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

As our younger daughter spent time in the NICU, I really wanted to make some for the Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong in Rochester. Sadly, they do not accept them. I've heard that other area hospitals are also now denying them for all newborns. NYS laws and liability of any kind :(

I make flannel receiving blankets for newborns, using the 'self binding baby blanket' pattern.

http://shannonfabrics.com/blog/2013/...iving-blanket/

She shows it done with minky and cotton, but I use two pieces of flannel instead. Great for swaddling a newborn!

Check with the Director of the NICU. She will be able to give specifics of their needs. Some nurses will use the quilts as an alternative sheet for the babies once they are out of the isolette. Many NICU units use position ears to help babies stay propped --- think of a tiny rolled blanket in a casing. The commercial ones have a washable filling. The nurses would probably love it if you made burp cloths for the babies. Many hospitals use washcloths which are so rough on the baby's chin and face.
The hospital may also have a grower/feeder unit where babies stay after they have graduated from NICU before going home.
Another potential unit is for the babies needing additional attention, perhaps receiving antibiotics or substance addiction. The substance addiction babies may be in the unit for months.
Last, but not least, consider speaking with the case manager or social worker for the post partumn unit. Especially with current economic crisis world wide, parents may not be prepared for the new baby and may be in need of blankets.
The hospitals are very conscious of the current guidelines which say no quilts, comforters, pillows, stuffed animals, bumper pads or blankets in the sleeping baby's crib. There is an increased chance of SIDS associated with these. It is easier for the hospital to avoid giving out blankets than to deal with a lawsuit when a baby is harmed and the parent claims no one instructed them to not put these things in the bed.
It is a sad world.

My grandson just got home from St. John's NICU in Springfield. When my son first went into the unit, he was quite surprised to find a quilt draped over the top of the Isolette--thought I'd already been there! I believe that's how they use the quilts in that facility. 30-35" square will work. Would be good to have a back with interest in that situation. I didn't see any quilts used over the babies in bed but they were wrapped when being held. They did use fleece blankets for that. --and they were given the ones their baby used while there.

"Safe sleep" guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics say no loose blankets or quilts in a baby's bed. The group I sewed for used to make flannel blankets by he hundreds, but the nurses said no more since they didn't want to encourage their use when the babies went home. The isolottes (sp?) still have specialized blanket/quilts on top of them, but the sheets are fitted to the specialized cribs. I have also made dozens of covers for the position ears she mentions. There are lots of ways to sew for NICUs that aren't quilts.

pam

Yes. Some hospitals do use them on top to defuse the light. I have made a # of then for a hospital. It doesn't have to be a heavy quilt. I used 2 pieces of flannel. One side was red the other was red and yellow with little monkeys. I have also made quilts for older children in the cancer unit.

I have carefully read through all of the posts. Thank you so much for your response, and the links, and the helps. Here is what I have finally decided to do because of the new guidelines of 'NO quilts' in the newborn area.

There is a shelter for homeless women with children nearby. I hadn't thought of it before, but I will take them quilts of all sizes; some for twin beds, and some for cribs. My quilts would win the first prize blue ribbon for 'ugly quilts' but they are carefully constructed, new and clean. I enjoy putting them together, and a lot of hard work goes into them.

Thanks again for all of your input, and more ideas will be welcomed.

There are groups that counsel women who aren't sure about their pregnancies. They give very lovely baskets of clothes, formula etc to those who have chosen to keep their babies. Our local group is always in need of quilts, booties and cap sets, sweater sets. The handmade items make it even more special and the moms are so appreciative. Some areas of the country burn wood for heat. Homes burn. The humanitarian organizations like to give quilts to those families. Ours have said that a quilt seems to say, "This is the beginning of starting our home again". Habitat for Humanity in our area gives quilts to families moving into their first home.

I have donated many quilts to the local Children's Hospital. I went through the hospital chaplain. She was able to find out if the quilts needed to be washed or sterilized, etc. My 16 went to the kids, not the neonates, so sterilization was not needed. They do need to be machine washable and dryable.
Ruth

I'd go straight to the head of neonatal-----------get the facts