Blankets and bedding - er, help!

[juneavrile]

Sorry if this is really dumb but I am a first time mum and cannot work out what I'm going to need.

Baby will have a cot with a mattress. I intend to put fitted sheets on the mattress.

1. How many sheets is it wise to buy?
2. Do you use mattress protectors?
3. When I've dressed baby for bed, what goes on top of him....just a blanket or a sheet and a blanket? (I would ideally use grobags but baby is likely to be too small for that to start.)

4 Must the cot blanket be cellular?

1. Is a pram blanket different to a cot blanket?

See, I told you it was a bit basic. But I'm grateful for anyone who can help me get it clear in my head. With thanks.

[ThinkIveBeenHacked]

1 - I only had two for the moses basket/crib and then two for the big cot. Id put a muslin square under their head so if they spat up.in the night I just whipped the muslin away and put a fresh one down - no need to strip the bedsheet

2 - yes on the big cot (more likely imo to leak through their nappy once they are a bit older and sleeping through). Didnt use one on the crib/moses basket.

3 - I used a Gro Swaddle to swaddle the baby before he was big enough for a Gro Bag. Light blanket over the swaddle in colder months. Once in the Gro Bag in the winter id use a long sleeved vest under a sleepsuit for extra warmth - no blankets needed over the top.

4 - nope. Dont even need a blanket (if using a swaddle or a Bag). I just bought a couple of nice pram blankets and used one in the pram, one in the moses basket in the daytime and one for the bouncer chair (baby sometimes snoozed in that in the daytime)

5 - pram blankets are smaller than cot blankets. I never had a cot blanket, they are just too big tbh.

[Bondy83]

Use cellular blankets ( if baby somehow manages to pull the blanket over its head it will be able to breathe as the blankets have holes in). Layer a few blankets depending on how hot or cold it is, you can generally use the sleeping bags from about 10lb

[SeptemberBabies]

I would go straight into grobag, unless baby is born tiny. All mine have gone straight into sleeping bags from newborn. Much better/easier than sheets and blankets.

How many fitted sheets depends on how often you do the washing. I'd say 3 (one in wash, one on cot, one spare). Same with number of sleeping bag grobags.

Cellular blankets are more recommended than fleece because they are breathable if they get over baby's head. It isn't the case that it 'must' be cellular though.

Cot blankets are just bigger than pram blankets. If you are using grobags then you are unlikely to need cot blankets. Just pram blankets for when out and about with pram/carseat.

[WhyOWhyWouldYou]

1. Depends on the baby - start with 2-3 but be prepared to need to buy more.
   
2. I consider my mattress protectors an essential - DS was very sicky as a newborn and later could wee for england, so leaky nappies not uncommon.
   
3. I used cotton cellular blankets and layered up according to temperature, then moved him into sleeping bags when he was a few months.
   
4. The blanket doesn't have to be cellular but I was always told cotton cellular regulates heat better than the other options (polyester cellular, cotton sheet or fleece).
   
5. A pram blanket I believe is similar size to a Moses basket one and a cot blanket will be large enough for cot or cot bed.

[enqueue]

Juneavrile - these are not silly questions, I am a first timer too and didn't know any of the answers!!

[bronya]

Knitted/crocheted blankets are good - breathable but warmer than the cotton cellular ones. Sleeping bags not recommended at first, need the shoulders to be wider and the head to be bigger than the 'hole' at the top so they can't end up over baby's head. I got round that by folding the sleeping bag down so the whole bag was too short to go up that high. It made it warmer though - not a problem here but might be if you have a warm house.

[Shelduck]

In terms of mattress protectors, I highly recommend Hippychick ones - pricey but worth it. They're waterproof but not sweaty or noisy like some. Didn't use them in moses basket - tucked muslin securely under DS's head, and that could be changed quickly - but used the Hippychick sheets when he moved up to cot. I put normal sheets on top - had 4 because they came in packs of 2 but could have made do with 3. Sleeping bags are a godsend, but we used pram-sized cellular blankets to start with, layered as necessary.

And these are not stupid questions!

[juneavrile]

Thank you so much for your help everyone. I'm now clear on what I need.

[m33r]

I've been windering the same so thanks from me too!

[TheScenicRoute]

I saw a tip on these forums to use pillow cases for Moses basket bottom sheets. Sounds like a fantastic idea to me. Can anyone think of any reason why this might not work? (First timer here)