing what it wants. its you that has the problem with babies sleep.

[BiscuitCrumbsInBed]

Non tester. Wish I had a magic wand to make my DD sleep! Top tip: cuddle her to sleep and enjoy the lovely soft warm snuggles and baby smell while you can. Plenty of time for catching up on lost sleep when she grows up and moves out is a bit older...!

[BiscuitCrumbsInBed]

Also and maybe more helpfully - brushed cotton / flannelette sheets in winter! Sooo soft and cosy, dd loves stroking them and I love them too. They feel warmer somehow than the smooth cotton ones. Sorry for posting twice!

[JimmyCorkhill]

I tested the pink cellular blanket and the fitted jersey cot sheets.

~ What was your overall impression of the product?
Very impressed. The blanket was beautifully wrapped. If you gave it as a present it would look like you'd spent a lot more money! The sheets came in a rather large packet. I've seen them sold like this in other shops so I suppose it's the norm for fitted sheets.

~ What did you think of the quality? Have you washed the item? How did it cope with being washed?
When I first unrolled the blanket I thought it was very thin but realised that this was a good thing as I would be able to fold without adding bulk (still have a tiny DD2 so only use a section of the cotbed). Also it would make a good light summer blanket or an extra layer for winter without being too heavy. The sheets were unbelievably soft! I washed everything before use and it all washed and tumble dryed well. The sheets maintained their softness.

~ And how about value for money?
Brilliant. I wish I had got these before my first DD was born. I spent a fortune buying bedding bales from specific baby shops but this stuff is just as good, if not better.

~ If it came up in conversation, would you recommend this product to a friend?
Definitely.

~ Now that you've tried a product from the Tesco Loves Baby range, do you think you'd try any others?
I'm going to buy the fitted sheets in cotbed size (realised the ones I was sent to test were for a cot, doh. A friend will be benefiting from them now!) I've seen that they come in pink as well so will get those ones.

[PiHigh]

Non tester

When my two were little we found grobags to be fantastic for them as they didn't kick them off or get tangled up. Best tip I have for getting them to sleep is to just go with the flow and let them settle into their own routine. Don't stress about X down the road who had her kids sleeping through from 7-7 when they were a day old .

[katiewalters]

to get my little one to sleep we have a routine, which happens at the same time everyday. we have quiet time, so no tv, loud noises, or bright lights. then its bath time, and straight after its story time, then bed

[Ida3456]

Non tester

I use cellular blankets because mine is still v little. My tip would be to use flat sheet as well, tucked in as tightly as is reasonable.

I try to put her down before she is completely asleep in my arms - she is learning to self settle in the basket.

[TheBreastmilksOnMe]

Non-Tester-
My top tip for when they are very young would be to place them near anything with a rhythmic sound. My daughter had colic for her first 12 weeks and rocking her whilst standing below the cooker extractor, the tumble drier or the hair drier would calm her. Beware of over using the hair drier though as we went through 3 in those first few months as I wore the motors out!

[rootypig]

Non tester here -

my DD is a VERY kicky baby and I couldn't live without baby sleeping bags. Whenever I use sheets and blankets she kicks them off when she stirs, then wakes completely.

As for getting her to sleep, in the 6 months of being a mother probably the sum total of my wisdom is, never let your baby get overtired! it took a few months for me to realise, but now I watch like a hawk for the signs of tiredness and whisk her off for a nap (in cot or pram) asap. She's always ready for her first nap 90 minutes after waking up. And the more she naps in the day, the more readily she sleeps at night!

[FannyPriceless]

Non tester here.

When very young we used a sleepsuit with fold over scratch mitts + swaddling blanket. The scratch mitts saved a lot of tears (mine!). The swaddling blanket needs to be nice and thin, and lovely soft natural fabric. We used gorgeous soft large muslin swaddles in the summer, and fantastic thin merino wool swaddles in the winter. (When I say, swaddles, I mean a large square - never could get with the expensive specially designed things.)

So my top tip is learn to swaddle!

[likesnowflakesinanocean]

non tester, i lived at home with my mum, brothers and sister when ds was small. my tip would be invest in a lock so noone decides its time to come and sing,dance, chat to baby for the third time since you tried to settle him they loved him being there

[M0naLisa]

Non tester here.

My top tip for getting kids off to sleep is a nice relaxing cuddles, tapping their bum in rythum to heartbeat. (Mainly on babies)

For toddlers. A nice cuddle and quiet time before nap time.

[JS06]

I used to get my daughter off to sleep for her day time nap in her pram in the utility room just as I set the washing machine off on a new cycle. She loved the hum and the noise and it seemed to soothe her. It also meant I felt able to get on with noisy jobs too like vacuuming and unloading dishwasher.

[newfashionedmum]

non tester - regularish time, bath and bed routine, story from an early age, back rub before then. Our DD has always been a good sleeper lucky for us..

[TheTempest]

My best tip for getting DD's to sleep when they were little was a long sleeve sleep suit under a sleeping bag. DD1 used to she'd her bedding within seconds and then wake up because she was cold! DD2 loved to be swaddled in a comfy sheet.

Now they are 3 and 2, my only advice is a set bed routine and crossing your fingers!

[BumpyS]

fire winners for getting LO to nod off?

• a warm bottle of milk and a confy sleeping bag. Always works :)

[MakeTeaNotWar]

Non-tester - a consistent bedtime routine of bath, milk and bedtime story in a quiet darkened room. Always used sleeping bags instead of blankets and of course, the little one 's favourite cuddly toy to snuggle up to

[lottietiger]

Tips for getting my little one to nod off.. read a book! ive been reading to my ds every night from week one and he drops off like a light where ever he is and normally by page 10 :)

[malachite]

I always put my little one in a sleeping bag for naps and night time and he settles much better in it than under blankets. We have a routine that we stick to: bath, book, cuddles, sleep for the older toddler followed by a breastfeed and then sleep for the little one. Consistency is key imo!

[Wibblytummy]

Non tester here.

Think my top tip for nodding off would be to try lots of things. At 9 weeks I used to sit there for hours on end trying to get my baby to sleep and creep away, failing each time. One night when my DH took over and I had gone for a bath, he just fed, burped, briefly cuddled and then popped him in his moses and let him be, something I would never have dared. He was fast asleep in 10minutes and has been the same ever since for the last 2 years... Not that he did this for me at nap times at all. He was 14months before he would nap anywhere but in my arms...

[eteo]

i always put white noise and soft light after 7pm. bath and a bit of books. and send them straight to bed.

[twotrackmind]

When DD was a bit younger the best way to get her to sleep was cuddling up breastfeeding. We'd lay her on top of our bedding in a light sleeping bag.

Now she's a bit older (22 months) we recently used gradual retreat to persuade her into the cot. It went easier than expected and now she sleeps through most nights. She used to take ages to go down but now she even switches her nightlight and says "night" before snuggling up for a pre-sleep feed.

[Hopezibah]

Not a tester but here are my thoughts / tips for sleep.

We actually swear by sleeping bags rather than blankets. I can check room temperature and then layer up or layer down vest / sleepsuit and combine with either 1 tog or 2.5 tog sleeping bag and that way I feel it gives me more peace of mind than using blankets. However, I like the idea that the cot / cotbed sheets come in pink and blue from Tesco because we've always only had white so it would definitely tempt me to buy some pink sheets!

Top sleep tip is to let them fall asleep in their own cot from a very early age (ie from a few weeks / few months old). I have three children and my first ONLY fell asleep whilst breastfeeding and he still struggles with sleep (9 years later!), so I learnt my lesson for the next two and they are both brilliant at settling themselves to sleep both for day naps and nighttimes.

We had a little musical pull toy that also helps signal sleeptime and whilst some experts would say this would over-stimulate, we found that it is a perfect cue to fall asleep.

Combined with two favourite cuddle toys (we have safedreams Hoppy and Patch) and they stay in the cot, again as a cue for sleeptime.

I also think dummies are fine at sleeptime (baby 2 had dummies and it helped him sleep within seconds of being given the dummy), but baby 3 prefers her thumb which is also fine by us.

Basically having cues for sleep has been the main thing that helped such as the music, the same toys, and the dummy.