How warmly to swaddle a newborn

[Anonymous]

I'm expecting my first in the next couple of weeks and it's starting to get chilly out! Trying to figure out what sorts of swaddling blankets we should be getting. Will the Aden + Anais muslin blankets be warm enough (over a gown or something)? Should I be looking at the microfleece SwaddleMe?

[Anonymous]

It depends how cold you keep your house, more specifically, wherever the baby will sleep. My dad is a pediatrician and he was WAY more concerned about my children being too hot (and not able to release the heat) than being too cold.

[Anonymous]

Somewhere I read (probably in "What to Expect") that newborns are more sensitive to temperature than adults, and they should be dressed in whatever amount of clothes you would be comfortable in, plus 1 layer. So in summer, maybe a T-shirt and a light swaddle blanket. In fall/winter when it is chilly, warm pajamas and a heavier swaddle blanket.

[Anonymous]

I was advised by ped nurse that if using a flannel type swaddle blanket, then a plain old onesie is all that is needed under it - assuming the house is at a normal temperature. Her concern, as with PP 13:09's father, was with the baby overheating when swaddled, as they tend to heat up quickly - esp when upset.

[Anonymous]

My DS was born last september. We used regular receiving blankets or aden + anais or a miracle blanket - usually just over a onesie. Sometimes especially with receiving blankets we doubled up on the swaddle but it was more because not for warmth - it was easier to keep the swaddle on if it was doubled wrapped (we were not swaddle experts). Like PP, I was more concerned about him overheating.

We stopped swaddling in January and switched to sleep sacks over gerber sleep and plays. Cotton all summer and this week we've used the fleece sleep sack since it's been cold at night. Over the winter we used long sleeve sleep sacks - I think they were fleece.

[Anonymous]

With my winter newborn I used fleece sleepers and A&A blankets, as I figured that was about equivalent to a sheet and a blanket, which is what I was sleeping under at the time. We kept our house on the warmer end of the recommended range. For colder I would add a onesie underneath.

[Anonymous]

OP gowns can be difficult to put on a newborn (or at least they were for me). I had a hard time getting things over my newborn's head. The head-holes can be small and it can be a little nerve-wracking when you're not used to it. I would get some undershirts that snap to go underneath whatever you're putting your newborn in.

[Anonymous]

So maybe a long-sleeved side-snap shirt + swaddle over a diaper? Just trying to figure out what we need to buy before the baby arrives.

[Anonymous]

OP, snap up cotton and fleece sleepers are your friend (you may hate doing the snaps, but you can undo only the leg ones for diaper changes). They won't bother the cord stump - DD had hers for almost 4 weeks and was just fine with sleepers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So maybe a long-sleeved side-snap shirt + swaddle over a diaper? Just trying to figure out what we need to buy before the baby arrives.

Yes. Get a side-snap shirt that has the cuffs that you can pull over the baby's hands. These will prevent the baby from scratching himself/herself. Get a warm swaddle to put on top and keep the house at a comfortable temperature.

[Anonymous]

Any favorite swaddle blankets besides the A+A? The rectangular flannel receiving blankets are hard to tie one with...we tried on a doll.

[Anonymous]

A+A blankets are best blankets for swaddling, they are larger and thin enough to breath. Favorite swaddle is definitely the Miracle Blanket.