Giving birth to a baby is one of life’s most miraculous experiences. There are no two birthing experiences or babies that are alike. Every infant is a unique and special being, but for some reason, nearly every single one of them ends up wrapped in an identically patterned baby blanket in the hospital where he or she was born. While swaddled in these blankets, most of the tots are photographed, and these snapshots often become their first portraits introducing them to the world. There are a few exceptions to this rule, but the majority of humans aged one-day to sixty-years old were probably first wrapped in a replica of the same hospital-issued white blanket with pink and blue stripes.
The Blanket Pattern
If you’ve seen photos of your friends’ and relatives’ newborns posted on their social media pages or even your own newborn children’s pictures, you’ve probably seen this blanket. It’s mostly white with thin pink stripes and thick bands of blue. This pattern design first appeared six decades ago, and was created by a company that also made work uniforms and accessories, such as hospital gowns, surgical scrubs, and butchers’ aprons.
Carrying on the Tradition
There are some pluses to having an unvarying, classic blanket pattern. For example, a sense of tradition is carried on when your infant is swaddled in the same coverlet you were wrapped in as a newborn. Not only that, but basic blankets don’t take away from the beauty of newborns’ faces, either.
Thinking Outside the Box
While keeping the status quo in blanket patterns can create a sense of continuity through the generations, there are also plenty of reasons to try something new. With so many top quality receiving blankets, throws, and comforters on the market today, wouldn’t it be a good idea to let new parents choose their newborns’ first swaddling wrap? Rather than opting for the same old pattern and fabric, parents could select their preferences in materials, prints, and colors.
Why Blankets Are Important
Baby blankets are about much more than bedding. Swaddling newborns with wraps has been done to provide comfort to babies for eons. This practice can provide newborns with a feeling of security and warmth, which can keep them from startling, calm their crying, and recreate the ambiance of their mothers’ wombs.
There is no doubt about it; blankets are important for comforting and welcoming new human beings into the world. With all the high-quality baby blankets available in today’s global marketplace, settling for the same-old styles and patterns is unnecessary. Babies should be wrapped in designs, colors, and fabrics that are as unique as they are.
