What do babies need to sleep in?

[CoolCat2014]

Having a minor panic, as I don't know what I need for baby to sleep in. I had been planing on using vests + sleeping bag, but discovered sleeping bags aren't always suitable for newborns, and I read somewhere that you should use blankets in case the get wrapped around baby's head

What should I do? Sleep-suit + blanket? Vest + swaddle?

If I swaddle what is actually a receiving blanket? I've been given about 6 blankets of various sizes, most hand knitted with much love, and varying sizes of holes in the patterns, but I don't know what to do with them!

It depends on the temp of the room, but for a cold night a vest plus sleep suit, plus swaddle (if you use one) and a blanket tucked tightly round under the mattress.

For a warmish room a sleep suit plus blanket should be enough.

Blankets are fine for new borns as their range of movement is limited, just be careful to not to have them hanging loose so that they could get over the baby's face. Once they start rolling about and pulling the blanket sleeping bags are safer.

I'm a FTM so not very knowledgeable! But I've bought a couple of aden and anais 'easy swaddles' which are essentially muslin blankets with poppers which wrap around so you don't need to learn how to swaddle properly.

that said - I'm sure you tube has lots of videos that would teach me!

I would imagine they still need a sleep suit regardless of what they sleep in unless its summer (which depressingly seems to be disappearing - I wore a coat to work this morning!)

depending on size of baby a sleeping bag may not be suitable.
mine was too small for the first 6ish weeks.

it will depend on the weather but a sleep suit and blanket or sheet and blanket would be ok for starters. you dont pull it right up and can tuck it in and baby should be feet to foot so they can't slide under.

with a sleeping bag they may just need a vest or short sleeved suit (it tells u what tog and what outfit on the packaging depending on the temp).

dont count on swaddling, mine hated it as he likes his hands up over his head!

Thanks all - I've heard some babies love swaddling and some hate it, so I'm reluctant to buy too many special swaddle cloths to start with. Think I'll try with muslin or blanket first.

When you use a blanket to tuck them in do you do up to their chest and leave their arms free?

Most babies need to be dressed quite warmly, but in a cool room. It's a constant juggling match!

There is a trick a swaddling with a blanket which I never learnt. I would recommend getting one of the swaddle pods if you see one somewhere cheap (say £5-8) as if they do work, they work instantly and amazingly. I was so glad I had one tucked away after a few weeks of nightmare sleep.

TK Max have swaddle pods cheap! :)

Mine hated swaddling and sleep bags!

Ok assuming you are using a cot, crib etc make sure you put baby down so their feet are touching or as near as possible to end of the crib, cot, etc. etc. Then use a Thin cellular blanket to cover them ONLY up to the arm pits and tuck it in under / down the sides of the mattress depending on what you are using. Remember if you fold a cellular blanket it now counts as 2 blankets.

To be honest with mine she was happiest in a vest and sleep suit she still HATES being covered, tucked in or anything similar now! I had to get a bit creative to keep her warm enough to sleep!

MN has a some good info here there´s some good info here too

Ours slept in the snuggle nest in between DH and I, and then moved to the co-sleeper when they out grew it, and then moved to the cot in our room around 7-8 months. Currently one of ours (10mo) sleeps in the Mawok natural baby hammock.

just seen you meant clothes oops, sorry!

Our twins sleep in a sleeper/vest and are swaddled (we use Aden & Anais bamboo & cozy) - the only way they can sleep. We don't really use blankets unless they're in the stroller or in boba :)

Swaddling is not reccomended at night (or at least it was strongly advised against by hcp in 2012, when i had ds), as it is very easy for baby to over heat in them.

I used vest, sleepsuit and blankets at first then moved to a sleeping bag when he could wriggle out of the blankets. It will actually tell you how many layers to use according to room temp on the packet of most shop bought blankets.

Blankets are completly safe as long as you tuck them in well and put baby feet to foot in the cot.

Oh and handknitted blankets with large-ish holes in the pattern, i folded up small and used on the carseat to go from house to car, etc.

Why, the guidance I had (actually in the same year - just shows how HVs etc have different ideas!) was that swaddling at any time is fine but mainly with swaddlepods/wraps or thin muslin cloths. It's swaddling with woollen blankets and the like that can cause overheating. Though weirdly that's what they did in the hospital!

My twins wouldn't sleep without being swaddled, still don't at 10mos old, one even has to be swaddled in the car seat. We still get up every 1-2 hours with one of them so overheating is likely to be caught if it happens. :)

thur - Mine were swaddled at the hospital too and with pretty thick cloths, now mine hate being warm!

Why have had 3 MW suggest swaddling in muslins or swaddle cloths as 'safer' than blankets recently. Maybe the advice has changed? Although I did ask what if the baby dislikes swaddling and they said use a blanket!