Neonatal Quilts
 

In a e-newsletter this AM there is an article about making neonatal quilts to donate for newborns. Do any of you make them? I hope to get more information before I start making them, such as where do you donate them? I don't want to drive anywhere near our hospital unless I am very sure they will take them and use them, but I foresee talking to a volunteer at the hospital on the phone and not getting the right information -- or she/he just says 'yes' or 'no' without really knowing the rules at the hospital.

If you have experience with these projects, the little quilts sound like lots of fun, and a good use of extra fabric in that very little sewing room.

You might check with your local chapter of Project Linus. My local chapter just started donating to the NICU at a nearby hospital, and you are right, it's tricky finding the right person to deal with. Being part of an organization makes it a little easier.

http://www.projectlinus.org/volunteer/

I have worked on several OB units that receive tiny blankets, gowns, hats, etc for babies who die. Some of them are born too early so they are very small. The babies are dressed in these beautiful items for their time with their families. The parents can then keep the items in a special memory box, also provided by these volunteer organizations. If you talk to a manager of your local Labor & Delivery unit they should be able to connect you with the right people.

I used to volunteer my skills to an organization called Newborns in Need. Find out if there is a chapter near you. There are other organizations who do the same thing. Someone with the organization will have done the legwork of knowing which hospitals will take items and what they need.

Thanks for the link.

There has been talk in my Sower's group about making some but no details have yet been released.

I make quilts for the NICU at my local hospital - have been doing it for several years now. They usually measure 22 x 22 to 24 x 24, depending on the pattern I decide to use. Fabric is always washed first, 100% cotton only. Warm and Natural for the batting. When I bring them in, I hear, "Hey - it is the quilt lady", and there is usually a gathering. Embarrassing at times, but I know that they are appreciated.

You might check with the hospital where you would like to donate. I have had three great nieces/nephew in the NICU in the past year. They stayed mostly in open warming beds. Looking around the NICU rooms, there were only a few of the traditional looking incubators with a top, which is where I've read they use the quilts. Also, each baby is in an individual room and the lights are kept very dim, which is very different from when my daughter was in the NICU years ago. I would think going home quilts would be appreciated. The latest premie in our family just went home, she has had trouble staying warm, so she has to be swaddled in multiple layers.

Check with an organization like The Preemie Project. I sewed for them for a few years. They have relationships with a number of NICUs, mostly in Iowa. Even if you don't end up working through them, they have some good ideas.

Pam