Swaddle until they roll, then switch to sleep sack when they need their arms (and we used them until DS was about 18 months because he wouldn't keep a blanket on).
I still put something until the swaddle though, even if it was just a onesie. In the summer months I used cotton swaddle/sleep sacks and then in the winter I used fleece.
we have A&A blankets for swaddling, plus a couple of swaddle mes and miracle blankets. If baby doesn't like swaddling we'll go buy some sleep sacks, but I didn't want to buy any until I knew what season baby would be using them in and what size they'd need.
My daughter wasn't tiny or anything, she was a healthy 7 lbs but as a newborn, sleep sacks and SwaddleMes, anything that was a preset size, not custom wrapped around her body was huuuuge on her, like she was swimming in them and may as well have just had a blanket over her. She was soothed by a tightly wrapped swaddle but the other things were useless. For us, swaddling was absolutely necessary to calm her but I've heard from a lot of parents that said their little ones didn't want to be swaddled so I think you just need to wait to meet your baby and find out her preference.
We were told at our newborn class to never swaddle a baby when they are sleeping unless you are right there with them. Hearing all of these other answers is making me second guess this. To be on the safe side, we plan on using sleep sacks.
Re: Sleep sack or swaddle sack?
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DD Annelise Madison (Sept 24, 2010) ? DD2 Madalyn Elizabeth (July 11, 2012)
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Swaddle until they roll, then switch to sleep sack when they need their arms (and we used them until DS was about 18 months because he wouldn't keep a blanket on).
I still put something until the swaddle though, even if it was just a onesie. In the summer months I used cotton swaddle/sleep sacks and then in the winter I used fleece.
Miracle Blanket
SwaddleMe's are great too, but aren't as Houdini-proof as a Miracle Blanket. Halo is what we used for sleep sacks.
Gretchen Evie, born 7/8/2012 at 35w5d
Receiving blankets or a SwaddleMe for the first few months when DS liked being swaddled. Then we used sleep sacks until he could use regular blankets.
Edit: Either way I put something underneath. Either a onesie or footed pjs, depending on the temp.
DS2 8/21/12
DD 9/26/14
Baby #4 edd 2/11/19
We were told at our newborn class to never swaddle a baby when they are sleeping unless you are right there with them. Hearing all of these other answers is making me second guess this. To be on the safe side, we plan on using sleep sacks.