First time mum question alert - what does baby sleep in?

[pinkie87]

Help! Are you meant to swaddle them for a few weeks? Or is that a no no? And then do you use blankets or sleeping bags? The whole bedding thing seems like a bloody minefield if you are a first timer! Just trying to get on top of what I need to be buying.

I 'half-swaddled' for the first few weeks (basically used a swaddle blanket, but loosely, allowing for his arms to come out), and then moved him into a sleeping bag when he was about 6 weeks old and his neck was stronger. No pillow or duvet until he was 18 months old. I did sometimes use a light blanket over the sleeping bag when it was cold.

He slept in a Babybay sidecot, can't recommend it enough, was brilliant! Just scoop him out when feeding at night, no need to get out of bed at all.

We fully swaddle ds 8mo, and he sleeps in a Moses basket, still in our room because he doesn't sleep through and it's easier!

I swaddled for the first 3 months, then she just slept in her vest and sleepsuit and then we used sleeping bags from 6 months on because it was the winter so I was worried about her getting cold. But bear in mind you might get a baby who hates these things so I'd suggest not spending a fortune on anything until you've tried it a couple of times. :)

blankets at first
easier to remove and add if too hot too cold
you can fully swaddle arms and legs or just swaddle from under arms or not swaddle its up to you (your baby)

Just cellular blankets until ds reached the correct weight for his first gro bag then those ever since.

I didn't swaddle (its not at all recommended in France) ...so grobag all the way for me, with a light blanket over it at first if i thought she needed it

We swaddled. I got the giant square muslins and they wore a short sleeved vest and a sleepsuit, then were swaddled in the muslin. DD switched to grobags at five months, DS is currently 4.5 months an still "arm flaily" so wont be going into the grobag til that settles down.

Midwife said to me best to swaddle with the cellular blankets as the holes in them make them breathable so baby does not over heat.

First time mum to be to so I know how you feel I plan on swaddling them then moving her into grow bag.

I planned to swaddle but DS hated it, so into a grobag he went. If needed - he was born in the middle of heatwave.

Thanks all!

We didn't swaddle, the hospital told us not to so we had him in a Moses basket with the blanket tucked down the sides.
He would wear a vest and a sleep suit. He would always kick the blanket off though no matter how tight I tucked it. June baby so didn't really get cold.
Then once it started getting cold we put him in a 2.5 grobag, and moved him to a cot.

That's another thing, my baby is due end of August. How many different togs do they do for grobags?

tons. For summer I had 0,5 tog for cooler nights and one made out of muslin, like this www.amazon.co.uk/Unisex-Jungle-Muslin-Sleeping-Monkey/dp/B002SW3BXG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425573651&sr=8-1&keywords=muslin+sleeping+bag

Gro do a 1 tog (for room temperature of over 20 degrees I think) a 2.5 tog (for 16-20 degrees) and a 3.5 tog (below 16 degrees). My DS was born in July last year and so far we've used all 3.

Their website has information and each pack comes with a little room thermometer and reccomemded clothing guidelines. I've used other brands, such as supermarket own for spares when my DS leaks in the night, but to be honest I've found none have washed as well or feel as good as the Gro Company ones. just my opinion though.

DS was born in heat wave last year. The first few weeks we had him just in a short sleeved vet and swaddled in cellular blanket/ large muslin. We moved onto 1 tog with short sleeve vest / baby grow when he reached minimum weight. We moved to 2.5 tog with a babygrow when it started getting towards autumn. Depending on the temperature if his room, he now is in a combination of short sleeve/ long sleeve vest + a babygrow (a padded one from mothercare or a cardi over a regular cotton one if particularly cold) + a 2.5 or a 3.5 tog bag.

Remember, their hands (and feet if exposed) are likely to feel a little bit cold, for a real gauge of their body temperature you need to check baby's chest or back of the neck. Mum and MIL will touch baby and say "oh his little hands are freezing! Should I put another blanket on him? ". . . .

Not sure if they do it where you live, but my Health Visitor got in touch to call round for a chat a few weeks before my due date to answer my "first time mum" questions. I found it really useful. She showed me how to swaddle on a doll and to be fair the midwives in the post natal wards helped me the first time. Obviously a wealth of information on mumsnet but nothing compares to a hands on demonstration for some things such as swaddling

I swaddled DS In hospital when he was born and got a right telling off by one of the midwives, I had no idea, I too found the bedding situation a minefield with constant contradiction...
At first we just used cellular blankets which even newborns can kick off if they get too warm. Once he started wriggling and turning over we started using a sleeping bag thing as it was middle of winter and he would wriggle out of blankets then wake up crying because he was cold. I was sceptical about sleeping bags but have to say they are really good.

Also rather than babygrows put baby in a baby nightie or baby bundler as they are called for nit. Its open at the bottom but elasticated, much easier for nappy changes you just push it up, no poppers.

I won't be swaddling only because I don't like the look of baby being all wrapped up, including arms but that's perhaps because I can feel quite claustrophobic myself so wouldn't want my baby too either. I know that some people will probably find that silly
I'm due in April and have a Moses basket with a light mattress with a fitted sheet, and it also came with a lightly padded sheet/cover which I will perhaps use until he goes into a cot as soon as he outgrows the Moses basket!
When he's in a cot, I have a sleep bag for him which has arm holes so will put him in a long sleeve sleepsuit to wear in the sleep bag.
Good luck!

And I'll just add that the sleep bags have a zip up side which can be easily undone for nappy changes

"First time mum question alert - what does baby sleep in?"

Fits and starts I'm afraid.

I dont get this also. I was under impression that there is nothing to be inside the crib besides the baby.
So how do you guys use swaddles and blankets then, isnt that risky and not recommended anymore?
Im really puzzled. My mom has sewn couple of swaddle wraps for us, dont know what to do.

We swaddled DD1 on the advice if hospital MWs. 4 years later we were told not to swaddle DD2. She had cellular blankets for about 2 weeks then grobags, but was big enough for grobags from birth.

We swaddled loosely, just enough to stop dd startle herself awake but so she could move her arms up if she wanted. We used giant bamboo muslins. We used to cellular blankets on top when it was cold and eventually moved on to a sleeping bag.

Showy

Zahra most days you will need something covering the baby to keep them warm, so a sleeping bag is used and is safe from a specific weight - the blankets cant ride up over their faces. Similarly with swaddling the blankets / sheets are held down in place by the baby tyemselves so no loose covers.

When they say nothing in the cot they mean bumpers, cuddly toys, additional (unecessary) blankets, pillows, duvets.