Buying the Right Baby Blanket

Whether you are having your first or fourth baby, there is no doubt that babies require a huge amount of equipment for feeding, transporting and caring.  Clothing is a huge part of keeping your baby protected from the elements, but when you are outside the outer layer is also very important. Rain covers, sunshades, cosy toes, foot muffs and baby blankets are essential for keeping your baby protected from the wind, rain, cold or sunshine.

Baby blankets come in a huge variety of shapes colours and sizes and most babies have more than one.  Whether it’s a blanket that your baby uses in the cot at night, in the buggy in the day or you can use to cover yourself when you are breastfeeding.  Choosing the baby blanket that suits you and your needs is really important.

Make sure the blanket is suitable for your baby so it keeps them warm, but does not cause them to overheat.  Natural materials are better and you should avoid ones with fringes or loose weave.

If your baby becomes attached to their baby blanket and uses it as a comforter, you will need to keep it safe to avoid any upset. It might even be worth getting a second one as a backup, in case one gets lost.  I know teenagers who still have their comforters now and won’t stay away from home without them, so it may have to last for many years.

You find that when you have a baby, particularly if it’s your first, amongst clothes and toys, I found that baby blankets are one of the top gifts that you receive.  I found that had around 10 by the time I had my second child, it was more that I could use. But it did come in handy when I need to wash one, or I could keep them spare in my changing bag, car, and parent’s house.  They weren’t all the same so I could pick and choose the right one for the weather or time of year.  In fact they all got good use and some had to be thrown away, the others I passed on to family.

If you can’t quite bear to give away your babies blankets when you no longer need them, a really nice idea is to cut them up and make a patchwork from them, which can be for your child’s bed when they get older. You can also do that with their baby clothes, to form a sort or memory blanket which they can keep forever.

When you go out to buy your baby blanket, talk to the advisors in the shop and make sure that you are buying the right blanket for the right purpose.  You can also do research on the internet before you buy and if you have generous friends and family, they might buy you the one you have chosen as a gift!