Cellular / knitted baby blankets?

[Babybear260]

I’m sure I’m overthinking this here but I ordered one cellular pram blanket and one cellular cot blanket from White Company. I read that cellular blankets are the most breathable. And then in my heap of baby stuff that I’ve been gifted I just found the most beautiful handmade knitted white blanket from my husbands grandm’s friend. It’s not too heavy and very soft and I’m now wondering whether I should return one of the ‘cellular’ blankets as they just don’t feel as comfortable or look as cosy BUT maybe they are actually in fact safer.

Baby is due early march (or if early then early feb) so the knitted blanket would be warmer. It’s quite big so I guess it could either be used as a pram or cot blanket. Or I could just keep all three. I think my MIL is also knitting a blanket though so I’m just wondering whether the knitted ones (although very cute and sentimental) are practical or not.

thanks!

My MIL knitted each of my kids a blanket. She used colours that match the pram and were exclusively used in the pram, the blanket was warm enough. I had another blanket for use in the house. Luckily my kids didn't like parting with anything other than poop and wee so I only had 1 spare. They had sleeping bags in bed

Generations of babies have been kept snug by hand-knitted blankets. Why would it not be safe? They're a lovely personal connection and much more meaningful than something from the White Company.

Any blanket is fine if you are using it in the pram / for naps (i.e., you are awake whilst baby is using the blanket). It's not recommended to use any blanket overnight - get some sleeping bags. We never really used blankets much!

You may well find it useful to have more than one blanket. One on, and one in the wash..

I would recommend having several blankets for the pram. I found that I had to wash them regularly when they got dropped/rolled over by the pram/sicked/pooped on. It was definitely necessary to have more than one.

Re the knitted blanket, do you know when it was knitted, and what kind of wool?

I am absolutely sure it will be safe, as a PP says babies have been snuggled in knitted blankets for hundreds of years. I've knitted many blankets for babies, including my own. But knowing what kind of wool will help you know how best to wash and dry it. Pure wool for example might not like being put in a hot washing machine or in a tumble dryer, which might make it less practical day to day.

Also you might not use a blanket overnight in a cot, but I also found them handy for popping down on the floor in the living room/bedroom for baby to lie on, roll around on etc. Nicer than bare carpet. Also in the garden when it gets warmer. I also used them over the baby in the car seat when transitioning in and out of the car. There are lots of uses for a baby blanket.

In fact my kids still use the ones I knitted now, for their cuddly toys and dolls.

There’s a use for all of them especially to pop over in the car seat or the pram on days when you don’t have the foot muff, if nursery ask them to take their own blankets for naps etc and they’ll rotate round the wash so you want a few. I wouldn’t personally use any loose covers, cellular or not, for overnight sleep and would stick with a sleeping/swaddle bag for that so I don’t think it matters too much what style of knitting or material.

@TryingAgainAgainAgain OP is referring to SIDS risk, which might be a new thing to you if you had your kids a while ago. It's a bit like saying "no one wore seatbelts 50 years ago". More information has come to light on safe sleep. The Lullaby Trust is a great resource if you want to read about it.

I echo what other people have said. Keep the pretty ones for pram naps when you're out and about, and the cellular ones can be for cot use. The sleeping bags are even better though, as they don't move around/cover the babies face when the baby moves, so even better from a SIDS risk perspective.

Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy and enjoy meeting your little one!

No, it's not analogous to seat belts, @WDWY. I am assuming that OP will only be using blankets when safe and appropriate. That given (and I think that's a reasonable assumption given her concern) a hand-knit is fine as long as it's not heavyweight.

I think people get far too worked up about blankets tbh, it’s always seemed like a bit of a con to me to make people buy sleeping bags in all the different sizes.

Newborns can’t really move to start with so when you put the baby and the blanket down there’s a real limit to what could happen. When they start moving more they lift their legs up and down which if anything kicks the blanket away.

Anyway you will probably be given a lot of blankets, you can probably return the white company one.

Agree the cellular ones are safe but for me the main point about avoiding blankets in the cot is they don’t consistently stay under it and then wake up cold, also they’re not very warm in winter and also a newborn may sleep better swaddled which is better for the hips if done using a swaddle bag that only does the arms. Bags come in wide size ranges of like 0-6 months then 6-18 months then they can have a duvet so it’s not like you’re constantly replacing them and they’re a massive expense or anything.