Baby Blankets Buying Guide – Types, Pros, and Cons Advises
Many parents have a strong attachment to their first baby’s blanket, and the blanket you purchase for your baby may even go into a hope chest someday. Thus you will need to purchase a blanket that will stay together through wash after wash and any mistreatment that your baby may give it.
Baby blankets come in a myriad of choices in quality, material, and most important size. Be sure and read the dimensions of the blanket prior to purchasing it so that you are not disappointed when you get home.
Cheaper blankets will be fine for picking up messes, or to use as burping covers for your own clothes, but as actual blankets, they fall by the wayside. Their structure is such that they will not stand up to the washing machine.
Durability and usage are the keywords that you need to use when shopping for baby blankets. There’s nothing more heartbreaking for a parent to see a tattered baby blanket on its last legs and having to take it away from your child as it gets chucked in the garbage.
Babies on the other hand rate blankets by the amount of security it gives them as well as the warmth it brings them. It does not matter if the blanket or “blankie” is worn, threadbare or the wrong color to them it is a highly prized and very precious thing. Therefore you should purchase a blanket that will be able to fulfill all those needs.
Types of baby blankets
Swaddling or receiving blankets are known as such because they are literally used to swaddle the baby. Babies feel more secure when swaddled, meaning that their movements are slightly restricted. They were restricted in the womb, and thus this is calming to the baby. Swaddling blankets are usually deliberately made of thin material and they are often small in size.
Baby afghans, are usually handmade and are ordinarily made of yarn. Because of the material they are made from, they are relatively warm but usually do not make the baby overheated, an important consideration. The same applies to crocheted baby blankets.
Baby quilts are made the same as adult quilts, and therefore thicker and warmer. More often than not they are handmade and will become a keepsake. The insulation that a quilt gives the baby is of tremendous importance if used to keep a baby warm in the height of the winter season.
Fleece baby blankets are the softest of the three, and they afford about as much warmth as the baby quilt does. On the plus side, they are usually very washable, do not come apart as much as the others, and are quite inexpensive.
Many baby stores carry baby blankets that will please any taste, and of course, let’s not forget the ubiquitous Internet, where you can make selections and possibly keep down the price. Many sites even offer monogrammed blankets for slightly more money. Above all, cherish that blankie as it may soon be a family heirloom, and all because of your baby!