anyone else been told NOT to use a grobag with a small baby?

[Moomin]

went to see a friend today who's just had her 1st baby, she's 6 weeks old. when my friend was pg i told her how great grobags were and she went ahead and bought 3. she waited until her dd was over 7lbs but then her midwives and health visitors have advised her not to use them at all, telling her it's 'not safe'!!!

I've never heard of grobags being at all controversial as long as the baby is heavy enough to use it and you follow all the guidelines. do you think this is a piece of advice all the mws and hvs in her area have been told to say? she said they couldn't really give her any detailed reasons for not using them. i said i bet the makers of grobags would be very interested to hear they're getting such bad press in her part of the world! anyone know of / been told anything similar?

you're not supposed to use them for under 6 months .. I didn't actually think they made them under that age tbh

something to do with them overheating

never heard of it, sounds a bit mad

you're not supposed to use them for under 6 months .. I didn't actually think they made them under that age tbh

something to do with them overheating

They make newborn ones from 7lbs. They make 0-6 month ones suitable for use from 10lbs. DS1 was in one at about eight weeks iirc.

Have a look at this - it reckons that they're not recommended until 4 months.

Twig, where did you get that about under 6 months?

they do do newborn to 6month size twiglett.

that's crap... they make them 0-3 months (but say baby needs to be over 10lb) as a starter, but in addition have "small baby" ones - 7lb plus.

Not sure whay you'd tell the Hv the bedding arrangements but anyhow.....

Grobag sizes info

x posts

I've bought a newborn one from a NCT sale a few weeks ago, i dont think i will be using it after reading this, i did'nt know there was any risks with them.

They shouldn't overheat so long as you are checking room temperature, dressing them appropriately and using the correct tog. If you zip a small baby into a 2.5 tof Grobag in the middle of the summer then, yes, she might overheat. But the same is true of putting too many clothes on her so I can't see where the Grobag is particularly bad (and Grobags, unlike clothes, all come with a room thermometer and precise instructions on what to wear when).

Ds was in his newborn grobag from around week 2 - he was quite a chunky baby so was quite snug in the newborn version even from this early age. Can't envisage how he could have been in any danger - common sense should prevail here - it's only a bit of cloth after all!

i might be being naive but i reckon the makers of grobag seem a very conscientious concern and i'm sure they wouldn't sell a product to parents if there was a risk attached (any more than any other product that is). they seem like people who know their stuff and have done their research, esp when you read the link to the tog and size advice

Things like this make me so cross! The Ask Baby link doesn't explain at all why you shouldn't use them before 4 months, so how on earth could anybody sensibly rely on that information??? Look at the Grobag site for all its safety information, and that they work closely with the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths who are presumably the experts on this. Random, unsubstantiated commetns from hvs and midwives cause so much unnecessary concern!

Sorry, rant over.

xx

Am drinking a large glass of wine and trying to calm down...

We tried Becky in one at a few weeks old, but she hated it - she now wears a vest, sleepsuit and a fleecy sleepsuit over that and on particularly chilly nights like tonight, she has a blanket over her bottom half. She likes her fleece sleep suits - she knows its sleep time when she gets into it!

winds me up too, are we total IDIOTS?

look:

if baby is bright red and sweaty, you've gone too far

Mine wears a vest, sleepsuit, growbag, then swaddled in a light sheet, then a cellular blanket.

(Our house is a bit nippy though)

praps they're frightened we'd put the baby in head first

'but I thought it'd be easier to change her nappy in the night this way?'

lol Moomin

Have only been told about the benefits of using a sleeping bag, never any risks when used properly. If you get the right size for your baby's age/weight (based on neck hole size, not length) and only use the clothes with it recommended, and by not adding blankets/sheets over the top then sleeping bags are supposed to be very safe.

The Ask Baby site gives no reason as to why they suggest not to use before 4 months. The Grobag site's Q&A section on Grobags is far more informative IMO.

We have always had very warm homes, so DD (from 6 weeks) wore her nappy, a vest (long sleeved in winter/short sleeved in summer/sleeveless or nothing in very hot weather), and her Grobag (different tog for different weather). She was always okay.