The Mummy Code

The one thing I remember learning at the baby classes was how to swaddle a newborn. They give you a doll and you wrap it up like a little springroll. Cute and easy yes?? Well until you need to apply it to a mini houdini who wriggles around and escapes every 5 minutes.

Both Hudson and Scarlett enjoyed being swaddled but they also loved to wave their arms in the air like they just don’t care.  I would be woken up multiple times a night by a baby that had escaped. Even newborns move their arms around a lot and often scratch themselves in their sleep, I always found it easier to keep their little arms wrapped up tight. There is also the added struggle of finding large, quality muslin wraps, most shrink after the first wash and your left with nothing more than an expensive burp cloth.

I was given an ErgoCocoon just after Hudson was born and decided to try it out. His arms stayed inside and he slept so much better. I haven’t looked back, there was no chance of me bothering with swaddling again.  

As Hudson grew out of the cocoon,  I discovered the whole world of baby/child sleeping bags. What on earth is a TOG? What sort do I need and why do they seem to cost so much? Are there benefits?

Let me break it down for you.

▫A Tog rating is a way of measuring of the warmth of a baby sleeping bag or swaddle. The lower the tog rating the lighter the bag so a 0.5 sleeping bag would be for summer and 2.5 would be for winter.  ErgoPouch have a really snappy little nursery temperature chart   and what to wear guide to help you out.

▫ As for what sort of sleeping bag to get. I always choose cotton, it’s a natural fibre and helps keep your baby comfortable so they’re not waking up all sweaty from polyester sleeping bags or blankets.

▫Why do sleeping bags cost so much? Let me tell you, I believe sleeping bags are worth every penny. It’s a great investment (and a great present for any expecting parent). I used a lot of Hudson’s old ones for Scarlett and have even passed them onto friends. A good quality sleeping bag will wash well and last the distance. If you have a couple of different ones there is no need for extra blankets.

▫What are the benefits?  I have found the benefits for my children (and me) are better sleep, plus piece of mind knowing that there are no loose wraps in the cot or bassinet for my baby to get tangled in.  Scarlett had hip dyplasia, I was warned against using wraps as people often wrap too tight around the hips and holds them in the wrong position. Sleeping bags were great for Scarlett as I didn’t have to worry about her hips.  Finally having a cotton swaddle or sleeping bag may assist bubs with sensitive skin.

I hope this clarifies the whole tog/sleeping bag area for new mums and mums to be. ergoPouch have everything you need (up to 6 years old) and a beautiful range of patterns to suit. It really does make life easier.

Rachelle xx