# Bedding



## SummerTilly (Aug 14, 2013)

Just wondering what sort of bedding everyone has gone for?  I've read Tizzie Hall's Save Our Sleep and some other bits and bobs and am now more confused than ever!

I am thinking about going for gro suits for LO to sleep in, but what linen have you chosen?  There is a thought that waterproof sheets make the baby / toddler hot in the night. 

Has anyone found a good site for bamboo / cotton / fleece linen?  Tizzie's shop is mega expensive... 

Thanks!


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## snapdragon (Jun 27, 2011)

Fc gave me Lo's cover so just needed bottom sheets. The waterproof sheets I have are waterproof on the bottom and soft material on the top. I think most are like this. Worth checking what lo is coming with or uses already. Keeping things the same will help sleep. We were also given his night light.


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## SummerTilly (Aug 14, 2013)

Thanks Snapdragon.  I will ask FC what LO is coming with so that i can be prepared.  Am now also thinking about ordering some more small bins for bedroom, bathroom etc and more clothes baskets for dirty / clean laundry.

Trying to think of everything and be organised


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## MummyElf (Apr 11, 2013)

I've got a waterproof mattress protector and a cotton sheet on top. LO sleeps in a babygro with a vest underneath and a Grobag (sleeping bag). She loves to be warm and cosy and sleeps better the way so there is a blanket in with her too, mainly for comfort. She's 15 months and sleeps through 12 hours.

P.s. just bog standard sheets - nothing fancy, I saved the big spenders for other stuff x


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## Bunny Face (Jan 20, 2008)

Hi summertilly, 

I had big ideas that LO would sleep in a grobag with a cotton sheet and thin duvet and it would all match her bedroom perfectly.  Ummmm.....

During introductions we had to rush out and buy a children's duvet and covers from ikea to match the ones at the foster home!  As for sheets we use the waterproof cover from ikea and fitted sheets from Asda, nothing too fancy but she now sleeps 12 hours and she's 16 months. 

Personally I wouldn't pay too much for sheets and pillowcases, they seem to end up covered in bogies and milk 😃!

X


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## -x-Lolly-x- (Feb 3, 2012)

Agreed   Little pink has a bed sheet from amazon and her night time clothes are a vest, babygrow and a little cardigan. She has 3 blankets, 2 comforters and a thicker one that I put back on numerous times as she as such a wriggle bottom!!   she sleeps through so can't be too hot/cold


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## Wyxie (Apr 10, 2013)

SummerTilly, the only really important thing is to make sure you're using similar stuff to f/c.  Just ask the f/c what l/o uses, grobag, quilt, whether they use a pillow etc, and get several sets because there will be sick, poo, snot, wee and dribble which all combine to make the normal 2 sets you'd have for your bed, not enough!  Waterproof mattress covers are great.  Find out what washing powder the f/c uses and pre-wash everything with it.  Quite often a set of bedding comes with them, usually unwashed so it smells the same for their first night or two in their new home.

Bins in babies' rooms don't work very well, they just empty them onto the floor.  Bins anywhere babies go don't work very well, they just empty them onto the floor!  I use a bathroom bin, kitchen (kids don't go in there), one in an out of the way place in the front room, and one in our bedroom.  Anything icky or gooey at all goes in the kitchen one, because all the others get emptied onto the floor at least once a day, no matter how hard I try to keep him out of them!

Black out curtains/blinds are the single best investment for a young kid's bedroom in my opinion.  Not so important at this time of year, but come next spring/summer, you'll almost certainly want them!


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## wynnster (Jun 6, 2003)

Agree with Wyxie   

For us, ds wasn't sleeping great before intros even started so I asked fc (lovely fc) to try a grobag which he took to straight away,  when he moved he came with all his bedding, our cot bed was bigger than his cot from fc but fc let us take our bottom sheets to her so he could sleep on them and get used to the new feel before the move. 
With dd, I hoped for the same but was swiftly told all the bedding was hers not dd's    so all the 'experimenting' with bedding had to be done when she came home, she didn't take to grobags, had never had a pillow, etc etc BUT she loves her sleep and coped brilliantly with everything. 
So, in a nut shell, YES get the waterproof protector, No don't spend a fortune on bedding, DO ask fc their thoughts on bedding (Ask if it is coming with lo) and go with whatever they're used to.


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## SummerTilly (Aug 14, 2013)

Thanks all - will definitely chat with FC re washing powder and love the idea of washing everything first and also having LO's existing bedding come home with me so that she settles in well. 

There are so many different types of bedding - we have had a SIDs death in our family and so I think I am boggling my mind with all the variables  

As long as she sleeps safely through the night I'll be happy.  And thanks for the tips about sheets - waterproofs etc - I am going on an IKEA trip soon as they have such bright things for children, so will look out for them then. 

Great to hear yours are sleeping so well through the night!

xxx


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## Wyxie (Apr 10, 2013)

Dunelm Mill do some lovely stuff too, although a bit more expensive.  Don't rule out the boys stuff for girls, it's often more fun.  Wyxling loves dinosaurs and rockets a lot more than flowers and butterflies.  To be fair, she would probably prefer pink dinosaurs and rockets, but she'll settle for blue and green ones at a push.    

With young kids smells are more important than anything else.  Sending a soft toy to the f/c to go in the cot, or a blanket if they don't have a favourite already, and either sleeping with it for a week or so before hand, or putting a bit of whatever cream or perfume you normally wear on it, was recommended to us, so that when they meet you, you don't smell so unfamiliar.  I have no proof that this stuff works of course, but for littlies who really don't understand, smell is known to be a very important sense, so it makes sense.  When the biggest things are changing, anything that might be familiar or comfortable is really important.

I would also add, that I really do think keeping them in the clothes they come with, is a good idea.  It's so tempting to fill the wardrobe, especially with girls because there's so much lovely stuff for babies and toddlers, and when we've waited so long and there's so much we feel like we've missed out on, it becomes even more tempting.  When Wyxling was placed I bought a size big, but she came with almost nothing clothes wise, and everything filthy and too small.  But although she liked the look of pretty dresses etc and wanted them, it was short lived and she was very uncomfortable in new clothes though so I was washing through the same few bits every day or two until they really no longer fit, and I ended up buying tracksuits and t-shirts because she was just more comfortable with that, probably because it was what she was used to.  With Bladelet he came with lots of stuff which was great quality and fit well.  It wasn't really to my taste on the whole, but he didn't care, so I didn't get anything new at all.  He's been with us over 2 months the first time I even bought anything for him.  He fussed a lot when I put him in new clothes, but he fusses a lot when I put clothes on him in general at the moment.


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## skyblu (Sep 9, 2010)

You have had great advice allready. Just another thought for you, when lo came home she came with her bedding, mattress and her cot. The cot belonged to SS so Fc did'nt get a say and lo slept very well for it and still does. We recently changed her cot to a bed (cotbed) and is still sleeping well although is waking an hour early since we changed it to a bed 6.ooam is no fun and I am hoping it is just a faze and she will soon be back to 7.oo - 7.30.The clocks are going back an hour soon and I am hoping and praying we don't get 5.ooam wake up calls.
Best of luck with your match and do ask about the cot.

Skyblu.xxx


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## Flash123 (Jan 29, 2006)

Our little man was using a pillow and a quilt in FC but was waking 5/6 times a night (I think because he was getting too old - he's such a wriggler) after approx 2 months we introduced gro/sleep bags and he now sleeps 11/12 hours. They also save his legs from getting through the bars - a huge worry after he broke his leg this way. We have several different togs for nighttime sleeping and day time naps. All of the beautiful matching bedding sets we bought prior to him coming home are boxed up and put away  

We use waterproof sheets with a soft top layer and then a super soft sheet on top. That way, any middle of the night accidents only the top sheet gets removed and I don't have to make up the whole cot.


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## SummerTilly (Aug 14, 2013)

Flash - I have to say that I am partial to the idea of gro bags too, especially as cot bumpers are apparently not a good idea.  I have found a breathable one and so am ready and waiting to learn what LO sleeps in at FC house.  My list of questions for the FC's is getting longer and longer... 

There are so many things to think of - worth it though for a smooth transition - every little bit of familiarity helps I guess


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## katie c (Jun 15, 2009)

we got two sets of bedding from the FC too. one she literally took off his cot and brought to ours for us to reuse without washing it. the bottom sheets are a bit bobbly so will get replaced in due course (plus i could do with a third set, as he's teething at the mo' and dribbling all over his sheets) but his duvet cover sets are ok. i got him a second ikea pillow, and its a good job i did as i put his original one on the washer and it went all lumpy.   

i never thought to ask for the mattress   i know she would have needed the cot for other babies, but you can't reuse mattresses can you? so i guess thats gone down the tip.

we got a waterproof sheet from ikea, it just wraps round part of the mattress, not a fitted one, as i heard you're not supposed to have the waterproof part under their heads. not that it makes much difference for master c, he moves about so much.

i did consider gro-bags for him as he never keeps his duvet on and i worry he's going to freeze, but as he's nearly standing now i could see him trying to get up and going flying, poor accident prone little thing.


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## Flash123 (Jan 29, 2006)

Katie our little man has mastered crawling, standing and is semi- walking in his, it's quite a sight to see


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## thespouses (Jan 5, 2006)

We also use cheap sheets, I made some fitted sheets as they are harder to get for a cot bed.
Most of our bins are now at waist height, in little boy's room we hang a plastic bag from a picture hook near the change station, looks awful, does the job!
You can use grobags well past standing though so that shouldn't worry you.


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## SummerTilly (Aug 14, 2013)

Thanks Wyxie!  I love a good old fox about in Dunelm Mill. 

I am looking forward to chatting with LO's foster carer to get all the information I need - it seems as though everyone has had quite different experiences in terms of what FCs provide. 

The toy is a great idea - I have planning meeting and intros on the same day - I think that's the time I hand over the Tomy album as well, or is that at matching panel the week before?


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## -x-Lolly-x- (Feb 3, 2012)

It'll be at matching panel so the foster carer can go through it with little one several times in the week before intros. This is so that they have seen your picture and heard your voice before you actually meet them   exciting times!!


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## Flash123 (Jan 29, 2006)

Summer, I never believed the hype surrounding the tony album until the first time we met our little man. He was only 8 months old and generally would give all strangers 'the look' but we walked in, he greeted us with the most beautiful huge smile and crawled over to his album. On our first visit we also wore the same clothes as we were wearing in the album and it def helped. Little man has been home nearly 5 months now and it is still one of his favourites toys. 
I'm amazed though he still recognises us - I did my hair and make up for the album and I certainly don't look like that now  x


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