Swaddling, two questions

[MegBusset]

Have got one of those miracle blanket thingies for DC2 due in April, in the hope it might make him a better sleeper than DS1... anyway, have a couple of questions as I'm a swaddling newbie:

1. What do you dress a newborn in when you swaddle them?

1. How long would you generally swaddle for before moving to a Grobag? (I have DS's old 0-6m Grobags) Or should I put DS2 in the Grobag straight away and only swaddle if he doesn't settle well in it?

Try the swaddling first, I'd say, and see how it goes. Your baby will probably tell you when he/she has had enough of swaddling. My DD lasted about a month before she insisted on being half-swaddled (started crying unless her arms were free) and is now happy in a gro-bag instead at 4 mths old (just started using it in the last few days instead of half-swaddling, and seems to be OK).

I dressed my DD in a vest & sleepsuit in cold weather (swaddled, and sometimes with a thin, cotton, cellular blanket loosely tucked over if it was bitterly cold). In this mild-cold weather I am now just using a sleepsuit and the grobag and she seems warm enough.

Bear in mind some babies love swaddling (my DD) and some absolutely hate it (my DS!)

I always adjusted the clothes to suit the season - not sure how hot your room is but you could use the gro-bag chart as a rough guide (I didn't have a miracle blanket though so I don't know if they are warmer than my swaddling blanket - mine was sort of thinnish t-shirt type material and roughly equivalent to a 1.5 tog grobag when doubled up).

As for when to move, I think it depends on the baby. I moved DS2 to a grobag last week (he is just 3 months) because his feet were sticking out the end of the swaddle and he was throwing it off and getting chilly in the night. But he still needs his arms swaddling so I wrap him in a small sheet just to give him that secure feeling while he's dropping off. I'll probably do that for a few months yet.

Also I'm sure you know this, but don't forget if you move him to your bed in the night you must take the swaddle off

Oh yes, I was going to ask about whether it was safe to swaddle and co-sleep.

DD was swaddled for a couple of months. She was born in April, but it got too hot after a while (our room is really quite warm and in summer it bakes) and I worried about her overheating. I moved her to the grobag when she hit about 10 llbs. I think it says on them not to use before then?
She liked being swaddled though - used to dress her in a vest and sleepsuit but would check temp of room first - it depends on how hot yours is.

some grobags are safe from 7lb, depends on the brand.

Thanks all. Grobags say from 7lb so I guess fine from birth unless it's a particularly small baby (not likely from the size of my bump ).

It's a fairly moderate-temperature room not too cold in winter, not too hot in summer so hopefully he will be OK in a sleepsuit and vest and swaddle to start with.

Sorry if this is a stupid question but why is it not safe to swaddle and co-sleep? Is it because of overheating and in that case wouldn't the same apply with a sleeping bag?

I'm not sure Meg, just know it's not recommended. I don't think it's strictly recommended to co-sleep with a gro-bag either but of course it depends on your setup. With DS1 we used to put him between our heads in his gro-bag sometimes.

I think the particular danger with swaddling may be that the baby has no control over their limbs at all - so if the covers go over their face they can't kick it off, or if they roll into your depression in the mattress they have no way of lifting their head to breath. At least that's what I'm guessing.

having said that I just looked up co-sleeping on a wikihow and it says you can swaddle if you place the baby level with your head, so perhaps I've been told wrong.

Will be interested if anyone has heard different...?

Hmm, when I co-slept with DS1 (from about 3-9mo) he would be in his Grobag but on top of the duvet so no chance of covers getting over head. I suppose if they roll over they could get stuck, but then a newborn wouldn't be able to lift their head much anyway...

Well, I'm hoping that swaddling will mean that he settles better in his crib anyway, so I won't have to co-sleep!