Sleeping baby

[finallypregnant]

Morning,

Just sorting through loads of stuff that we've been given for our arrival in a couple of weeks. We've been given miracle blankets for swaddling, loads of sheets and blankets as well as a couple of grobags! I am at at complete loss as to what to use and when.

Can you help!

Hi finallypregnant, it's a minefield isn't it?! So confusing! I'm a first time mum too (baby due on 22nd June) so no expert but had parentcraft class last week with health visitor and her advice was:

• do not swaddle your baby at all, especially not in this weather, as most heat escapes from their head and they will over heat if their head is covered

• grobags should only be used from 3 months onwards, regardless of the size of your newborn, and again check tog of grobag cos if used in the summer they could overheat

• in terms of how many sheets and blankets, in the day (esp in the summer) probably just a sheet and baby dressed in a vest/babygro will be fine, at night he might need one extra blanket unless the temperature drops

• bottom line is it's better for them to be a little too cold (they'll let you know if they are!) than too hot (which is potentially dangerous)

The Mothercare catalogue gives some good guidance on what bedding to use depending on temperature. Failing that, ask your MW or HV to clarfiy things for you.

Message withdrawn

You can use grobags from birth BUT only if your baby weighs more than 7lb. Do you have the official grobags or the copy grobags? The only reason I am asking is because we have both and the official grobags are much better in the sense that their neckline are much tighter fitting, which is good as your baby is in less danger of slipping down into the grobag and suffocating. We have some other ones and the necklines are huge, which scares the hell out of me when I put DS in it as sometimes, he looks like he's slipping right into them. GL!

Grobags are from Mothercare so after what you have just said, I'll probably stick with sheets and blankets!