Sleeping bags

[crackers24]

Hi, I was just browsing the internet trying to look for a sleeping bag for LO. I had a few queries which i was hoping someone could help me out with.

Firstly, if a baby is put in a sleeping bag, do i need to use another blanket on top?

Secondly, if i dont use a blanket, then what about LO's arms getting cold at night? How do i prevent that from happening?

Thirdly, LO will be born in November so what tog would i need?

Lastly, what size sleeping bag would i use for a newborn?

Thanks in advance for your replies.

 

[pilkers]

Hiya

I think there is a weight restriction on sleeping bags. I think babies have to be over 10lb to use a sleeping bag safely.

You dress your baby according to the room temp and what tog bag you are using. If you buy a bag from mothercare, grobag etc you will find a room temperature chart inside the packaging and on thre reverse there are some dressing tips and guidelines.

hope that helps
x

 

[hennaly]

I asked the same thing last week i think sometime, i have come to the conclusion i will use blankets and sheets for the first few weeks then maybe the sleeping bags.

 

[Magic Monkey]

You shouldn't need a blanket as well unless your room is very cold.

We always put LO in a long sleeve sleepsuit to keep her arms warm, and when she was tiny we used scratch mitts at night anyway, they also kepy her hands nice and warm - even when we used a blanket, her arms were always out of it anyway as she liked to stretch out.

As Pilkers said the chart in the packet (or it is also in the Mothercare catalogue) will tell you what clothes they need for each tog dependant on room temp.

Most bags are for bigger babies, but Mothercare do one for newborns that can be used from about 7ish pounds (i think)

ETA: We used sleeping bags from week 2 onwards and have used them ever since.

 

[daftscotslass]

The 0-6 official "grobags" can apparently be used from 7lbs (though I wouldn't put a 7lb baby in one personally) as they have poppers under the arm that prevent the baby from slipping down.

We never got on with them at first but tried them again at about 8 weeks and have used them ever since. Here's the what to wear thing but it really depends on the baby as I have one who always errs on the side of too warm. She is currently in a 1 tog, vest and sleepsuit but will be going into the 2.5 tog (which is the one for cooler temps) shortly.

I absolutely love my Grobags... have tried other own brand ones but these just seem to wash better. www.bumpto3.com

 

[andreag]

You need to combine a sleeping bag with a room thermometer to ensure that you use the right tog. I would have thought for a Novemebr baby, the 2.5 tog would be required unless the room is particularly warm, but I think you are best keeing the heating in a room a baby is slepping in to a minimum (around 18 degrees).

 

[JoAnn&Aimee]

Depends on the room temperature. We started using the sleep bags when Aimee was about 2 weeks old and found them to be a lifesaver. She was always managing to kick her blanket off in the middle of the night and we wouldn't know until we woke up and saw it.

At first we used long sleeved sleep suits and mitts to keep her arms and hands warm but she doesn't need the mitts now so it is just the sleep suits now.

 

[lisa282]

Ive used them from birth with both my babies, but then they were both well over 8lb. I bought mothercare's newborn ones, 2.5 tog, which are suitable from 7.5lb and over babies, so it really depends how big/small your baby is at birth. Mine were 8lb 14 and 8lb 6 so this was never an issue. Ive always used a room thermometer too, and regulate the temp of the room to around 18 degrees, so I know it is ok for baby. As a general rule of thumb, you would always give baby one more layer than yourself, so if you are comfy in pjs and your quilt, then baby should also have a vest underneath their sleepsuit and grobag. With the temps at the moment I dress Eden in a vest with t-shirt style sleeves, then a sleepsuit and then grobag. Its not unusual for her hands to be a little chilly, but this is perfectly normal, as long as her core temperature is warm, and I check her tummy or neck for warmth every time she wakes to feed.

You shouldnt need a blanket as well, and you would probably find baby would kick it off anyway, which is kinda the point of using sleeping bags in the first place. As I said, it is perfectly normal for their hands to get a little chilly, but if you are really concerned about the arms, then you could always use a long sleeved vest as well as the sleepsuit, although I personally wouldnt bother. As long as the sleepsuit has long sleeves, baby should be fine with this.

 

[Carley1985]

I would really recommend a sleeping bag, aiden was born 2 weeks late and was really active from the beginning, i used to put him in his moses basket with blankets and when i would go to check on him he had kicked them up over his head even though they had well and truely been tucked in and Aiden placed in the correct feet to foot position. This really scared me so i bought a sleeping bag, he still has one now at night (as they go up to the age of 3) because he is still a wriggler and ends up cold with a normal quilt.

As everyone else has said, they come with a 'what to wear' guide, i found that i had to adjust it a bit to suit Aiden because sometimes he did get cold and wake up. You can get sleeping bags with arms if you're worried about cold arms in winter. I wish i had known about them at the time!

 

[crackers24]

Thanks for that everyone. Great advice!