Sleeping - bags/ swaddles

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Finding it a bit confusing what the baby should sleep in when it is here. There’s swaddles, swaddle bags, sleep sacks or just in their sleepsuit. Can they sleep in a bag or swaddle from newborn? Which is best? Is the arms up swaddle better, or is that bad for circulation? Not finding google much help.. thanks!

I’d be interested to know the same! I’ve heard some of the bags have weight requirements even though they say from newborn! I’ve bought one swaddle with the arms up and then a sleeping bag too, I’ve heard other people just say they use a cellular blanket at the start too though so no idea what’s best!

With my second I used Tommy Tippee sleeping bags from newborn - it had two zip in layers so it was good for any weather.
You are correct that is has weight requirements.

I highly recommend them, and I wish I knew about them with my first - to me they just feel much safer than other options.

When my baby was first born she wore a vest, sleepsuit (pjs) then was swaddled. She hated being swaddled so we ended up putting a blanket over her. She slept at the foot of the bed with the blanket tucked tightly underneath the mattress- so no loose covers she could fall into.
Sleeping bags come in different tog sizes and some require a baby to be a certain length/ weight before they can sleep safely in them so you’d need to check.
Once my baby was big enough I put her in her best, sleepsuit and then in a sleeping bag with a tog that was suitable for the temperature in my house. There are guides online with the clothing and sleeping bags needed for certain temperatures.

I also felt like you at first and was incredibly confused about what they sleep in. Once the baby is here you’ll feel a lot calmer about it.

Babies can be swaddled but must move into something else once they start rolling.

You will likely find your baby has a preference for either being swaddled or more free to move, so the choice might not be yours. My first born preferred to be uncovered, so I just used to layer his clothes up (long sleeved vest, babygro, mitts and booties when the temperature was lower, and he was plenty warm enough).

My youngest liked the Grobag. I used to buy the branded ones as they have access for pram straps without need to take them in and out. I bought them second hand either at baby sales or on Facebook Marketplace, laundered them thoroughly, then sold them on again and used the money to purchase the next size up.

There are charts online which can help you work out what to put on them to sleep based on the temperature of the room (clothing and tog rating of whatever covering you're using).

I second the tommee tippee ones. We used them with our first from our first night home until he turned 2. We bought different togs depending on the seasons. It’s worth looking out for their sales, I got 3 for £50 for our second who is due now. There is a minimum weight for their smallest size so check that out, I think it’s around 7lb.

It's trial and error. I bought one of those swaddle wrap things and my son hated it. I just dressed him warm and kept his room warm. He spent half the night in the next to me crib and half co-sleeping so he benefitted from my body heat and I didn't want him to get overheated.

When he moved to his own room at 8 months I got sleeping bags and he's taken to them really well. Still sleeps with them at 19 months.

You can get newborn bags that do arms in, like a swaddle, or arms out. Fortunately we had these, as neither DD would tolerate being swaddled (well, DD2 did for her first 12 hours or so). DD1 also kicked until even blankets tucked under the mattress came loose, so the bag was a god send (we learnt from DD1 and never tried blankets with DD2).

I've used sleeping bags from the start, he was 7lbs 12 and the 0-6 month ones fitted snuggly round his neck and armpits so safe for him to use. All his have been 2.5 tog so far and he has nice cosy toes in the morning so must work well.

I did fold over the mittens part of his sleepsuit in winter but a long sleeve is enough now the temperature has risen

I used the LoveToDream arms up swaddle as it was the only bag I could find to fit my 6lb newborn, she hated it to start but adjusted quickly. Around 4 months I transitioned to arms free sleeping bags.

We used Grobags with both children. I had bigish babies (8lb) so didn't have to worry about minimum weights. The ones we bought for DC1 have also done DC2 and seem to have been a good investment.

Agree with other posters about this potentially not being your choice - babies tend to decide for themselves! Our first hated blankets and the second slept with a blanket tucked in tightly for a few weeks before changing to a sleeping bag.

Sleeping bags great but most have a lower weight limit. Blankets and sleepsuits do to start with.

I could never figure out whether swaddling helped for mine!

Lullaby trust website has safe sleep advice. 🤗
Baby sleep info here www.basisonline.org.uk/

I'm due in May and have 3 summer tog sleeping bags, a few blankets and about 4 or 5 swaddle wraps. Think it'll be trial and error! Congrats OP x

It's trail and error! My dd hated being swaddled, gets startled too easily in a sleep bag with arms out or just with blanket, but loves the love to dream arms up swaddles! You can use them from newborn, they've literally saved my sanity as she would not sleep at night before I got them!! Was a 4am Amazon prime purchase but worth their weight in gold lol

I’ve used sleeping bags from birth for both of mine, but they can’t be used for very small babies. Both of mine hated being swaddled.

Stupid FTM question but how do you know if baby does or doesn't like a certain sleep set-up? I feel like I'd struggle to know if it was related to the sleeping bag, wind, hunger... How do you know 😅

@SpringTime2023 not a stupid question at all - most FTM’s wonder the same (about everything!). The answer is simply that you just work it out through trial and error, until something works, then you start learning what their different cries mean.

To the OP, we also used Tommee Tippee (or similar own brand versions). At first we tried blankets but she just kicked them off and woke herself up with her startle reflex. That’s when we moved to the Tommee Tippee swaddle gro bags. Worked for our LO.

I tried the halo swaddle sleepsack with DD and she hated it - arms up, arms down made no difference. She wasn't heavy enough for a sleeping bag at firstso I used sheets and blankets and then sleeping bags from 6 weeks.
She's 6 months now and still in a sleeping bag. She likes to kick her legs up together during the night so sheets and blankets would be a waste of time now.

The midwife /nurse at hospital (the one who comes round to check on you after birth) said they don’t recommend swaddles….I wish I hadn’t listened. All the baby classes I went to still went on about swaddling and I think DS might have slept better swaddled

ended up using sleeping bags, still do at 1 year. They’re good as I found he wasn’t as disturbed from lack of my body warmth when I put him back in bed. Plus nappy leaks were contained within the sleep bag so I wasn’t constantly changing his actual bed sheet

Thank you! X

DD was in a sleep suit or vest and light blanket (summer baby) until she was big enough for a sleep sack. Just basic, arms out and zip around bag.
She's nearly 2 now and still sleeps in a sack, it's been a good bedtime cue. Bath, teeth, PJs, sleeping bag, story etc.

Try not to over think it, there's no right answer and you'll learn through trial and error. A lot of those fancy bags/swaddles are super expensive and a cellular blanket is just fine.

Saw this older thread pop up and couldn't resist jumping in. Swaddles are great for that snug womb-like feel in the early weeks, while sleep sacks are more for after swaddling days are over. Some babies like arms up, some don’t. We ended up using the ergopouch arms-up swaddle which was perfect for our baby. It also transitions into a sleep sack so it lasted longer than others