Sleeping bags 🫠

[Nope2024]

Just wanted to sanity check - newborns can sleep in an armless sleeping bag that's aged 0-6 months, right?

(Or do they need arms? Have vague idea that they can wriggle down and suffocate?)

You need to make sure that it's snug enough around the armpits and neck and if they wiggle the bag moves with them and they don't go down inside. If you have a big baby this won't be an issue. If they are smaller I'd use cellular blankets for a few weeks first.

Yes but I think they have to weigh a certain amount- should say on the sleeping bag. I think it’s 8lb something and you just have to make sure it’s secure and they can’t wiggle down. Feet to the foot of the bed too

Thanks. Is it safer/less of a headache if they have a sleeping bag with arms? 36 weeks tomorrow and no idea how big baby will be when they get here. Would use blankets but tog/temperature thing a bit baffling to me so figure sleeping bags would be a lot easier!

Buy a few cellular blankets and you can use as many as needed..you can put some of thr blanket under their back.. fleece babygros would be ideal this time of year either and a little cardigan. I never felt comfortable with sleeping bags until they were bigger.

They're also called velour sleeping bags

Velour babygros I mean!

I used cellular blankets for first few weeks. They can barely move thereself so just tuck it under them tight and it’ll be fine!

If you’re 36 weeks then it’s likely to be hot when you give birth? Presuming you’re in the UK. Even if they need a sleeping bag at all (depends how warm/ cold your house stays in the summer?) I’d let their arms be free so they can lose heat that way. Not sure why but I always see the ones with arms as too much! Better to be a little chilly than overheat

I think the guidance is to use from three weeks onwards. Please check any sleep questions on https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/
Beat of luck with bubba’s arrival!

The reason why some people prefer arms in sleeping bags / swaddles is because of the newborn moro reflex. It causes baby's arms to startle in their sleep and they can wake themselves up. After the first couple of months, it isnt as pronounced and once baby is rolling, you need arms out anyway.

We had two 5lbers and there are very few sleep bags on the market that cater for babies that small. We had a tommee tippe grobag and a love2dream swaddle - both were arms in. Then we switched to normal sleep bags at around 2-3months (before rolling). DD1 was born during a June heatwave and I think we just used a 0.5tog one. Anyway, its totally your choice - you can find BNWT for great prices on vinted so if baby doesn't get along with the one you have, you can try a different one.

This is where I'm getting a bit stuck tbh! We've been given a load of sleeping bags of different toys and ages, but figured we'd go for armless 1 tog and layer with a vest and a baby grow if we need to. Have found the little chart with the togs etc. - but I'm sure I read something about suffocating.

Using blankets freaks me or a bit - I think because of the tog, but also the wriggling down and suffocating.

I know it's better for baby to be a little chilly than warm, but the 0-6m labels have fried my brain!

Most bags have a minimum weight so many new borns can't go straight into them. You also need to make sure sure they're not baggy around the head so the baby can't go down into the bag. Honestly a new born is better with a breathable cellular blanket op much safer. Bags are better once a few weeks/months older

I had all sorts of different wraps and bags but found I swaddled for the first few weeks or used these tommee tippee ones https://amzn.eu/d/0uBaobA

Babies tend to like to have their arms tucked in for the first few weeks to mimic how snug they are in the womb.

I think I might try to look into blankets for first few weeks - thanks everyone! My brain = mush by this point 🥲

Sleeping bags should not have arms to help prevent overheating
There is a minimum weight for most of them too

I had an 8lb and 9lb baby and neither went into the 0-6 sleeping bags straight off the bat. In the first newborn days with the night feeds and the frequent nappy changes you may find them a bit faffy. Both of mine were summer babies. I had some gro-snugs I think they were called which I loved until they were big enough for the sleeping bags but I think it was a few weeks before they went into these.

Yeah so that’s why they have a minimum weight limit. Some of them have extra poppers on the arms which make the arm holes smaller so they can’t pass through (if that makes sense) .

you might find just a sleep suit or vest is enough if it’s hot. It’s trial and error really and sometimes some babies are just warm anyway so don’t need loads of layers! Best to feel their chest/ back with your hand to see how warm/ cold they are

totally get the blanket fear- I was the same. But if you do go down that route just make sure it’s tucked in nice and tight, don’t fold over loads (which makes it thicker) and put baby’s feet to the foot of the bed, so they don’t have any room to move down!

Ah op congratulations. So exciting.

My input today would be don’t worry about it just now.

I have four, two needed the cellular blanket, swaddling like a burrito. Two were in sleeping bags.

if I am really honest, for the first few weeks nobody slept anywhere apart from my arms, and one remains that way.

age five.

the best advice is listen to your instincts, over anything. Babies have not read the book and NOBODY has ever had your baby before. They are all different.

Sleeping bags that are for 0-6 months tend to have buttons under the arms to make them even more snug on the arm so that it doesn’t roll up over their head. So just make sure you buy one with those buttons.

Sleeping bags were a bit big for my newborn (she weighed just under 7lbs) but this bag was a game changer for her sleeping better - it stopped the startle reflex waking her up. It was great until she could roll. Honestly, I can’t recommend it enough.
lovetodream.co.uk/products/swaddle-up-cotton-fleece-1-5-tog-light-olive-mini-cloud

As PPs said, I found none of the sleeping bags fit well enough for newborn. The bag can cover their face if not snug enough around their arms/neck.
I was also nervous about blankets but the fear lessened after a week or so. I had a July baby and indoor temps at night were really hot in my house, like 26 degrees at times🥴 So in hindsight even the sleeping bags might have been too warm. Short sleeve vest, baby grow and cellular blanket. Can tuck the blanket right in under the crib mattress and it doesn't move. The good (well, not really😅) thing is you're awake so often feeding/settling them that you have plenty of opportunity to feel their temp and make adjustments as needed. I just checked back on my camera roll and DS was 7 weeks before I used a sleeping bag. He was 7.5 pounds born in case that helps.

I just used a fleece sleep suit for my September baby for the first month, then into a 1.5tog bag (no arms). When he outgrew his 12-18 month sleep bags (c.14 months) he went into togged sleep suits (arms removed).

Overall I definitely dressed him in fewer clothes/layers than other people dressed their babies (day time too). He never seemed bothered.

Colder is definitely preferable to over heating.

So many really helpful responses here, I can't reply to all of them (I'm falling asleep on the sofa 😂) but thank you so much! 😊 ❤️

Just to add, it’s fine to use armless sleeping bags. If you were using just blankets it would need to be tucked around them and under their arms, so you wouldn’t be covering their arms with a blanket either. Different if you wanted to swaddle.

I’ve used sleeping bags since my baby was a few days old. She was born 8lb2 and the sleeping bag mainly said from 8lbs. We never had a problem with them (armless ones) my daughter is 20 months now and I’ve only just transitioned her into a toddler bed with quilt as she loved her sleeping bags. Blankets didn’t work as she’d kick her legs all the time. With sleeping bags I placed my girl at the end of the next to me so feet nearly touching the end of the crin and tucked the end of the sleeping bag under the mattress and we never had a problem. I know some people have mixed opinions on sleeping bags but I much preferred them over blankets. I’m currently pregnant with baby no2 and il be using them again from newborn
i also didn’t have arm sleeping bags, I had a September baby so I’d just put her in long sleeve vest sleep suit and 2.5tog. With Tesco’s sleeping bag they have a zip and also a button to make it more secure and snug