Sleeping bags or bedding?

[redhead78]

Sorry if I'm posting this in the wrong place but I couldn't seem to find anywhere that was more appropriate!

I'm nearly 30 weeks now with my first baby and have been booted into action trying to get organised for the new arrival by the threat of being induced two weeks early - that means possibly only 8 weeks left til d day, eeek!

I'm now finding that there are so many little decisions that need to be made (hubby hasn't got a clue and seems to think that all women know all these things naturally!) and the one I'm trying to settle on now is should I use sleeping bags or bedding for my newborn? I really like the idea of sleeping bags but are they just a new-fangled nonsense? Or should I get a mixture of both? And if I go for bedding what do I actually need?

The problem I have with bedding is that the only ones I've seen are all pale pastel colours like pink, lemon or cream and I'd really like something bright and cheerful!

Any suggestions or advice would be gratefully appreciated!

I've got a mixture of both. I nearly died at the cost of sleeping bags so just have a couple from asda and my friend have me a few more of hers. Have got a few blankets too, a couple of which I've bought and some that I've been given.

My baby is due in April and I'm concerned it's going to be a hot summer so not getting too much as may just end up covering him with a sheet yet.

Keeping baby at the right temp is something I love worrying about!

Sleeping bags are brilliant, but not suitable for newborns unless you have a chunky monkey! With DS we used a blanket at first then sleeping bags, this time have gone for these for the first few weeks / months then back to sleeping bags.

Some sleeping bags have a minimum weight of baby so if you do go for them, check the weights.

We just used a fitted sheet on the basket then swaddled dd. We used a Gro Swaddle some nights and a giant muslin square some nights. On colder nights we would add a thin blanket over the top.

We mainly went for plain everything and I went for bright stuff for the pram for out and about.

After 2 wriggly winter babies I found sleeping bags to be better and just had a few extra blankets. Sleeping bags are expensive, but they are very cheap in asda and matalan! Current baby is due in April so I have invested in a couple of sheets and a couple of 1 tog sleeping bags.

They're fairly new-fangled but quite sensible, IMO.

Rainbow and star print summer weight muslin ones from JoJo.

Make sure you choose an appropriate tog rating for the season although, with the British weather, who knows!

Unless your baby is quite large, you may not be able to use sleeping bags from birth anyway. Check the manufacturer's instructions for minimum baby weight.

My 6 week old is big enough for sleeping bags now, but we've got her in these swaddles instead because they help her to settle at night. We pop a blanket over the top to make sure she's warm enough - here they have every colour you could possibly desire!

We bought a couple of Bambino Merino sleeping bags. Eye watering initial outlay, but they worked from birth to 2 years and were way cheaper in the long run than vying new every 6 months and changing togs every season.

Couple of merino bags and a couple of sheets are all you need.

Check weight guidelines, both my previous babies have been 10lb+ , if I had a nice little 7lber I would hold on the sleep bags for a few weeks :)

Sleeping bags are great - but for when they get a little bit more wrigley, say three months onwards.
in the first weeks they like to sleep quite swaddled in my experience, So by April will need a couple of cellular or fleece blankets, some fitted sheets and muslins are always handy for catching dribble.
It's a minefield out there so just get a little bit of anything you think you need until you know what your baby likes and whether you actually DO need it

Thanks everyone for the quick responses. The reason for the possible induction 2 weeks early is that baby is in the 95th percentile so I'm expecting a very chunky monkey!! They're putting it down to GD but I'm 5'10" and hubby is 6'5" so I'd already resigned myself to the fact that anything we produced was likely to be large!

I think I'll be having a few hours in front of t'internet today looking around at all the different ones! I'll probably end up crocheting myself a couple of blankets so I can choose the colours I want and getting a couple of sleeping bags too.

I'll also second the bambino merino bags. Bfing my 15mo in hers right now! You just change what they wear underneath according to temp. I wish id bought these earlier and used them as soon as she was big enough. Prior to that she was in a swaddle, with a blanket on top if need be.

Sleeping bags once the baby is big enough.

They can fall asleep wherever, and you just pop them in their cot.

They're a miracle.

Sleeping bags are great once baby gets wiggly enough to start kicking the covers off. Stops them getting too cold in the night, as they can't kick the sleeping bag off!

But as PP have said, most sleeping bags have minimum weight guidelines, so you may have to use sheets & blankets to begin with.

We were bought a couple of sleeping bags as new baby gifts so maybe hold out and see if anyone passes some on or buys some for you, as you're unlikely to need them straight away? Hope you enjoy the rest of your pregnancy

My ds was reallywiggly from the beginning and he now only kicks more and more strongly. He probably hasn't kept a blanket on since he was a few days old. He also never tolerated swaddling and I never forced it because you hear it isn't good for them.

Tk maxx is the best place to but sleeping bags. They have branded gro bags usually around £17 but I've had them for £13 on clearance. They have other brands for £13 all the time. Ikea and asda also sell them in the £12-15 range. My bedroom doesn't actually get much warmer in the summer once we turn off the heating, so we're using 2.5 tog all year.

Ive opted for both. We have some lovely bright ones from next and ikea. We aren't your traditional pink or blue kind of couple

Sleeping bags worth every penny!

Mine were 4kg at birth so able to use sleeping bags quite quickly. The grobag ones have poppers to make the armholes smaller for littler babies so they can't wriggle out. They are fantastic and we used them for at least 2 years with both children and they are still in good enough nick to be used by DC3 when he arrives in June.

It's definitely worth investing in one of the travel ones. They have a velcroed hole at the back which means you can fit car seat buckle through to fasten them in safely (but can just use them for normal nights at home too). Brilliant for night time travelling - we used to bath at GPs, get them dressed for bed inc sleeping bag, put in car seat and they'd snooze for 2 hours home. Then when we got home it was really easy to transfer a sleeping baby to the cot with minimum fussing.

Also much easier for feeding at night as you just scoop them up and they stay cosy, then plonk them back down again without having to straighten covers.

When DS1 was born, I put him in a sleeping bag but he just wouldn't sleep in it. So I swaddled him and he slept much better.

When DS2 was born, he hated being swaddled and slept in a sleeping bag from a few days old.

Horses for courses.

I would always favour sleeping bags over blankets/sheets - they're worth the extra cost - you know that your baby is warm enough and there's no chance of them kicking them off or getting smothered under a blanket.

Swaddle blanket for first month or two, then sleeping bags. Bags so much easier than bedding. Tk maxx have bargains on gro bags and often swaddles too.