For the first few months of her life, your baby will sleep more than fourteen hours every day. That means she is going to be spending a lot of time wrapped in or covered by her blankets. Chances are that you received a short ton of home made and store bought blankets at baby showers. But, which ones are best for your baby?
There are several things you should look for in a blanket. Here are some of the most important things to look for in baby blankets:
- Baby’s blanket should be made out of hypoallergenic material. There are several different kinds of hypoallergenic materials available.
- Baby’s blanket should be made of a breathable material. Cotton is an excellent example of a breathable material. Some synthetics are more breathable than others. The best way to tell if a material is breathable or not is to hold the blanket up next to a fan. If you can feel the breeze through the blanket, the material is breathable.
- Baby’s blanket should be appropriate for the season. You will want to use a heavier blanket in the winter time than you would during the summer time. In general, babies need one more layer of clothing or covers than we need as adults.
- There should be no fringes, ribbons, or loose strings on baby’s blanket. Baby can get tangled in anything that is loose, which can make baby uncomfortable and even present a choking hazard. If you do have ribbons on the blanket, make sure they are firmly attached and don’t dangle off the edges of the blanket.
- Make sure that the blanket is attractive. It may not sound important, but you will probably be spending a lot of time with your baby’s blankets, especially once she starts developing attachments to her favorite blankets. Some babies maintain attachments with their blankets until they are school aged. So, you’ll want to make sure you think the blankets are cute and that you won’t mind having them around for a while.
If you have blankets that don’t meet basic safety standards, such as blankets with long ribbons, you can generally save them for when baby is a bit older. Many of the things which present safety issues with babies don’t present nearly as much of a safety issue when your child has grown a bit.