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Muslin Blankets... What's the deal?

7K views 16 replies 14 participants last post by  boscopup 
#1 ·
You know those Aden + Anais blankets? That are made of muslin? I don't remember them from my last baby almost 4 years ago. So what's the deal with them? Why are they so popular and what's so great about them? They feel kind of scratchy, not soft. So that's why I'm asking.
 
#2 ·
No idea but EVERYONE is telling me they're a "must have". I put them on my registry because I think they're pretty and I'm not convinced anyone will buy me a set of 40 dollar blankets anyway. I read on someone's blog that they're good for shading baby in the sun, laying on the floor for baby to play on, covering toddlers with something cool and lightweight, etc.
 
#3 ·
@Valerie11... 4 years ago, they weren't a "thing." Then, when my son was born in early 2013, I was introduced to this new baby item. Actually, it is an old take on an old item that usually has some cute print stamped on them. lol. I got them as a gift from a woman who raved about them. "These are the best. My favorite blanket of all time!" "Um, ok. Thanks." I didn't get it. They felt kinda scratchy and flimsy and lame to me... Then.... I washed and dried them!!!!!!!!!!! "OOOOOH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now, I get it!!!!!" was my thought. They get nice and soft and are almost stretchy. They are amazingly lightweight, yet can hold a swaddle. I still appreciate my two layered, homemade flannel blankets, but the gauze ones are REALLY nice when it is not so cold. Swaddle without guilt for overheating baby! :D

So, yeah... I love them.
 
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#4 ·
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#5 ·
They get softer and softer the more they're washed. They are really great for warm weather - nice and cool, good for shading. I didn't like the prints and got a plain pack that had some kind of bamboo blend I think...anyway, they were crazy soft but didn't hold a swaddle for sh!t. They were a bit more stretchy than the regular ones. Honestly, they didn't get much use from us. They had been so expensive I never wanted to use them as a burp cloth, and if it was warm enough to use a gauzy blanket it was warm enough to not use a blanket. The regular ones might be better for swaddling in warm weather though.
 
#6 ·
I found two of the regular ones in a thrift store, and they really are lovely. Super soft, very light. There were a couple of the Summer Infant(?) muslin blankets in the same shop, and there was absolutely no comparison. I haven't seen the bamboo blend, but since bamboo fabric is a type of rayon, I'd expect those ones to be more slippery/not hold a swaddle well.

I have the Liam the Brave set on my registry, because I found one of the sleep swaddles with the snaps at a consignment shop and I just fell in love with the set.
 
#8 ·
The bamboo ones are stretchier than the traditional ones. I like that the traditional ones really stretch so I could swaddle the arms snugly while keeping hips loose and free. And I like that they are lightweight-- that way I could have them in warmer jammies, or have them sleep on a sheepskin without worry of over-heating. Our blankets are still in daily rotation here, years later. I have jewel toned ones (not bamboo), and they have never faded. I love the big size, too. Because they're so pretty and big, I used mine as a scarf because I don't cover for nursing but like to have something there during the latching process. I give these blankets as baby gifts everytime because it is a real splurge parents may not make for their owns kiddos, but are super nice to have on hand.
 
#9 ·
My sister raves about hers. I don't have babies who like being swaddled, and I don't bother with blankets unles it's cold, so for this winter baby, I don't expect I'll find a need for them (although I think they look lovely). By the time the weather is warm, I expect she'll be too wiggly to keep a blanket on!
 
#10 ·
I love em. Breathable, stretchy (easier to make a break-out-free swaddle, and I think offers a kind of compression that is cozy and womb-like), and BIG. Old school flannel receiving blankets are too small for even a newborn over 7 lbs, let alone a growing infant, so (as someone whose career for years was to soothe babies), those muslin blankets were lifesaver when they came around.

Now, they cost an arm and a leg, so I suggest you find someone to give you some, or get them used. I refuse to pay that much for muslin!
 
#11 ·
I'm another fan! I got some as a gift and have used them for two babies. If this baby is a boy, I will probably find a way to get some more (the set I have is girly). I made a nursing cover out of one of them and LOVE it because it's so light and breathable.
 
#13 ·
Update: I did end up buying some. I didn't like any of the prints for the less expensive or more expensive sets. I mean none. Just the boys, if I was having a girl, it wouldn't be an issue. I like a lot of the girl prints. Anyway, I bought four white ones on eBay from someone who always used the print ones and wanted rid of their white ones. I did wash and dry them and they're just waiting to be used. I agree that they are a much better size than the flannel receiving blankets. Excited to use them in a couple of months.
 
#14 ·
DDC crashing... I love my ones of these. They are super soft and great for nursing covers. But keep an eye on craigslist and eebay for sure, that is where we got ours cheap. They are much nicer than the flannel ones, but not worth collecting too many. The bamboo ones snag really fast compared toeh cotton.
 
#15 ·
I have a set of A+A blankets, and I absolutely adore them. I didn't get it before, but they are truly amazing. They were already a big deal out here and among some of my friends on messageboards when I had DD five years ago, and I'm so glad they were!

The pricey ones are larger and softer than the Target A+A blankets. I got some Target ones with DS3, and they just weren't the same. Also, the bamboo ones feel lovely, but everything I've heard about them is that they just aren't that great for swaddling.


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