Anyone use Grobags from birth?

[allatsea1]

I am totally overwhelmed with the multitude of blankets and places for baby to sleep etc on offer and am very keen on the idea of Grobags and a Moses basket. However I've noticed on the box of the Grobags although it says 'newborn' the minimum weight is 8.8lbs. Just wondering if anyone has used them straightaway. Also do you need two to wash against each other? Or do you need just one? Do they need washing regularly?

I think the weight guideline is to ensure that the baby's head can't move down inside the sleeping bag.

I don't know about Grobags, but Mothercare's version (which is cheaper!) has 2 different popper positions that you can use for smaller / larger babies.

I swaddled DS for ~1 month, then started to use sleeping bags - I'd definitely recommend 2 in case of vomits! Mothercare usually has buy 1 get 1 1/2 price...

We swaddled for 6 weeks or so then went to grobags.

Our ds's weren't small though so that may have made things different if they were (8lbs 12oz and 7lbs 11oz at birth)

You'll need at least 2. There's daytime naps to remember so not enough time to wash and dry between sleeps. Of course then there's the explosive poos and pukes to deal with! I think we had 3 in each size (not many were bought brand new!)

Swaddling/sheet/cellular blanket will be fine for the fist couple of weeks by which time most babies will be big enough for Grobags. You only really need them from when the baby starts kicking his/her blankets off which isn't immediately, but I can't remember exactly when!

Hi, I've used grobags with my four. When I had the first 2 the recommended size to start was, I think, 10lbs. For the last 2, the 0-6 month one's design has changed and you're right - it's 8 lb 8oz minimum weight.

Despite having the bags before they were all born, all of mine spent the first 4 weeks at least swaddled - they've all loved being swaddled! Because newborns are just sorting out their reflexes, they wave their arms a lot when sleeping and wake themselves up (v.v.v. bad for your sleep!) by hitting themsleves, but swaddling helps contain that.

I found grobags brilliant once the babies were a few weeks old - they've travelled with us all over the world and slept well everywhere, smelling of home, I suppose?

I've always had 2 of every size - expensive initially but pretty good over 8 years! They wear well, wash easily, and the oldest ones in our house have been used daily for eight years now. You don't need any other blankets at all with them as you layer up the baby according to temperature with an extra vest/not.

My eight year old has in fact gone to bed in his size 6-10 year one tonight, such is his love for grobags!!

My DD is 6 weeks old and has been in the Boots version since she was 2 weeks old and 7lb 8oz. It has poppers under the arms to make the holes smaller. They need to be big enough not get their arms and head through the holes. She has always hated swaddling because she likes having her arms up at her face (like a boxer) like she was in the womb. In the day time she goes under a blanket tho, just another attempt to help her distinguish night and day (not sure it's working that well, hehe)

We couldn't use them at first with 5 lb 10oz and 5lb 8oz twins.....

but used them as soon as we could. Buy two of them and wash every week if not soiled in the meantime!

They are a brilliant godsend and in particular it meant my kids never climbed out of their cots!

Don't bother with the winter weight ones - we just put a cardi on baby under grobag when it was especially chilly at night.

DS was 9lb 2 so big enough in theory to use a Grobag but I chose a Cocooi for the first 2 months or so - nice soft merino, which is great for temperature regulation, and apparently reproduces the snug womb feeling or something. We moved to a Grobag after that, when he felt less newborny, IYSWIM.

www.merinokids.co.nz/shop/Merino_Kids_Cocooi_Swaddle_Natural_newborn_baby.html

PS. Didn't bother with a Moses basket. Everyone warned us that he would grow out of it too quickly - in fact, at 58cm at birth, he was verging on too big from the start! We had a cot next to the bed, but ended up co-sleeping as it made bfing easier.

A travel cot downstairs might be handy though, so your baby can nap during the day while you do other stuff. But if you have one like mine, you'll end up doing all his/her naps in a sling. Great if you need to get on with life though.

I had to have a travel cot inside a playpen to protect newborn DD from rampaging toddler twin DSs!!!

I used them from birth but DD1 was a 9 lber. DD2 was smaller. but you can find smaller versions, with sleeves or poppers suitable from birth (7 lbs) probably not if premature or low birth weight.
I would say you need 3 for newborns and 2 for bigger ones, wash them every week or more if "accidents".

Keep an eye out in TK Max for Grobags, as they often have last season's patterns on sale for very reasonable prices. I used them from about 6 weeks, and my DD loves them.

I've got some of these which are suitable from birth:

www.halosleep.com/products/results/?product_category_id=9

They're a sort of combination of grobag and swaddle. I found them last week after reading a discussion on here about potential risks of swaddling - they're SIDS approved. I found it cheaper to buy them overseas and pay shipping.

My kids were both sicky babies (nothing wrong with them some babies just are) so I needed several grobags, 2 would not have been enough as obviously they need changing if they bring milk up on them as they are wet!. Somehow due to having had them passed on and acquired them here and there I seem to have about 10 in the 0-6 months size!

We live in Germany and the hospital puts them in special tiny grobags /wrap over and with sleeves) from birth and sends you home with one as a freebie and a SIDS leaflet telling you to use grobags! You can buy newborn size ones suitable from very small but they are harder to find and will only be used a month or bit more/ less depending on size at birth etc. obviously! Still worth it not to have fear of baby slipping down inside a too large one though!

I thoroughly recommend them - my DC1 was a dreadful sleeper anyway but didn't/ wouldn't sleep at all without a grobag, and didn't give hers up til she moved to a bed!

Neither of my kids liked Moses baskets and both slept better once moved to a cot btw - but I think that was due to flinging arms out and hitting side of rather small moses basket - neither were small either (9lb 1 and 8lb 6) I am expecting number 3 and the moses basket is still in use for DC1's dolls, and I am unlikely to reclaim it for baby! I will use a travel cot downstairs for daytime to reduce likelihood of 5 and 3 year olds deciding to pick baby up whilst sleeping (did this with CD2 too).

Thanks for all this great advice. This is why I love Mumsnet!

I used grobags from the day we got home from hospital. when DD was really young I thionk we had about 4 that we rotated - this allowed for either leaky nappies or the odd being sick without running out of clean grobags.

We tend to wash ours every 4-5 days (about the same time as we wash her bedding) and she obviouslt has clean baby grow and vest each night.

Keep an eye out for Sainsburys as they occasionally have them

Just to add, I have bought some lovely sleeping bags in Asda and Matalan at very reasonable prices over the years. They are great, no wriggling out of blankets and getting cold in the night and if they need picked up and cuddled they are still warm and cosy!