Baby Products Advisor

So, the weather is chilly and a baby quilt is what would keep your newborn warm and still leave your little one looking good.

Be it for warmth while you rock your little one to sleep or just simply to decorate your baby’s crib, a baby’s quilt can be both cozy and cute.  Its soft and plush texture would make your baby fall in love with her bed more.

Baby quilts are not restricted to a particular design but there are different types which suit the desired style of your little one and the theme of his or her nursery, from pretty pastels and fun prints down to designs inspired by nature.

Baby quilts are made and crafted not just to suit your quality needs but also helps give the tender care your little one needs. If picked well, they would stay around till your little one outgrows the crib. Baby quilts are a perfect fit for toddler beds.

Let me share a little something to help you with your decision. Aside from its beauty, you should select a quilt that soothes you at sight. More like a love at first sight kinda soothing.

It could be something linked to your own childhood and you’d like your little one to have the same experience. For instance, you were snuggled up with an all flowers quilt or your favorite animal quilt,  passing on such can make the parent-child link more special.

Baby quilts can also be a decorative item to the nursery as an addition to the warmth it gives. It can be displayed at the foot of the crib or on its railing when it’s not being used. Hanging it on a hook can also help give more aesthetic beauty to the nursery.

So,

The quilt is not just for sleep time, it can also be used for play time. Its soft nature makes it ideal for a play blanket. You can place it on the floor while your little one plays on it, making the quilt more versatile and one that can be used beyond baby years.

Baby quilts are also great to travel with, or even take while going on a friendly visit. This is because they can serve as a play rug which your baby can feel secure on.

It’s also great to know that you have got something safe and clean for your little one while at unfamiliar places and hotels. We all know that those places are not always the most sanitary place for babies to play in.

The size of the quilt you are to get is dependent on the size of the mattress being used, you could get a tape and measure the mattress before heading out to get the quilt.

If you are to measure it yourself, you would have to add some length for the quilt to hang off the edges. Once that’s done you would have taken measurements of the batting and backing, their sizes are dependent on how you want the quilt to be quilted.

What would be the perfect fabric for your baby quilt?

Now, that would have to be light to medium weight fabric, which preferably has a stretch. Fabrics like cotton or lightweight flannel are the perfect choices for this.

If you are an environment lover, there are fabrics like organic cotton or bamboo. It’s actually better to avoid making your baby quilt in fleece as it can stick to your baby’s skin.

You would have to choose a fabric that’s hypoallergenic if that’s possible.

What You Must Know Before Picking Out A Baby Quilt

It’s no news that baby quilts should always be made with natural fibres. It should be 100% cotton because it’s less irritant and there are less chemicals added to it, which if otherwise could potentially annoy or aggravate the skin of your little one.

Always try to get a quilt that’s a bit bigger than the baby’s crib or bassinet. It would help give more to tuck in when they get bigger. Also, you would have more to wrap them up with when the weather gets really cold.

If you aren’t certain of the size to get, you can just measure out the length and width of the crib and add either half or a whole foot around the edge. This would help make sure that there would always be enough quilt.

Even after your baby is grown, you can still use it to throw over a chair for the baby, or at the end of their bed when the cot is gotten rid of.

Thinking about getting a quilt that you would like your child to have for a long time? Then make sure it’s a strong and versatile fabric that would last through the several wash days and dirt.

Let’s talk about the designs on the baby’s quilt.

One crucial thing you’d have to consider as you go out to get a quilt would be the colors and patterns.

If the quilt is for the baby’s bassinet, then it’s good you go for a quilt with traditional baby patterns and colors. But if it’s going to be for the crib, then it’s great you get something that your little boy or girl would totally love up until and even beyond the age of four.

You know kids can be very unpredictable, they could love one thing this minute and probably hate it the next, so you would have to make a pretty great decision with that.

Whilst choosing the design, please remember that the baby quilt can get really dirty and would need to be washed countless times. It can get dragged through your little ones play gym or playground, held tight when being cuddled up at night time.

So, you would have to make sure the fabric is very durable. It’s a good idea to pick a quilt designed with colors that can be washed together. For example, a white quilt with black seams or central motif can cause a bit of problem when thrown into the washing machine.

You wouldn’t want to ruin your baby’s quilt unnecessarily. So, it’s better to keep the color mix in mind before going on to make a selection.

Texture

There are major textures that babies feel good in. Babies like the soft feel of satin on the edge of the quilt, and also flannel-like materials. This isn’t the modern quilt idea you seek.

I know for sure because many people get really excited about beautiful materials and lovely colors that they could use. However, they forget that babies can be very picky, even up to their toddler stage.

No matter how beautifully patterned the quilt is, if it is not soft, then it might be rejected by your little one. Flannel is baby-friendly when it comes to fabrics. It is also often used for beddings and babies love it.

Colors

One other important thing to be cautious about is that it’s not always practical to get a baby’s quilt made with white or pale colors. It’s usually tempting for parents to want to get quilts colored blue, pale yellow and cream.

However, as children tend to get a bit of dirt in their hands from time to time, so does the quilt, therefore taking the quilt more time in the washing machine.

If you are still bent on using pale or soft baby colors, then you would have to get a quilt which has strong stitches. Stronger stitches also ensure that the quilt lasts through more than 300 washes.

Types Of Baby Quilts And Sizes

A baby quilt isn’t all about the design. Another important thing to take note of is its size. Baby’s quilt comes in different sizes and shapes, making it so hard for you to point out the right size for your baby since its the purpose that determines the size of the quilt.

You may ask the size of a baby’s quilt. Well, we would come to that. As earlier said, its purpose determines its size. You need to be aware of what you intend to use it for and how you intend to use it.

However, as far as baby quilts are concerned, there are majorly four types. This includes swaddling quilts, crib quilts, security quilts and receiving quilts.

Let’s take a look at the types now, shall we?

Swaddling Quilts

You know those times when babies get all grumpy and irritated by little things, and you know the only thing that would shut them up is to swaddle them.

Now, what does swaddling do? It provides your baby with comfort. It calms your little one and make him or her feel relaxed so sleep comes in easily.

These types of quilts are made in such a way that swaddling is very comfortable and safe. They come with attachments that make it easy for the baby to be wrapped in a quilt easily.

The sizes of the swaddling quilts vary according to the different quilt manufacturers. Usually, a standard swaddle quilt is sized at 25″ by 30″.

But you can still go for a size that will perfectly wrap your baby without becoming loose and exposing your little one to risk of suffocating.

Crib Quilt

Quilts can also be used in your baby’s crib. It can be used as a decorative tool for your baby’s crib, to add more color and shine to their nursery. One thing you should avoid doing is covering your baby with a quilt while asleep.

This is to avoid suffocation which may lead to death. Experts have said that suffocation due to loose blankets and quilts is the leading cause of sudden infant death syndromes (SIDS).

The size of the crib quilt is determined by the size of your baby’s crib. The standard size of cribs is usually 36″ by 52″. The only safe way a baby quilt can be used in a crisis is as bedding, in which you spread the quilt on the bed for the baby to sleep on.

But you must ensure that the quilt is tightly tucked around the mattress, leaving no loose ends that can suffocate the baby.

Security Quilts

These types have no standard size. They are made in a way that can be worn by the baby, providing a soothing comfort even when outdoors, hence its name.

The quilt size for this type depends solely on the size of your baby. It is usually suitable for babies between 0 – 12 months. So, it’s not one that can move into the toddler stage.

It can also be personalized with stuffed animals attached to them since it can be a keepsake for your baby after its outgrown.

Receiving Baby Quilts

General purpose quilt, as its fondly called, is the most versatile baby quilts because it can be used for several purposes.

It can be spread on the floor so the baby can lay on it. It can be laid on the grass so your little one could crawl and play on it. It’s usually lightweight, unlike the others.

The standard size for this type of quilts is 30″ by 40″, larger sizes could be gotten too.

Safety Precautions When Using Baby Quilt

We all know that when handling newborn, extra care is involved. In the same vein, care must be taken when using baby quilts to cover up your baby, especially when it’s being used in their cribs.

So, it’s important to keep the following in mind:

– If you are going to use a quilt to cover your little one, ensure that it is made of a lighter material like cotton. This is to avoid suffocation, in case your baby rolls over and the quilt accidentally covers the nose.

– The quilt should not cover up to the baby’s head and face, but up to the shoulders.

– Please ensure that you tuck in the baby quilt tightly, under the mattress, so it doesn’t hang around loosely around the crib since it suffocates the baby.