What did your newborn wear to sleep?

thismotherhoodthing · 2021-09-12T09:59:58+00:00

I am a FTM due in October. I've been looking into safe sleeping and how to dress babies for sleep. I know there are lots of tables/charts online giving advice on what to wear by temperature of room etc. Although I do find them a bit contradictory! Im basically wondering what to buy in terms of blankets vs swaddles. What did you use for your newborn? Did you swaddle them in a blanket or just tuck them blankets under sheets? Or did you use the Velcro or zip swaddles like the love to dream ones? I'm wondering whether to get a couple of each and just see what works.

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LakeShoreD · 12/09/2021 11:11

My eldest had the love to dream which was ok, but I discovered these with my second and thought they were so much better:
www.tommeetippee.com/en-gb/product/the-original-grobag-grofriends-snuggle-twin-pack-0-4-3-9m?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0bCXlpj58gIVKYBQBh1zkwS7EAQYBiABEgL18vD_BwE
You can do arms in or out, depending on what your LO prefers, you can get 1 or 2.5 tog depending on your room temp- for Feb baby I did the 2.5 with a vest underneath.

I’d get a couple of cellular blankets too, they make me nervous for overnight sleep, but they’re handy for the pram or to pop over them if they fall asleep in the bouncer.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 12/09/2021 11:13

Both mine had a short sleeved bodysuit then a sleepsuit, then wrapped in either their Gro Swaddle or swaddled in a large muslin.

JeVoudrais · 12/09/2021 11:15

Long sleeved vest and a tommee tippee gro bag here. Now she's 1 we use the steppees

maofteens · 12/09/2021 11:21

My son was born in a heatwave so just a sleeveless vest and nappies to begin with, but I'm a big fan of sleeping bags. So short or long sleeved body suit and sleeveless sleeping bag and that's it. Both my babies were born early, 37 weeks, but were big as I think your baby should be over 4kg to use sleeping bags, and both mine were well over that at birth. I never swaddled them.

NavigatingAdolescence · 12/09/2021 11:22

DD was born in Oct. She slept in a babygro on me for the first few months. Only in January did we put her in a sleeping bag if she was in our bed (we had single duvets to avoid her being covered by one) and a cellular blanket tucked in if she was in her hammock (generally her first period of night sleep).

Runrigdan · 12/09/2021 11:29

Short sleeve vest, sleep suit and 1.5 tog sleeping bag for mine in October. Went up to a 2.5 tog for winter.

I'm a huge fan of sleeping bags for babies! However I never co slept with either of mine, they were in a Moses basket then cot. If you are going to have the baby in your bed/on you that is probably too much as they will get your body heat.

loafcake · 12/09/2021 11:35

My daughter was born middle of October, I put her in a short vest, sleep suit with the built in mittens on and I tucked in tight a cellular blanket in her Moses basket for the first couple of days, because I found it easier to change her nappy three times a night!

Once she got a little older and we got more used to it, we switched to a sleeping bag. She still goes in one now and she'll be 2 next month!

I'd like to add that our house back then was exceptionally cold (heating was on but the groegg was on the brink of blue/green always) and she was kept quite cosy wearing this!

Original poster

thismotherhoodthing · 12/09/2021 11:49

@LakeShoreD

My eldest had the love to dream which was ok, but I discovered these with my second and thought they were so much better: www.tommeetippee.com/en-gb/product/the-original-grobag-grofriends-snuggle-twin-pack-0-4-3-9m?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0bCXlpj58gIVKYBQBh1zkwS7EAQYBiABEgL18vD_BwE You can do arms in or out, depending on what your LO prefers, you can get 1 or 2.5 tog depending on your room temp- for Feb baby I did the 2.5 with a vest underneath.

I’d get a couple of cellular blankets too, they make me nervous for overnight sleep, but they’re handy for the pram or to pop over them if they fall asleep in the bouncer.

These look great! Thanks that's really helpful. We've just moved house into a new build so I'm not sure on temperatures into October but assuming it won't be too cold - think I'll go For 2.5tog though

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Original poster

thismotherhoodthing · 12/09/2021 11:50

@JeVoudrais

Long sleeved vest and a tommee tippee gro bag here. Now she's 1 we use the steppees

Thanks - never heard of the steppees will have to google!

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Original poster

thismotherhoodthing · 12/09/2021 11:51

@maofteens

My son was born in a heatwave so just a sleeveless vest and nappies to begin with, but I'm a big fan of sleeping bags. So short or long sleeved body suit and sleeveless sleeping bag and that's it. Both my babies were born early, 37 weeks, but were big as I think your baby should be over 4kg to use sleeping bags, and both mine were well over that at birth. I never swaddled them.

Thanks - I think sleeping bags look great but as you say I was just worried about using them too early. That's good to know though!

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Original poster

thismotherhoodthing · 12/09/2021 11:53

@Runrigdan

Short sleeve vest, sleep suit and 1.5 tog sleeping bag for mine in October. Went up to a 2.5 tog for winter.

I'm a huge fan of sleeping bags for babies! However I never co slept with either of mine, they were in a Moses basket then cot. If you are going to have the baby in your bed/on you that is probably too much as they will get your body heat.

@Runrigdan thanks this is really helpful. They will be in a bedside crib next to our bed at first

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seaandsandcastles · 12/09/2021 11:55

Sleeping bags are safer than blankets so if your baby can fit into one when born definitely start with them

Farcry66 · 12/09/2021 11:59

I used sleeping bags for both of mine, had a 2.5 tog for winter and a 1.5 for summer. Vest and sleepsuit most of the time unless it was really warm.

I loved the sleeping bags. I didn't cosleep with my boys and they seemed to love the sleeping bags too, they both slept very well and I never had to get up because they were cold as they had lost their blanket.

OvertiredOverthinker · 12/09/2021 12:00

Congratulations on your pregnancy

We use this chart as a guide on how to dress DD for night time sleep…

We were given a couple of Tommee Tippee Gro Bags which are handy in giving you the option to swaddle, though this was never necessary with DD. Therefore we supplemented those with some cheaper supermarket own brand sleeping bags which work just as well. I think you’d be ok to get in a couple of 1.0 tog and a couple of 2.5 tog for winter.

For the first month or so we actually had to use cellular blankets, as DD was too small for the sleeping bags - they would have slipped over her head, which isn’t safe. It was fine for us though - she wasn’t wriggling around at that age plus we always made sure to tuck in the blanket properly under the crib mattress.

LakeShoreD · 12/09/2021 12:06

Oh and other posters mention good points about tiny babies that I hadn’t considered as both of mine were quite big at birth! The Grobag snuggle I linked to is suitable from 7lbs. If you have a smaller baby then you’re unlikely to find a sleeping bag that will work so definitely good to be prepared with some large muslins to swaddle with or some cellular blankets just in case.

8dpwoah · 12/09/2021 12:06

Sleeping bag (just about big enough for a grosnug from birth) combined with a Groegg and followed their guidance on what to put under it at each temperature until got confident enough to deviate slightly. I know that sounds a bit brand-whorey but I really did appreciate having something fairly fixed to work to and saved us disagreeing. DD was a heatwave baby so mainly had 1.0 tog grosnugs, due in October too so have bought a couple of extra 2.5 tog ones as I can only see the 1.0 togs being used in a washing-related emergency.

I'm very much a 'do what suits you' for most aspects of parenting but I must admit I do cringe when I see photos of babies in old-fashioned blankets for night time sleep, I can't see how that's better than a sleeping bag tbh. Daytime I did use blankets or muslins but I'd have been waking up worrying half the night if we were using them then. We went over to a cotbed duvet when DD turned 2.

AnnaSW1 · 12/09/2021 12:07

A Groswaddle.

8dpwoah · 12/09/2021 12:09

Sorry should have said we went grosnug til about 6 months, grobag or supermarket version from then til 18 months, then steppees until she went into her big girl bed at 2. TK Maxx often have the gro/Tommy tippee stuff in if you don't mind buying out of season and saving them.

strawberrymilkshakeisdelicious · 12/09/2021 12:11

I got a GroEgg (they’re only about £5 on eBay, don’t buy a new one) and I got a couple of barely used GroSwaddles second hand too. They grow so quick I don’t mind using second hand as we had to size up after a month or so.

You can use them arms in as a swaddle or arms out as a sleeping bag. I got 2 tog and put her in a long sleeve vest.

strawberrymilkshakeisdelicious · 12/09/2021 12:13

Sorry, it was a GroSnug not a GroSwaddle.

When she met the required size/weight for the GroBags and the Aldi sleeping bags, I bought a mix of those instead.

noblegreenk · 12/09/2021 12:16

It depends on your baby. I used to put her down to sleep wearing a short sleeve vest under a sleep suit. I soon learnt that she would not be swaddled and really didnt like feeling confined. I would just place a cellular blanket over her up to chest height. She'd cry if I tucked her in. When she got a bit older (around 3 months) and it was December, she took to sleeping bags which was good because that winter was very cold and snowy.

Original poster

thismotherhoodthing · 12/09/2021 12:23

@OvertiredOverthinker

Congratulations on your pregnancy

We use this chart as a guide on how to dress DD for night time sleep…

We were given a couple of Tommee Tippee Gro Bags which are handy in giving you the option to swaddle, though this was never necessary with DD. Therefore we supplemented those with some cheaper supermarket own brand sleeping bags which work just as well. I think you’d be ok to get in a couple of 1.0 tog and a couple of 2.5 tog for winter.

For the first month or so we actually had to use cellular blankets, as DD was too small for the sleeping bags - they would have slipped over her head, which isn’t safe. It was fine for us though - she wasn’t wriggling around at that age plus we always made sure to tuck in the blanket properly under the crib mattress.

@OvertiredOverthinker thanks sooo much this is super helpful!

I think I will do just that and get a couple of each tog, and I have some blankets and muslin swaddles for if they're only a wee thing

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Original poster

thismotherhoodthing · 12/09/2021 12:35

@8dpwoah no not at all that makes sense to me. I feel the same in that I'd like to have something to follow, at least initially, or I will get overwhelmed by options haha. Then I can always try other things if it's not working.

This was also my thought with blankets as I would worry about them coming loose - but I am definitely a worrier!

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thismotherhoodthing · 12/09/2021 12:39

@strawberrymilkshakeisdelicious thanks! I don't mind second hand in fact I prefer it as we're quite eco conscious. I've got my pram, cotbed and Moses basket second hand so far and just bought new mattresses. I will take a look for those things thank you!

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thismotherhoodthing · 12/09/2021 12:42

@noblegreenk thank you every baby is so different you're right. I'd just like to feel a bit prepared and have a couple of bits but I know baby might not take to them

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