Baby bedding for newborn- advice for rookie please!

[CheeseChomper]

Afternoon all,

I'm expecting my first baby on the 31st, and feel pretty organised and clued up about most things, except what bedding I should be using for a newborn, how many layers etc.

Baby will most likely (if not sleeping on me or DP!) be napping in his cot during the day, and in his moses basket in our room at night.

So far I have bought:

• Cot/pram sheets for both cot and moses basket.
• Cellular blankets for both cot and moses basket.
• Moses basket came with a little cotton 'character' blanket, so assuming it's fine for actually using in the moses basket!
• I also have a couple of fleecy-type blankets that have been given as gifts, but not sure if we should be using these for cot, or whether they're better for the pram as they seem very thick? .

Now i'm not sure what to do with these or if we need to but anything else!
I was wondering how many layers a baby will need at night, bearing in mind it will still be nippy at end of Jan? Should he wear a long sleeved or short sleeved bodysuit under his sleepsuit at night? Just worried he'll be too cold at night, but at the same time i'm scared of him overheating! Our place isn't cold by any means, but we don't leave heating on at night so there is a noticable drop in temp.

Also, does anyone know where I can get a cheap moses basket mattress protector? Have a cot mattress protector from Dunelms, but haven't found a little one for the basket...

Any advice would be very much appreciated- aware this has probably been done to death!

I would get something to swaddle with at first, as tiny babies often sleep better swaddled.

DS is currently wearing a long sleeved vest under his sleepsuit. He also is in a sleeping bag rather than sheets and blankets as he just used to kick those off.

you cant use a sleeping bag until babies are over a certain weight

i think a swaddle is a great idea - you can get swaddling blankets or use a stretchy sheet

layer up your baby so, long sleeve vest, sleep suit, swaddling blanket and additional cellular blankets if it is very cold

Thanks for the advice- how do I swaddle and where can I get swaddle blankets from? Have heard of swaddling but didn't think of it (duh)

I forgot to say that I did buy a grobag that does say use from birth, but not sure if it looks overly warm on its own- can you put a blanket on top of a grobag? Babies can't wiggle down a cot in a grobag can they?!

Jojomaman Bebe sell them

but anything stretchy will do

you can go online and find out how to do it

your baby won't wiggle much when it is tiny but yes, you can put a blanket on top of a grobag

remember foot to foot - so baby's feet to the foot of the cot

this will all probably be immaterial to you as the baby will probably only want to sleep on you or with you anyway!!

Mothercare sell the Miracle Blanket. It's a shaped jersey thing for swaddling, much easier than trying to do it with a flat blanket.

Grobags are not supposed to be used with blankets as there's a risk of overheating. One of the good things about them is that, even if babies do wriggle, they won't end up with bedding over their faces. DS used one from about 6 weeks to 2.5 years! Brilliant things. If it's a proper Grobag, it'll come with a room thermometer and guide to how much clothing your baby will need, which is really useful.

I swaddled in flannelette sheets, it's a bit like making a burrito. Fold down one corner and lie baby with shoulders on the crease. fold one side over the top, the bottom corner up and the other side over the top and tuck the end under.

When they get to the leg lifting stsge, bags are great. TK Maxx does them at reasonable prices.

www.chroniclebooks.com/Chronicle/excerpt/0811847640-e3.html

this is fabulous: www.jojomamanbebe.co.uk/sp+Organic-Newborn-Swaddling-Robe+A5494?tyah=y

Great stuff, thanks for the advice guys! Will check out the swaddling robe online tomorrow- think that swaddling is a fab idea for our bubs!

Hi if you aren't fussed about new things, there are looooooads of grobags on ebay for a couple of quid! I got a couple before lo was born just in case, and starting using them after a few days, as he kicked the blankets off. I think they are great, as you can lift him out for night feed and put straight back in and if he won't settle it is less faff than keeping on tucking in. You then only need bottom sheets. He has on a sleeveless vest and a sleepsuit. I am rubbish at getting his arms into sleeves so I love sleeveless vests! In fact he has that on all the time day and night with sometimes a cardigan or snowsuit on top!
Also my moses basket has a plastic covered mattress so you wouldn't need a protector. you could get one like that if you can't find a protector?
My baby is only 7 wks so no expert by the way!!!