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Sleep

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Original poster

Newborn - blankets, bag or swaddle?

28 replies

kakes12 · 26/07/2018 19:44

I'm a first time mum of a wee girl who will be one week old tomorrow. 😊

I'm feeling really overwhelmed in general, but nighttime sleep is the thing causing me most stress. What do other people dress their newborns in and use in terms of bedding? At the moment I'm doing a vest, baby grow and cellular blanket, but I worry about the temperature and whether the blanket will go on her face. I know grobags are popular but I've also heard they're best used when baby is a little bigger (Clara is only 6lbs 7oz.) Then there's swaddling.... again, I worry about the muslin covering her face as she can be very wiggly.

Ahhh, so many options. Experienced mums - please tell me what you use for newborns?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

haribosmarties · 26/07/2018 19:51

awww congrats and Clara is a beautiful name!!
I had same problem as my girl was only 6lbs when born so couldnt use the sleeping bags as they say they are for 8lbs and upwards.
I chose to go with a blanket which I thought was safer than the bag being too big as I think if she had gotten the bag over her head shes have had far more difficulty breathing than if she got a loose blanket over her face.
I put her with her feet at the very end of the cot so she couldnt wiggle down then folded the blanket half under her so that it was held by her weight and tucked it under her arms (so that her arms were free and above the blanket.
Just had her in the blanket and a baby sleepsuit with no vest.
This was during the heat wave (shes only a month old now) We have our window wide open at night so its a little cooler in here so I did have her in a sleepsuit.. if its hotter where you are then perhaps just a short sleeved vest and a blanket might be fine?

She fits into the bag now thank god!

haribosmarties · 26/07/2018 19:53

And ive never swaddled either of my children as I read it wasnt considered safe or is a SIDS risk? However some mums do swear by it in terms of it getting their baby to sleep

BumpInTheOven · 26/07/2018 19:55

My 5 week old is in a vest most nights with a cellular blanket...

Gro swaddle/bags have a good guide for wrapping for the temperature, which I've attached x

BumpInTheOven · 26/07/2018 19:56

Balls wrong image ...

Spanglyprincess1 · 26/07/2018 19:59

My son's three weeks old and in a vest and a cellular blanket as he's far to hot else. He was in sleepsuits but was too warm

popitk · 26/07/2018 20:26

My three week old has been sleeping in a vest and a nappy for the past week as it's so hot.

Today he has just been in a nappy.

Last week it was a bit cooler so he was in a nappy and just a sleepsuit over the top.

Have not used blankets or a sleep bag yet as it's too hot.

However when it cools down will use a sleeping bag. Not blankets.

Always worry when I hear that other people are using blankets and stuff in this heat that I'm not putting my LO in enough when he's just in a vest at night but he seems absolutely fine. Have a room temperature thing too and regularly feel his tummy to see how warm he is and the vest does seem to be fine at the moment.

tealandteal · 26/07/2018 21:21

It's quite hot, my DS is nearly one so is in just a nappy but when he was teeny we had a gro snug which is like a sleeping bag but you can swaddle their arms if they like it. OK from 5 or 6 lbs. Slumbersac so smaller sleeping bag as well, we've got a 0.5 tog one from there.

Original poster

kakes12 · 26/07/2018 21:35

Thank you girls. When you say a cellular blanket, are you just kind of tucking it in at the sides of the crib, low enough that it's away from her face (kind of shoulder height?) That's what I've been doing. Am I right in saying cellular blankets are recommended because they have the wee holes, which presumably wouldn't be so dangerous? I'm in Scotland where it's not quite as hot just now, still about 22-24 degrees though through the night. X

OP posts:

welshweasel · 26/07/2018 21:38

We used grosnugs which are for 5lb upwards. You can have arms in or out.

popitk · 26/07/2018 21:39

@kakes12 ohh! Thanks for clarifying your temperature. I was getting worried that I wasn't covering DS up enough by leaving him in just a vest at night! But it's been between 27-29 degrees here every night.

happymummy12345 · 26/07/2018 21:42

I used cellular blankets and the coverlet that came with the crib bedding set and later the cot bedding set.
I don't like sleeping bags or swaddling at all and don't see the need for it. Blankets tucked in tightly are fine.

3boysandabump · 26/07/2018 21:42

I've swaddled all mine and will be swaddling the my new baby when he arrives next week. Grobags are brilliant when they're bigger.

TwinkleMerrick · 26/07/2018 21:46

My little girls loves to kick her blanket off so I has similar worries.

On colder nights i use a baby grow and a grow bag. I got a grow bag that had poppers under the arms to adjust the size of the arm holes, I was worried she would put her arms in and wiggle down into the bag. It's on 0.5 tog so suitable for summer. On warmer evenings I use a blanket. I friends Mum crocheted me a beautiful small baby blanket. It has holes in so it's breathable if it manages to get on her face. It's wool so warm when it needs to be but cool when it needs to be.....I know that makes no sense! But natural fibres do this.

Useful tip the mid wives taught me, put the babies feet to the bottom of the crib/basket. Then tuck the blanket under the mattress. Make sure the blanket is under her arms/arm pits. This means baby can't wiggle down under the blanket, the worst that will happen is she will kick it off xx

flamingosurprise · 26/07/2018 21:47

I definitely wouldn't say use a blanket! They're not recommended until a baby is 1 year old as they might cover their face.

I've just been putting my baby in a vest or just a nappy as it's been waaaay too hot
And on cooler nights then she has a gro bag x

chequeplease · 26/07/2018 21:52

Cellular blanket tucked in at sides and bottom (have baby sleeping right down the bottom so there's no way she can wriggle down. And have her arms over the blanket.

If you are super anxious around nighttime you could look at getting a baby sensor mat which alarms if the baby has a pause in breathing. I was super anxious and didn't sleep for the first few weeks- this transformed my sleep as I felt much more reassured. (Obviously I was making sure there were no SIDS risks present, but that didn't stop my mind from racing!!)

MrsL2016 · 26/07/2018 21:56

We swaddled in the early days as DS had a really strong startle reflex that would wake him up. If you don't want to swaddle with a muslin over concerns of it coming undone then you can buy ready made swaddles that have Velcro. We used them (Swaddle Me) and really rate them. We now use a sleeping bag (1 tog), but in this heat it has been just a vest/nappy.

MrPotatosGirlfriend · 26/07/2018 21:58

The recommendation is feet to foot of cot, so have the wee one as far down the cot as possible and the blanket tucked in to about armpit height. That way they won't be able to shuffle down under the blanket.

The cellular blankets out of cotton are great as they have the holes which help breathing and regulating temperature. Avoid anything made out of polyester as it won't breath in the heat.

PerfectlySymmetricalButtocks · 26/07/2018 21:59

I used sleeping bags with my younger 2.

MrPotatosGirlfriend · 26/07/2018 22:00

@flamingosurprise

I think you are confusing duvets with blankets. Cellular blankets are just fine (even used on hospital wards post birth)

Duvets however, the same as pillows, shouldn't be used till 1 upwards

PerfectlySymmetricalButtocks · 26/07/2018 22:04

flamingo I wonder how on earth I, and my older 2 DC, survived to adulthood then.

KTD27 · 26/07/2018 22:18

My two week old is in a vest and nappy with a Muslin tucked over her as a light blanket
It’s currently 28 in our room where she is with us so hot! I have a cellular blanket made of bamboo so super soft for when it drops in the night

flamingosurprise · 27/07/2018 04:55

Well done on surviving everyone! Because everyone would die if they had a blanket!

They are not recommended because it does increase the risk of SIDs, literally just google it. but cheers for being patronising as fuck ❤️

RLOU88 · 27/07/2018 04:59

30 in my room so baby in nappy and a Muslin over him. So bloody hot.

RLOU88 · 27/07/2018 05:02

Flamingo

Extract from the NHS website below. Blankets are fine.

“Don't use pillows and duvets – they're not safe for babies less than a year old because of the risk of suffocation. Duvets can also make your baby too hot.
Sheets and layers of blankets tucked in firmly below your baby's shoulder level or a baby sleeping bag are safe for your baby to sleep in”

ShottaSheriff · 27/07/2018 05:18

I have a very light muslin sleeping bag for our DD in this current weather. It’s by aiden and anais. They’re lovely and soft, wash well and dry really quickly. DD is in one with just a nappy underneath whilst it’s so hot.

I used cellular blankets for the first 6 weeks until DD reached 8lb, and lightly swaddled her in a muslin blanket if needed, although she hated having her arms trapped in any way.

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