bedding for newborn - do I have too much?

[justabigdisco]

After great answers/reassurance for my clothing purchases I thought I would ask the same for my bedding... It is so hard to know how much to buy!

I wonder if I have got too much and wondering whether to take any back (I bought some from Mamas and Papas in their 3 for 2 bedding offer but have since been given some)

I have 4 moses basket sheets (2 packs of 2 - so could take a pack of 2 back)
2 loose sheets for swaddling/moses basket (seems about right)
3 cellular blankets (could take 1 back)
plus a couple of smaller blankets that belonged to me when I was a baby!

If I take anything back I'll probably swap it for cot sized fitted sheets - or do you think I will use what I have got in the newborn stage?

Thanks all

I had way too much with two fitted sheets, two flat sheets and three blankets, but then my DS was hardly sick at all. If you have a sicky baby you may well need loads of bedding...

How long to go? Maybe keep it but dont open it so you can return it?

I haven't opened the moses basket sheets or one cellular blanket - but not due until December and Mamas and Papas have a 30 day returns policy... which I may have already missed to be honest

I've gone mental getting bedding (it was on offer at Tesco). I was under the impression that sheets had to be changed about 5 times a night but I guess I was wrong! All in all I think I have about 12 sets for both the Moses basket and the Cot.

My probably slightly mad thinking was that I'd save money on washing because I could save up for a full load.

feast by the time you add on blood stained towels and clothes, loads of knickers, wet milky bras (whether you BF or not), pooey vests and babygros, AND your usual washing, you may well not have to wait long for a full load. I did one every morning with DS!!
But bedding wasnt a problem

Though as I said, DS was sick about twice in the first 6m of his life, I think thats rare.

I wouldn't need any of the stuff on your list. My newborn bedding requirements would be...

3 fitted cot sheets - make sure they fit tightly as babies wiggle a lot.
3 grobags

I only used blankets for naps during the day, in the buggy.

DS had reflux and we had a learning curve with cloth nappies but that wouldn't have been enough some nights.

True, as DS got older, we used sleeping bags as he wiggled a lot. But still only two, one to wash and one to use.
Then from about 4m he came in the bed with me and DH, so we didnt need anything! (too big for the moses basket, but not enough room in my bedroom for his cot)

I would say about right, we have normally had about 3 sets of bedding then changed to grobags at around 8-12 weeks depending on baby. 2 weren't pukers and the same sheet might have lasted a few days but with DS he was a puker so we could have got through 3 sets in one night!

If you are planning to swaddle the baby 2 sheets may not be enough for that. We use large muslins and they can get damp from drool/milk spit ups around the neck, so with all 3 babies we would have got through several of those a day.

Have you any mattress protectors? We have breathable mattress protectors and they have been great, especially if you have a puker. Best advice I got on bedding for DC1 was to double sheet the bed ie. mattress protector/fitted sheet/mattress protector/fitted sheet, saves a lot of fiddling around in the middle of the night whilst trying to hold an upset baby. With DS it was even known to be triple sheeted given his puking frequency!

Wow, that's a lot!

When DS was born he was bought soooo many blankets that I really could have carpeted a room with them.

I agree with the idea of getting a mattress protector, in case baby is sick or if a nappy leaks.

Also, swaddling cloths are great, but some babies hate them. DS wouldn't even entertain the idea of being swaddled.

I didn't often use sheets or blankets either, my boys were in grobags.

BUT they did used to (and still do actually) pee through everything, so normally I would have to wash the grobag and sheet at least every other night.

I'd keep what you have, and play it by ear. You might find once baby is born you only need half of it, then you can take it back. If not, or you just can't be bothered with all the washing, then keep it!

(FWIW, when the boys were about 2 weeks old we were given by a friend masses and masses of blankets and sheets and things, we have an entire suitcase filled with them! This was of course after we had opened all the ones we had bought )

I think its a good amount, my ds2 was so sickly I had to go out & buy more sheets so in total I had around 6, I could literally change his sheet after every feed, although he did have a bit of reflux

Ds1 was a very sicky baby and one of the best bits of advice I got was to put a muslin under his head at night (tucked under the Moses basket mattress) and so when he was sick we just changed that rather than the whole sheet. Having said that 2 sheets wouldn't be enough. But do you know anyone who has had a baby recently who could loan you their sheets? Babies are only in Moses baskets for a few weeks so most people are happy to loan stuff out.

What you have sounds fine to me. I bought four sheets and two cellular blankets, never used the blankets as DS kicked them off straight away so he moved on to sleeping bags. I use the sheets to cover his Moses basket mattress (and occasionally his changing mat when he's hosed b

What you have sounds fine to me. I bought four sheets and two cellular blankets, never used the blankets as DS kicked them off straight away so he moved on to sleeping bags. I use the sheets to cover his Moses basket mattress (and occasionally his changing mat when he's hosed both of its covers). He sometimes will wee straight through his clothes and bag, so it's good to have spare clean sheets for a quick change, but that'll only happen once in a night.

I'd really recommend sleeping bags - DS knows it's time to sleep when I pop him in one, which is really handy when we're in unfamiliar surroundings like visiting family or on a weekend away. Get a bunch from eBay for 99p-£5 each instead of £30-40 new, or TK Maxx if you really can't bear secondhand - I got a couple for a tenner each.