how to dress baby for bed

Meredith - posted on 11/06/2010

I use footy pjs that are fleece or thick material. A space heater to keep the room a bit warmer is not a bad idea either.

Jessica - posted on 11/05/2010

We have had blankets rolled up in the crib since a few days after he came home. We used them to comfort and calm him in the new big crib. Now they are used as bumpers so he can't mash his head against the bars. He also sleeps with a fleece blankie too. When he gets up his hands are sometimes chilly, but we also put a heater into their room because the windows in the winter leak cold air, even with plastic on them

Liz - posted on 10/31/2010

i've used blankets since day one, never had a problem with them except my son didn't like to be swaddled or covered at all after one week until about 5 months, so we had to keep the temp pretty steady cause he woke up freezing a couple times in the summer with the ac going.
i asked my doctor about the bumpers and she said at 5 months he was moving around enough and at an age where suffocating themselves isn't an issue anymore. so i wouldn't worrie about blankets.

Gina - posted on 10/31/2010

my babys had a duvet on her bed since she went into her cot at 3 months, its tucked in so she wont get it untucked shell just push it back, its warm!!! if she does happen to get under it or drag it on top of herself shel cry and il hear her

Vinnie - posted on 10/30/2010

hi my lil one just turned 7 months, and is the same he will roll all over his cot, i will put a long armed vest and then a warm baby growth and then i will put a snoozie on him, its like a sleeping bag made from cotton , it is so good you can get them from any baby store, they also come in different togs depending on how cold it is the higher the tog will be, i hope this will help you, all the best... :)

Katrina - posted on 10/29/2010

It is hard on cold nights to keep them warm! I put my bub in a long sleeve onesie and a sleeping bag suit over. Because she won't lie still any more i swaddle her so her hands can't get cold and she gets bored and goes to sleep! Then i have a loose weave blanket that is tucked right under her mattress so there's no way she can get it pulled out! that keeps her warm and snug till morning and when i get her up shes almost always how i left her and all warm and snug :) Hope that helps!

Jessica - posted on 10/29/2010

We use the Halo brand sleep sack that zips down the front.....they seem to be very sturdy and we haven't had any problem with them coming apart. She is still able to stand, sit up and crawl in the Halo sleep sacks.

Shantel - posted on 10/28/2010

I use a blanket anyway

Dianne - posted on 10/28/2010

as for the sleepsacks, i haveseen older kids manage to walk in them. where theres a will theres a way. also as long as your blanket is open weeve it doesn't pose any more risk than your sheet

Monica - posted on 10/28/2010

I use pajamas and at least one blanket for my 7 month old in her crib at night but she moves around so much she doesn't keep it on all night. The sleep sacks come apart because she moves a lot and kicks them off never really used them for either of my daughters. I just make sure the blanket is tucked in around her waist and covers her legs.

Jessica - posted on 10/27/2010

My little girl is 7 1/2 months. She is crawling, sitting herself up and pulling herself to standing in her crib. She can still do all of that in a sleeper and a sleep sack with no problems. We live up north, so I bought a heater for the winter that I can set to a specific temp because the sleeper and sleep sack won't be enough for our winter.

Melodie - posted on 10/27/2010

My daughter is 7 mths and sleeps in sleeper pjs with feet and a med size down comforter in her crib. I do not worry as much because she is mobile so the likelyhood of suffocating is so low, and we have a baby monitor on her all night. Most nights she doesnt even move much all night and stays under it some mornings I will find her on top of it though and her hands will be cold so I freak out.

Elizabeth - posted on 10/27/2010

I say put on about as much as you would to be comfortable and of course according to the season. That's what I've done with all my kids. I also look for cues, do they wake up crying and their feet are ice? maybe cover them up, or if they sleep through the night then I always have assumed they are ok. Follow your instincts!

Sheri - posted on 10/26/2010

Why don't you use a blanket my 7month old uses a light quilted blanket and has since he was born. He also pulls it over his face but not enough to smother him. Both of my kids used blankets and are fine with them my 2 yr old actually sleeps with all her blankets over her head. If her room is cold then I would say ya use a blanket or you can buy sleep sacks that cover like a blanket but zip up arount them so they cant get out of it and it can't get over their faces. Also, at my hospital they swaddle the newborns with 3 blankets and also cover them up with another one. You can also by sleepers that have both hand and feet coverings.
Also, I live in alberta, canada where it gets to -30+ in the winter and our house gets pretty cold then.
Hope this helps.

Apna - posted on 10/25/2010

i am a first time mom so not very experienced.. but from what i have read, it is ok for kids to have cold hands, nose and ears.. but it is important to keep their feet warm.. also you can check the base of her neck to see if she is feeling warm enough...

Vicki - posted on 10/24/2010

I put a space heater in my sons room that has a thermostat on it so it only comes on if it get below that. (I don't use that kind with a blower so he doesn't wake up when it comes on).

Aly - posted on 10/24/2010

I have never heard that you can't use blankets on a baby! I have 6 children aged from 23yrs down to 7 months and have used blankets on all of them. I use just a sheet in the summer time and a sheet and 2 or 3 blankets in the winter, they were all bought from either mothercare or other baby shops. Also have a couple of crochet and knitted ones. and for out in the car I keep a spare fleece one. When babies they have worn either just a pop up vest in summer or the vest with a baby grow during winter. I am just about to make a slumbersac in fleece as it is the start of winter soon and my 7 month old is a wriggler so hopefully he will keep warm if he manages to get out from under his blankets. He does like his covers up to his chin when he sleeps in his pram. He likes to be warm. Hope this is helpful. Aly. XX

Autumn - posted on 10/23/2010

My daughter is seven months old. I've been really comfortable about using blankets ever since she started rolling around and sitting up. She prefers sleeping on her side. I place her in her crib on her back, but she always manages to make it back to her side. I read that it isn't necessary to move them when they do this, so I don't. She's comfortable. I dress her snugly at night (layers) AND use blankets. She loves snuggling to her blankies. She pulls them up to her mouth/cheek. It's very soothing to her. I don't feel like blankets are the enemy because my daughter is coordinated enough to pull them away from her face.

Allison - posted on 10/22/2010

Thanks Gabriela, I will check it out. So far she seems to be good (socks under a sleeper with undershirt and cotton knit blanket over her. I'm just not sure how she would take to a sleep sack since she crawls around and kneels up to the bars when she's awake, but will definately check the website to see what it's all about!

Gabriela - posted on 10/22/2010

Check out the suggestions on Save Our Sleep. You should get your baby a sleeping bag (e.g. Babygro) and then as many cotton and/or bamboo blankets as necessary to keep her warm. This will still be safe in regards to SIDS (in doubt check out Save Our Sleep, by Tizzie Hall). The rule that a baby needs to have one more layer than you still applies while asleep.

Allison - posted on 10/20/2010

Renee, I put the space heater on before I put her to bed, especially if she's had a bath, but I just can't put it on overnight, I knew a mother and her daughter who died in a fire started by one, so I am pretty careful with them (probably paranoid, but it eases my mind!) Its more in the morning that its chilly, but my husband has set the thermostat to come on earlier, so that should help. So far the blanket is working great along with socks under the sleeper! I don't want to cover her hands because she holds the bars and is teething, so I feel she needs access to them.

Brittany - posted on 10/20/2010

Madison has always had a blanket. She also has a stuffed animal and her boppy in there for me to prop her on... I think blankets are just fine.

Renee - posted on 10/20/2010

I put my daughter in heavy sleepers at night and she has an undershirt on as well. I also have a small space heater in her room to keep it warmer at night. I tend to keep her room around 22C (72F) and the rest of the house at 20C (68F).

Rebecca - posted on 10/19/2010

i always put a long sleeved nightie on my son, and socks. when he was a bit younger, i would put hats on him at night, and he never got cold. for the hands, I would recomend the clothes that have the flap over the hands. ( my son will not wear mittens at night, so i use the flaps, and they work great) I also let him sleep with a blanket. The open weave ones are good. I have an angel care monitor too, and it just makes me worry less.

Allison - posted on 10/19/2010

I give her a dream feed before I go to bed, at around 11, then she wakes up around 4am.. and depending on when the poop comes between 5:30 and 6:30 seems like she has increased poop frequency sice starting solids.. she used to be a one a day, or everycouple of days, now its 4-5times/day!

Kandi - posted on 10/19/2010

That's awesome! Only one wakeup means a good night!!!

Allison - posted on 10/19/2010

she waited till 6am to poop this morning, and then chatted away till 6:30 when she started calling MAMA! so a bit better than 5:30!! The rest of the night went well, only 1 wakeup!

Kandi - posted on 10/18/2010

My daughter has always had blankets. I never followed the stigma ppl had with using blankets. It gets so cold in her room so right now even, she has a fuzzy blanket she loves, then the quilt that came with the crib set, and then a WVU fleece blanket on...plus a blanket rolled up that lays along side her...lol..she has been sleeping that way for 4 months now!

Melissa - posted on 10/18/2010

Good luck tonight Allison..cross our fingers for no morning poos!! Lol!

Allison - posted on 10/18/2010

Becky, sounds like you are in the same boat as I am with the mobility! So hard to settle her down too. We just dropped the mattress as she's up on her knees holding onto the bars when she's waking up (calling mama mama mama!) She was much warmer last night with the socks under the sleeper and the blanket. Going to wait till its colder to do the long sleeved onesie, so far this seems to work well. The only time I find her hands cold is shen she's up hanging onto the bars. Otherwise she tucks them under her (sleeps on her tummy with bum up in air) Good luck with the new system!

Becky - posted on 10/18/2010

i just put my 6 month old LO in a fleece sleeper. I have been too scared of overheating him if i put him in anything more... i think you've all made me feel safer to put him in a onesie and socks under it.. he feels soooo cold in the morning! plus he is not a chunk . he's so mobile.. crawling and pulling himself up all the time so i can't keep a blanket or a fleece sleep sack on him

Allison - posted on 10/18/2010

she's been getting these early morning poops for the last while, and I could do without them! If it were totally in the middle of the night I think she would go back to sleep, but this really wakes her up because she has to "push"
I have her in a size 3, which is still a bit big for her, a size 4 would probably go up to her armpits... she's a a teeny (but) busy little thing! She seemed to sleep well last night (till the poop wakeup) so going to try the same thing tonight. She is up in her crib protesting now, so might have to do a round 2. Doesnt help when the cat roams the halls yowling while I'm trying to put her down!

Melissa - posted on 10/18/2010

Oh to help with the leaking we put one size larger on our LO! It helps prevent leaks and I find that the moisture on his skin isnt as bad either! But man a poop at 5:30...no fun! My little guy always wakes at 5:30 ...its no fun he usually will fuss for a few minutes or talk to himself then fall back asleep but lately he has just been up...uugghh!

Allison - posted on 10/18/2010

Thanks Melissa! Great tips! I tried a sleeper with socks under it, and have used a loose knit blanket that I made for her. Never thought of a long sleeved onesie, but that sounds great! So far the blanket is working, she seems to be warm. Sometimes she is still under it when I go to feed her, but if she's really awake she's holding onto the bars with her lovie in one hand and the blanket in the other!
I will try not to change her, I was finding she would leak by morning, but maybe she's better now. This morning it was a poop at 5:30 that woke her up, and couldn't get her back down. If only she could wait till 7 to do that!

Melissa - posted on 10/18/2010

I asked a similar question before and through others ladies advise I found great ideas....We now put our little one in a long sleeve onsie and socks with a sleeper over it and cover him with a crotched blanket. We use crotched because it has holes so if it does go near his face we dont worry...however ours is not pulling himself up yet...but we tuck it around his legs almost like a swaddle and when he army crawls the blanket for the most part goes with him! Our house is about the same temp. which is 66 degrees. So far so good... but if you dont want to use a blanket maybe get the thicker fleece fuzzy sleepers and put it over the two piece pjs with socks. Also try warmer sheets! Our LO has just started sleeping on his tummy and the warmer sheets I have found keep his face and hands pretty warm because of the way he is curled up! And she probably is so mobile when she is not in her deep sleep so maybe dont put the balnket on her untill she is out!

I also wouldnt wake her to change her diaper...they are so absorbant and the warmer she gets the less she will soil it!

Allison - posted on 10/16/2010

I just find it so sad that she's in there all by herself and it seems so uncozy! She has a "security blanket" lovey that she cuddles, but it is only about a foot square. I could try putting a blanket over her (I have some handknitted ones that are very open weave) But she is so mobile I don't know how long it would stay on her... I can put her in one end of the crib, and she ends up at the other end, and when I go get her when she wakes up she is at the front on her knees holding the bars with both hands.
I find the 2 pc pj's are so much easier for diaper changes in the night. She gets VERY mad if I change her diaper so the faster I can do it the better. I just do up one snap on her undershirt, so all I have to do is pull down the bottoms undo the snap, switch the diaper and reverse, done in less than a minute. Maybe I should make her some polar fleece pj's. its the cold little hands and fingers that get me!

Amy - posted on 10/16/2010

My daughter uses an afghan at night which she has slept with since about a month old. She won't actually fall asleep at night unless she has it. She pulls it right up to her face but I don't worry about it because it has holes and I know she can breathe, but she still isn't rolling over or anything, so when I put her in her crib on her back that's how she stays. I don't know if you would feel comfortable giving her a blanket with holes, I know it freaks my MIL out but like I said she will not go to sleep without it!

Taylor - posted on 10/16/2010

i feel the same way! i put a long sleeved onesie, fleece footed pajamas and socks on my daugher but in the mornings her hands are like little ice cubes. she doesnt seem bothered, but i worry about her being too cold.