What clothes for sleeping?

FirstatForty

Hi ladies I'm a FTM and I'm in the last trimester and I'm checking out how you all are doing with the first few months with your new angels. I'm just wondering what clothes your LO sleeps in. I live in central Florida where it doesn't get too cold but I'm due in November so it will be cooler. Should I put her in a sleep suit AND swaddle blanket? Or a onsie and sleep suit/blanket? Socks and mitts? I've been reading the sleep suits with zippers are easier for nighttime changing but I'm baffled as to the layering. I don't want her to over heat but I don't want her cold either. I'm really feeling like I know nothing about looking after a newborn. I'm forty and I feel like people will think I should know more because of my age but I've not had experience with babies before.

argonne

The weather outside doesn't matter.  How cool do you keep your house?  We keep our house right at 70° and DD goes to sleep in a sleeper and a woombie swaddler.  She seems to stay pretty comfortable.  Once she transitions out of the swaddle (soon), she will go to sleep in a fleece zippered sleeper with a cotton sleep sack.

FirstatForty

Normally dh and I have the house a/c set at 76 at night and 77 in the day. In November I'm sure we will have the windows open for fresh air unless it's too cold at night ( 60's).

argonne

Also, it varies depending on LO.  DD seems to run a bit warm, so I don't dress her very heavily.  DS, on the other hand, loved being bundled up (always fleece PJs, even when swaddled).

alanaw121

DH does the diaper changes at night so he loves to put LO in the little sleeper gowns. They keep LO warm and are super easy for DH to just lift up to change him with no snaps to worry about.

janinekrause

It's really going to depend on your baby. I almost never used fleece except in dead of winter in ny. I did foot pjs and swaddled for my first. My second hated being swaddled so I put undershirt and foot pjs.

micmash

It has been ridiculously hot here in Oregon and we keep our room at a nice temp at night. Our little one is currently only sleeping in her swaddle with a diaper underneath. They say if her stomach is warm then she is warm. She seems pretty cozy and content.

FirstatForty

How about for the first couple of weeks when the umbilical cord is still attached? I read that onesies are not recommended as it can irritate the cord, and she should just wear the diaper and t-shirt. Will swaddling her hurt her with the cord?

janinekrause

No, it won't hurt. My kids were born in December so in tons of clothes early on. You will see in the hospital how they swaddled them up right away. Everything seems very scary before- I totally understand. But please don't worry. The only thing I didn't have was diapers right over the umbilical cord- they have special newborn ones or you can just do right under.

FirstatForty

janinekrause said:

No, it won't hurt. My kids were born in December so in tons of clothes early on. You will see in the hospital how they swaddled them up right away. Everything seems very scary before- I totally understand. But please don't worry. The only thing I didn't have was diapers right over the umbilical cord- they have special newborn ones or you can just do right under.

Thank you so much, I have a feeling I will want to bring the nurses home with me, lol.

clgregson

I hate the zippered stuff. Snaps are so much easier because you don't have to completely undress the baby to change the diaper. You just unsnap the legs and go.

aehl14

It'll mostly depend on your baby and what your comfortable with. DD didn't like the halo sleep sack until 4 weeks and we just had her in a onsie with it. She still would overheat. She's like me though and just runs hotter for some reason. Before that she just slept in a onsie with a cotton blanket (June in Chicago 3rd fl apt and no a/c though).

DD was in the NICU when she was born. Hopefully everything will be perfect for you and your LO and you won't see the NICU except for the tour, but I'm pretty sure you can ask for their card when you leave. There's staff 24/7 and they would rather you call than have your baby come back. Guaranteed. No question is silly but you'll feel way more comfortable once LO is here. Promise. Also, ask them to show you things before you leave. Like how to give a bath,different holds, burping styles, etc. Theyre there to help and love doing it!

jenelle620

it depends on the temp inside the house.  I live in NY, we do not have air conditioning at all in my apartment so when it gets warm out it gets quite warm in my house, when that happens he sleeps in just his diaper.  If it's warm but not overly hot out then he gets swaddled but doesn't have any clothes on underneath or if i think it's a bit cooler I'll put a short sleeve onesie on him.  Otherwise once it gets cold out we keep the house at 68 so he'll be sleeping in a onesie with a sleep sack.  He's a month old now and already doesn't like having him arms inside the swaddle, i still wrap him up just without the arms,  probably will stop swaddling completely by the time it gets real cold here.