I have started to give away a lot of my baby things as my ‘babies’ are not so little anymore (sob). During the clean out I had to sort through the plethora of baby blankets in the kids cupboards. Babies tend to need a load of blankets - throw that in with owning your own baby bedding company and you can start to imagine how many blankets I have! 4 years later I am still using them so won’t be giving them all away just yet….
So what’s the deal on blankets and why do you need so many different types. Here’s the low down
Receiving blankets
To be honest most baby blankets can be used as receiving blankets as long as they are 100% cotton. Don’t be tempted to go for the fleece ones because you think they look warm - babies need to be surrounded by 100% cotton as it’s breathable. Opt for cotton knit blankets, muslin blankets or cellular cotton baby blankets. Remember that babies can only regulate their own temperature when they are around 2-3 months old so it’s important to make sure that your baby is not too hot or too cold.
When my first born arrived I bought a couple of “official” receiving blankets but found they were pretty small and so he outgrew them quickly. I also had to make my husband the chief swaddler aka burrito wrapper as I just couldn’t get the smaller blankets to hold. I prefered to use the oversized Muslins (120x120cm) for swaddling as it was so much easier. You normally swaddle your little one until their startle reflex wears off which is usually at 3-4 months, times that by how much sleep your baby needs a day and you will realise that you will spend a lot of time swaddling! If you want some help on swaddling technique check out this page on how to swaddle your baby.
Muslin blankets/swaddles
Muslin blankets have 101 uses so you will get good use out of them so it’s definitely worth investing in a few of these. I decided to opt for 100% cotton Muslins for Babes & Kids rather than the bamboo ones as while the bamboo ones are lovely and silky I found them a little too silky and as a result they would slip off whatever they were covering. The cotton ones are less likely to slip off your shoulder if you are using it as a nursing cover or slip off the pram if you are using it for a shade cover!
In addition to a swaddle blanket muslins can be used as a burp cloth, moses basket or cot sheet, changing mat cover, nursing cover, pram cover… basically the list is endless!
Cellular Cotton Baby Blankets
Cellular cotton baby blankets are what they use in the hospital for those first few days when your little one arrives. The reason for this is that the cellular weave (tiny holes) of the blanket allows airflow while still keeping baby warm.
They are also great for layering to create extra warmth in a moses basket or cot. When layering remember to go for a few light layers so that you can easily add or remove layers rather than opting for one thick, heavy blanket. They can be used for swaddling in winter when you need something a little warmer than a muslin.
My kids still like to snuggle under their blankets when reading books or watching tv so they are not just for newborns!
Fleece Baby Blankets
In my opinion these blankets are a big no no. They are made from synthetic fibers and as a result they are not breathable and can often cause your little one to over heat. So if possible try and avoid these types of blankets.
Baby blankets are a great baby shower gift so expect to get a few at your shower so perhaps hold off buying any until you know what you need!
Hope this post helps you get your head around the different types of baby blankets!