Finally wrote my first review in just over three years!
Finally wrote my first review in just over three years!
Member since:26.06.2001
Reviews:42
Members who trust:30
The most precious thing in a parent’s life is their newborn baby. The second most precious thing in their lives is sleep. Nothing really prepares you for the levels of sleep deprivation that is experienced in the first few weeks of a newborns life. When you are going through the routine of waking several times a night, not having reached the stage of developing any kind of ‘routine’ you can really feel like it’s never going to end.
The ultimate goal and the ‘promised land’ of your baby ‘sleeping through’ feel an immeasurable distance away. However, those early weeks can be short lived and some babies do sleep through from an early age. The question is how can we encourage them to do this sooner rather than later.
One very simple thing you can do that is quite inexpensive is to invest in a Grobag. For those of you that have never heard of Grobag before, I shall give a brief description.
A Grobag is a baby sleeping bag. The baby or child actually wears this like an item of clothing. It has poppers or zips to fasten it up. It has head and arm holes (no sleeves). They come in a variety of different thickness (Togs) and different sizes.
For the uninitiated you’re probably wondering what is so special about the Grobag. Well here are just a few of the benefits of this excellent invention:
· Your baby or child can wiggle and jiggle as much as it likes and the Grobag won’t come off and leave your baby cold and likely to wake up · Your baby and especially your toddler can wake up play, move around and then fall back to sleep without you having to worry that their blankets have fallen off and that they are getting cold · There
is less danger of your little one slipping down under the covers and helps your child maintain the recommended sleeping position of ‘feet to foot’. · Your child will begin to associate the Grobag with sleep and this can certainly help you settle your baby with more success when sleeping in a strange place or when moving from moses basket to cot to bed · It makes it much harder for your toddler to attempt climbing out of its cot and is useful if you want to delay the move to a bed.
Now all this is well and good and it all sounds very impressive but what you are most interested in is personal experience. Well here is my own experience of this excellent product.
Firstly I have to say I had never heard of Grobag or baby sleeping bags before my son was born. I only came across Grobag by chance when they were offering a freebie for requesting a free catalogue. I am a sucker for freebies so I willingly obliged. I must admit that I was a little sceptical and dismissed the idea initially and even threw the catalogue away.
By the time my son was six weeks old, he no longer liked to be swaddled in his blankets and the wriggling began. We were totally sleep deprived and would have given anything to get a good nights sleep. A little light bulb appeared above my head and I frantically searched the internet for the Grobag website. I ordered my Grobag and it arrived the very next morning.
My son wore the Grobag on the first night and that first night he slept straight threw for the first time. I think that there were a couple of reasons for this. Firstly he didn’t get cold because his covers didn’t slip off. Secondly we didn’t feel as much need to check that his covers hadn’t slipped off or that he would wriggle under the blankets. The Grobag gave us more peace of mind. It also gave us more sleep!
We never looked back. From that day on he always slept in his Grobag. He really loved it too and it was an essential part of the bedtime routine. Bath, Grobag, bottle then bed. If he fell asleep in our arms it was easier to lie him down without disturbing him. As he got older we discovered new advantages to the Grobag. Our little lad was a climber and I feel that without his Grobag we would have had to move him out of his cot a good six months earlier than we did. He couldn’t stand up properly never mind climb out of the cot.
Sadly once we moved him to a bed he discovered the joy of getting out of bed when he felt like it. With a Grobag this was quite hilarious to watch, those bags are really not designed for an active toddler to walk in, even if he could almost sprint in his! However, humour aside we felt that it wasn’t exactly safe and we had to say a final goodbye to the Grobag. He switched over to blankets without any problems and has slept quite happily since. I have to check he’s covered over occasionally but that’s not such a burning issue as when he was a baby.
I would highly recommend that you try using a Grobag if you have a baby or young child they are an absolute essential! Grobag are the number one seller of baby sleeping bags. Below are some details regarding size and tog weight.
Grobag’s come in the following sizes:
· Newborn - From 7lb · Young Baby - From 10lbs to Approx 5 mths · Older Baby - From 5 to 18 mths · Toddler - From 18mths to 3 years · Child - From 3 years upwards
Newborn/Young Baby sizes come with popper fasteners at the shoulder and a zip round the edge. Other sizes come with a zip at the front that starts at the top and goes to bottom.
Grobag’s come in the following Tog ratings:
· 2.5 Tog - Autumn/Winter use · 1.0 Tog - Late Spring to Late Summer · 0.5 Tog - High Summer/Holidays abroad/sick child
You can also increase the warmth of your baby by adding and taking away clothes. I found that using the 2.5 Togsleeping bag all year round was okay if I monitored the amount of additional nightwear my son wore. I also had a 0.5 Tog Grobag for very warm nights. Grobag provide you with a free nurserythermometer with each purchase with recommendations for correct room temperature and clothes to be worn listed.
You do not need any additional blankets when using a Grobag except a bottom sheet.
Grobag offer a 10% discount if purchasing 2 or more bags at the same time. They also offer free delivery if you spend £75 or over. Selection of Prices:
(There are also a number of sale items at present. You can get a Grobag from £11.50 in selected sizes and styles)
I realise that the price of purchasing a Grobag appears quite expensive but remember that you will not need any other bedding and that you do not need to purchase loads of Grobags. You will however have to buy new ones as your child grows. I would recommend that you purchase a minimum of two Grobags of 2.5 Tog and at least one 0.5 Tog bag. You will need a minimum of two bags in case of night time accidents or illness.
You can wash a Grobag on a 40 or 60 wash cycle. Although the Grobag website recommends 40 as extra shrinkage can occur at 60.
I would like to add that Grobag branded sleeping bags sell exceptionally well second hand on ebay and you can quite realistically recoup at least half your expenditure on selling. They are also a popular listed item and there are always buyers and bidders. I recently sold a Grobag that I purchased for £26.00 on ebay for £19.00!
There are also some additional products that you can purchase such as a travel Grobag for use with car seats and pushchairs. Your child can fall asleep on the move and it is easier to transfer them to their cot when wearing this item. Also Grobag do a teddy Grobag! A little miniature Grobag for your little ones teddy. They truly are adorable.
Grobag have a website where you can view their Grobag products, clothes, toys and nursing cushions. Definitely worth a visit.
I have to give this product five stars because it is just excellent and guaranteed me many a sleep filled night.
Below I have included information regarding the FSID ‘Reduce The Risk’ recommendations for safe sleeping:
(FSID information was obtained from the Grobag website)
· Cut smoking in pregnancy - fathers too! · Do not let anyone smoke in the same room as your baby · Place your baby on the back to sleep · Do not let your baby get too hot · Keep baby's head uncovered - place your baby with feet to the foot of the cot to prevent wriggling down under the covers · Sleep your baby in their cot in your bedroom for the first 6 months · Don't sleep in the same bed as your baby particularly if you are a smoker, have been drinking alcohol, take drugs or medication that makes you drowsy or you are excessively tired · Do not fall asleep on the sofa or settee with your baby · If you baby is unwell, seek medical advice promptly
(Some general information was obtained directly from the Grobag website regarding product size/price etc)
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Everything i need to know, a full and informative review of the product, price, size, experience and lots of additional information. thank you
missixty 24.10.2004 01:44
I couldn't agree more. People do not know what tired is until they go through those first few weeks of having a baby. My daughter also slept through for the first time when I slept her in one of these. A complete life saver! Great review on an essential item!
Jordon 30.09.2004 15:36
No need for me any more, but an excellent review there ;o) J x
Grobag is the ideal solution to those sleepless nights! The Grobag Baby Sleeping Bag is a ... more
wearable blanket that will keep your baby at a comfortable temperature all night long. The China Doll Grobag Sleeping Bag has gorgeous china doll applique design ...
Postage & Packaging: £3.95 Availability: Next day delivery by lunch time....
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