Help - 32 weeks pregnant with No 1 - What blankets do I use to make up a moses basket / Cot bed?

[washingonawednesday]

Disclaimer - 1st baby and i havn't a clue...

I am down to buying the last few things for the nursary and baby bedding has got my head spinning! i have a degree in Biochemistry - why can't I understand how to make up a baby bed!

1st baby so never done this before. i have a moses basket and a cotbed to buy for - what do i get and how many of everything?

in the shops I have seen cotton sheets, flannelette sheets, fleece blankets, cellular blankets, shawls, fitted sheets, flat sheets, aarrgghhh!

so far i have a waterproof matress protector and thats it.

please help!!

I really like flanelette sheets as they are lovely and warm, as well as cellular blankets - can't have too may of those. Fleece blankets are ok, but more for when in pram or buggy, IMO.

A flat flannelette sheet, and cellular blankets are what i used to make up DS3's moses basket and crib, and now that he's in a cotbed he still has them.

When he was smaller, about 4 months or so, he took to sleeping with a blanket over his face, and i'm glad they were cellular, because it meant he could breathe.

One tip i did find useful is to put a couple of muslin cloths folded up under where baby's head will be - that way if baby were to be sick, you only need to remove the mmuslin, you don't have to change the whole basket or cot.

All you will need are three fitted sheets, to use in rotation, and two grobag sleeping bags. TK Maxx and Tesco are good for these.

There's really no need to be faffing around with sheets and blankets etc.

None of mine ever got on with sleeping bags at all, which is a right PITA. They liked their legs to be able to be free to kick about.

I would get about 3 fitted sheets for each cot - the stretchy jersey type are nice.

Then a cellular blanket for swaddling, a fleece blanket or two for when you are out and about, and a couple of sleeping bags. They're the best thing for nighttime sleeping, unless your baby is swaddled.

Get fitted flanelette or brushed cotton sheets for both moses basket and cotbed - I recommend having 3 or 4 so that you are never in the position of running out at 2am!

Then cellular blankets - 2 in pram size for the moses basket, and 2 in cot or cotbed size.

I also had a couple of cotton pram blankets, and a fleecy pram-sized blanket which we used and used and used - in the pram, in the car, I always had one in my changing bag incase we ended up somewhere where there was nowhere to put DS down.

Also agree on the muslin tip - if possible you don't want to be stripping bedding every 5 minutes.

We didn't get on with growbags, and if your baby is small then you can't use them from birth so you need something else.

Assuming the baby is big enough (I know that they are not supposed to use them until c. 8lbs) can you use a grobag in a moses basket? I'm confused about that!

fitted sheets and Grobags are all you need. Give them a good go, as they are so much less hassle than sheets/blankets/layers.
Asda sell them for £10 each, so you dont need to spend a fortune on them. I've got 2 of 0-6m size for starters, and pray that this baby loves them as much as DS1.

You dont have to worry about how hot/cold your baby is. Just a vest, sleepsuit and Grobag. Job done.

how thick / what tog do you get for a newborn in the sleeping grobags? Never heard of them!

Like me, you're having a winter baby, so your newborn size (ie 0-6 months) will have to be 2.5 tog.
The next size up will be 1 tog for the summer.

As I said, Asda do lovely ones (you can buy them online too) for a tenner. I forgot to say, tho, Ikea do them at that sort of price too.

They really are great - no need to swaddle them or worry about them kicking the covers off, or about them going under the sheets or anything like that. :)

Oh, hang on! I thought I was replying to the original poster! I therefore dont know if you're having a winter baby or not! But you get the idea - 1 tog for summer, 2.5 for winter. And make sure the room isnt too warm either. Most grobags actually come with a free room thermometer too.

vmcd28 - yes, due in January so winter baby; many thanks for the tog advice - Asda sleeping grow bags now on the in-laws Christmas list!

good idea! The other thing is, theyre so cute and cuddly wearing a Grobag!

Another vote for grobags.

grobags again here, wiggly legs mean kicking off covers and waking up!

Book an appoinment with a John Lewis Nursery advisor immediately. This suggestion was made to me and its the best advice I've had to date.

I'd like to add now that I dont work for them..We spent an unbiased afternoon with a lovely woman who not only helped me put together a list of what you need BUT what you dont need!

The list is kept online and you can refer to it anytime, removing items as you go. I've bought a lot elsewhere but have to say the bedding remains on the list.

There was mineral water and a comfy chair for when you needed a break AND coffee and cake afterwards.

I live in London and chose to go to Bluewater as I could get a weekend appointment without having to negotiate Oxford Street.

Book an appoinment with a John Lewis Nursery advisor immediately. This suggestion was made to me and its the best advice I've had to date.

I'd like to add now that I dont work for them..We spent an unbiased afternoon with a lovely woman who not only helped me put together a list of what you need BUT what you dont need!

The list is kept online and you can refer to it anytime, removing items as you go. I've bought a lot elsewhere but have to say the bedding remains on the list.

There was mineral water and a comfy chair for when you needed a break AND coffee and cake afterwards.

I live in London and chose to go to Bluewater as I could get a weekend appointment without having to negotiate Oxford Street.

yes, the JL advisors are a good idea. Just DONT get sucked into the lovely shiny, expensive things they try to sell you......

Take a list home, have a think about what you really need, and then commit to purchases (having checked for cheaper alternatives online!)

I agree. All the lovely expensive shiny new things can be bought on ebay at a fraction of the cost..I've saved hundreds and used the list as a guide..without it I wouldn't have remembered a thing..