What to put on newborn for bed

[Rainbow1234]

Hi everyone. I never realised how warm my house is until this week! My thermometer in my room says 22 degrees. I know this is quite hot for a newborn baby. Ive had the windows open all day and only used the heating for 10 minutes to quickly dry some clothes and it's still 22 degrees!

Ive currently got baby in vest, light sleepsuit and swaddled in a cellular blanket, is this too much? Or not enough? Should I swaddle for bed? Can I leave the window slightly open during the night? Help!! X

 

[Belfa]

How old is your baby? My room is the same temperature just now and my LO wore a vest, baby grow and a hat Plus was swaddled for the first few weeks as they do feel the cold when they're fresh. By 4 weeks though he was either I a long sleeved vest or sleep suit depending on the weather outside. He's now in a sleeping bag and sleepsuit x

 

[Rainbow1234]

She's only 5 days old, I'm confused cos on leaving the hospital and my first midwife visit they told me one blanket, sleepsuit vest and to never put a hat on her in the house but when I was in hospital she had a vest, sleepsuit, hat, cardigan and 2 blankets.

Another thing they said was however many layers im wearing plus one, I'm just in a nightie and warm so 2 layers?

I'm so confused.

 

[Lulu90]

I think it really depends on your baby hun. Luca sleeps in a long sleeved vest and a 1.5 sleeping bag and he still sweats. To be fair the past couple of days it's been really cold in my house so he's in a vest, babygrow and 2 cellular blankets. Still sweats though. I think he's generally a hot baby. I find it particularly hard because I know it's just as bad for your baby to be too hot, than to be too cold xx

 

[Rainbow1234]

Thanks Lulu, yeah they said at our parenting classes its worse to be too hot. They also said to check her temp by feeling her chest and back...but I find it hard to tell, what I think is hot could be different to someone else plus surely it depends on the temp of your hands.

I had convulsions when I was little and overheating was a factor so I'm paranoid about this x

 

[Browneyed Girl]

She's only 5 days old, I'm confused cos on leaving the hospital and my first midwife visit they told me one blanket, sleepsuit vest and to never put a hat on her in the house but when I was in hospital she had a vest, sleepsuit, hat, cardigan and 2 blankets.

Another thing they said was however many layers im wearing plus one, I'm just in a nightie and warm so 2 layers?

I'm so confused.

I was confused about this as well but I think it's because it's important for them to be well wrapped up in the first 24 hours so they don't get cold - apparently it is really hard for a newborn to get their temp back up if they get too cold and they have just come out of a very warm environment. This is only when they're brand new though, after that the standard advice applies ie no hats indoors, don't overheat etc. My house is a new build so also really warm, I've got my 6 week old in a vest, sleep suit and one cellular blanket. He isn't swaddled though. Check your baby's chest or back to see if she's too warm - if she feels too warm reduce her clothing. Remember also that if the cellular blanket is folded in two that counts as two layers not one so make sure it's not folded over xx

 

[Lulu90]

So glad I read your reply browneyed girl. I've been putting 2 cellulars on Luca, both folded. I feel terrible now because he's always very hot. It's a difficult one because if I'm freezing I feel like he's freezing too.

We're in a hotel tonight and it says the room is 19 degrees and we're both sweating so I've opened the window and he's in a vest, babygrow and 1 cellular xx

 

[Rainbow1234]

Thanks everyone! Sounds like vest, babygrow and 1 cellular is fine then. midwife is coming out tomorrow so Ill clarify with her too. I need to start getting some sleep, just now im up and down constantly checking how she feels and adding or removing blankets. If you don't swaddle what do you do? Just put the blanket on and tuck it in around the edges of the crib/Moses basket or whatever? X

 

[JJ Mum]

Yes exactly what I do rainbow, vest , babygrow and cellular blanket ( mine is folded double at mo tho as colder)
When it was hot , i just took vest off underneath babygrow, arms stay warm them. Tuck cellular in moses or pram mattress. Ive never swaddled or used sleepbags as i like that baby can wiggle out or at at least arms at this age, but its supposed to be perfectly safe , think swaddling is only upto 12 weeks tho when i looked it up once about mothercare swaddle blankets.

If I then take baby outside for walk in pram, hot id leave like that, colder like last couple of days, I add another cellular as id put a jumper/coat on myself.

 

[Baby2sky]

At 22 degrees a baby should be sleeping in a long sleeved bodysuit and 1 cellular blanket (not folded as that counts as 2). 22 degrees is warm fpr the room and its worse for them to overheat than be a bit cold. There is a good guide on the little green sheep company website.

 

[Rainbow1234]

Thanks everyone. I feel more confident now that she's comfy and she'll be ok like this x

 

[Lulu90]

I've just realised now why Luca has been kicking his blankets off. You'd think I'd know he was way too hot. Tut, angry at myself now. He was fine with just the one cellular and seemed much more settled.

Thank you for posting this thread rainbow. Hopefully you can relax a bit more now honey xx

 

[kumber]

Sounds like you've got all the replies you need but a quick tip. For measuring baby's body temp, use the back of your hand and you shouldn't be able to feel a temperature difference between your hand and their skin. At most they should feel slightly warmer or 'toasty'. Hope that helps

 

[Rainbow1234]

Thanks Kumber, that does help! X

 

[Orion]

The general advice is one more layer than what you'd need.

21C in baby's room, they've got a short sleeved vest, baby grow and a blanket not folded.
At night they wear a sleepbag instead of blankets which I see as their duvet.

And no hats indoors once out of the hospital. It's so easy for a baby to overheat, which is dangerous.

And each time you fold a blanket should be counted as another layer.

And to measure temp, I stick a finger down their clothes to feel their chest. They should feel nice and warm, but not hot. Don't use their face, hands or feet to measure their temp by touch. Only their torso.