My sister has been specifically told NOT to use Grobags

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by her MW.

I was going to buy her one, and asked yesterday if she would like one (36wks pg with first) and she said that she had thought they were a great idea, and she knew I had used them with both DDs.

Apparently without any prompting her MW slated them saying they could cause cot death. I can't find any evidence of this, anyone got any info one way or the other?

Have they not been shown to reduce risk of cot death? [puzzled]

I thought you weren't supposed to use them for little babies. but advice on that may have changed? I don't know

in this weather she probably won't need one will she?

can't see any reason why you shouldn't get her one to use later on though

I have looked on the SIDS website and ca n't find anything suggesting that there is any problem with them???

I thought that to, Klaw.
Agree with thisisyesterday that my recollection is that they are not to be used for very small babies (still learning to control temperature, so layering with light layers = easier to get right temperature)

IIRC you can only use sleeping bags once the baby is 10lbs or more, so maybe that's what was meant?

Your sisters midwife is ahead of the rest of the scientific establishment then because unfortunately nobody knows what 'causes' cot death. All that is known are risk factors - one of which is babies getting too hot. a grobag should actually help with that if you get the right tog rating for the conditions. There is also no risk of a baby getting the covers over the head if you get one that fits right so I would conclude that the mw was having a day in which she was verbalising her opinions through her posterior!

i thought so long as used correct size and didnt use bedding as well as gro bag that they were safer?

FSID helpline

FAQ

grobag site

It looks like your MW needs to update her knowledge?

"verbalising her opinions through her posterior" PMSL!!!

I used sleeping bags for dd once she was 10lbs and it was great, no worrying about how many layers, or her kicking them off.... I was unsure of any that I was given that did not have a tog rating and always checked the thermometer guide one came with and dressed her accordingly.

BTW, it's best to have two at least so that one can be in the wash and one available, imho

the limits once they are 10lb.

fab things.

hopeless in this weather though. DD's roomis still 24 degreess at night. so its back to light cotton sheets.

I thought as long as baby was over 7.5lbs it was fine to use gro bags my DS used them from when he left his moses basket until he was a year old. As long as you don't use anything else I don't see the problem. My MW personally thought they were ingenious LOL.

Rubbish, both of mine had them, they're fantastic.

I've got a 0.5 tog one that DS wears with just a nappy in this weather.

Cobblers.

They're great.... as long as you get the right tog.

The newest versions of grobags can be used from 7lb, (the older ones were from 10lb)

Cannot think where the midwife is geting her info from.

grobags are meant to help prevent cot death

What on earth??

All I can think of is she is referring to the warmer weather and overheating has been linked to SIDS... But as above have already stated, as long as you use a suitable tog/clothing for the weather it is fine. To generalise and say gro bags are linked to cotdeath is definately wrong AFAIK.

Exactly what I thought!

I have now fully checked the FSIDs website and they fullt approve of Grobags, in fact they were developed with their support and input.

It would appear that her MW is indeed talking out of her posterior

She probably means you shouldn't use them for newborns, which is sort of correct. Even though you can put little ones in sleeping bags their heads shouldn't be able to slip inside the neck opening, and I haven't yet seen a sleeping bag that is that small.

I had a mothercare one for ds1 and used it when he was under 10lb because it had poppers on the armholes so his head couldn't go through the neck opening. Have bought another one for the dt's as it was so useful using grobags when younger (I waited until ds1 was 8 weeks I think when he hit 10lb!). Grobag def. used to do newborn ones for under 10lb but sounds like they've changed their design.

a great big here for the midwife!!

The 0-3 month sized proper grobag is suitable from 7lbs. DS was in his from a few weeks old. They used to do a newborn and a 0-3 months size but they seem to have integrated them into one type - it now has poppers under the arm holes to make them smaller. My ds still uses one at 21 months - we have a selection of togs so we can vary them depending on the weather/temperature.

from the bumpto3 website:

An ideal time to start using a grobag® baby sleeping bag is when your baby weighs more than 7 lbs (0-6 mths size). It is very important to check that your baby?s head cannot pass through the neck-hole when the grobag® baby sleeping bag is fastened for use. Please remember that there are recommendations only as all babies are different. You will soon discover the best level of clothing for your individual baby.

My MW and the NHS book I was given (2004) said they weren't recommended

monkeytrousers - did your book say sleeping bags though? I have an old book from 1998 that says that but it doesn't mean the gro bag type, it means the camping type of sleeping bag in which however small it was there would be the risk of the bag getting over the babys head. Because of the arm hold thing there isn't that risk with gro bags and othere similar ones.

They are completely safe as long as you use them properly like Seona1973 wrote. Grobag also has a swaddeling blanket to use for small babies if you dont want to use grobags. My baby girl will be born in August and she will sleep in grobags from day one. I did not do it with my son and he had lots of trouble sleeping.