Babies Only

When you are having a baby or are a new mother, everyone has some advice.  Friends, grandparents, aunts and everybody.  A new baby is a big event in all of our lives and good advice can come from all directions.  Everyone means well.

The important thing is for you to figure out what is good and what is bad advice.  Or maybe if it is outdated.  Things that we were told or did years back may not be what is best for today.  Times have changed and so has the ways of doing things.  Some for the best and maybe some not so.  Friends and family mean well, but maybe as in the way that we have not always had seat belts and baby car seats in our cars.  I tell my children all the time, “that it is a miracle that they are alive, as everything I did back then is now wrong in today’s world”.  We did the best that we could with the information that we had then and that is as it should be today.  Your pediatrician can be the best source of information.  Parenting magazines can also have good information.  Even you mother or mother-in-law (remember she raised your husband and he is OK).  So, keep an open mind, listen to others and weed out the bad and keep the good.

Are you having a hard time finding clothes for your Preemie Baby?  Many store do not carry this size for many reasons.  Mainly because it is not a fast seller.  We all want a full term baby.

At www.babiesonlyonline.com we have just added this size to our line of baby clothes.  This size creates some problems that you do not find in sizes like 0-3 months or newborn.  The fabrics need to be very soft, as a preemie baby’s skin is so very delicate.  The design of the outfit must also meet other needs.  Many preemie babies have tubes that must be easily accessible through their clothes.  It is also necessary that they be made in a way that it is easy to put on and off.  Having said this, it does not mean that you can’t have cute and pretty preemie baby clothes.  Manufacturers today are giving us a much better choice than they have in the past.  The colors are there.  You will always find the soft pinks and blues, but now the bright colors are available.  

This comes from the American Academy of Pediatrics.  Tips for parents and care givers to help your baby survive and thrive:

You should not smoke while you are pregnant and babies should not be exposed to second-hand smoke after they are born.

Always place babies on their BACK at nap and nighttime. Siode and tummy sleep positions are not safe choices.

Us a safety-approved crib with a firm, tight-fitting mattress, covered by only a sheet.

Do not use blankets in your baby’s crib.  Layer clothing or us an infant sleep sack to keep baby warm during sleep.

Remove all soft bedding and other soft items from the crib before placing a baby to sleep.

do not fall alseep with a baby in an adult bed or on a sofa—place them alongside  your bed in a separate, safe sleep area.

Babies should not sleep on soft surfaces (quilts, sheepskins, waterbeds, sofas, chairs, etc.).

take care not to overheat babies with too much clothing or room temperature.  68 to 72 degrees is recommended.

Use a pacifier at nap and nighttime for the first year.

I agree with these tips and every parent needs to be aware specially the first year of baby’s life.  This is the time when most SIDS deaths happens.  I remember getting up in the middle of the night and checking to see that my baby was OK.

Ever look at a label and still not know what it is telling you? Or have a description of a item of clothing and it not mean a thing to you?  Well, I hope the following will enlighten you a little.  It is a list of some of the names or descriptive terms used in baby clothes.

Acetate – A manufactured fiber formed by compound of cellulose, refined from cotton linters and/or wood pulp.

Applique – a cutout surface decoration that is sewn or embroidered to a larger piece of material.

Bamboo – A natural, renewable resource that can be made into fabrics.

Batiste – A medium-weight, plain weave fabric.  Generally made from cotton.

Blend – A term applied to a yarn or a fabric that is made up of more than one fiber.

Chenille – soft, fuzzy yarns stand out around a velvety cord on this fabric.  Generally made from cotton.

Corduroy – Typically made of cotton that has a filling pile with a plain or twill back and is made with an extra filling yarn.

Cotton – A unicellular, natural fiber that grows in the seed pod of the cotton plant.

Cotton (Organic) – Cotton grown without any harmful pesticides, herbicides or artificial fertilizers using biologically based and sustainable growing methods.

Denim – True denim is a twill-weave, cotton-like fabric.

Embroidered – An embellishment of a fabric or garment in which colored threads are sewn into the fabric to create a design.

Faux Fur – Artificial fur made from synthetic material.

Flannel – A warm, soft fabric of wood, cotton or rayon made in tightly woven or plain weave.

Fleece – a soft, bulky, deep-piled knitted or woven fabric of wook or cotton.

Picot – A narrow row of dainty, woven loops along the selvage of fabric or lace produced to create an edge or a finished flange.

Polyester – A manufactured fiber introduced in the early 1950s and is second only to cotton in worldwide use.

Velour – A medium-weight, closely-woven cotton, wool, or spun rayon fabric with a thick, plush pile.

I hope these will help you when you are shopping for your baby clothing.

You can fine many manufacturers of baby clothes.  And you can also find all kinds of prices.  Some of them are good and match the product in quality and some of them don’t.

One of the brand names that you may or may not know is Little Me.  Maniye Brother, Inc.(established in 1947) is the parent company of Little Me.  Some of the other brands by this company that you might recognize are Disney, flapdoodles, Guess Kids, and Nickelodeon.  The Little Me brand has very moderate pricing and yet it is hgith in quality.  Most all of their baby clothing is in 100% cotton knits and is great for year round wearing.  You will get added value in that many of the outfits that Little Me has comes in more than one item.  Like maybe a romper with a bib, or 2 sleepers, or dress with leggings.  This helps, because many of the pieces can be worn with other fashions that you might already have.  Little Me is up to date on the fashions and colors that you want.  They use just about every color and not just pink and blue.  There is nothing wrong with pink and blue.  I think this color always says baby. Little Me also manufacturers fashions for the Preemie at a very moderate price. (Usually you will pay a higher price for the Preemie size.)  Check this brand out at www.babiesonlyonline.com

Just because a baby is born a little early doesn’t mean that it can not dress fashionalbe.  Today you can fine cute and pretty clothing in the Preemie size.

We still have to remember that these babies are very delicate and that their skin needs to be protected.  So the first No No is no ruff or stiff feeling fabrics.  Most Preemie clothing is made of very soft and fine cotton knits.  This is a time that you might really think about organic cotton clothing for your baby.  Because there are no chemicals or unnational dyes in these clothes.  Thus an added protection for baby.

Pink and blue and white has always been out there in Preemie size, but now many manufacturers are responding to the cry for color.  I recently purchased some Preemie clothing is some very bright and colorful designs.  Just because these babies are small, doesn’t mean that we do not want to dress them in pretty clothes.