Baby Must Have #1

You need muslin wraps. I bought my first set when Levi was 6 months or so, and I have rued the fact that I never acquired them earlier ever since. They are indispensable, and their uses cannot be replicated by those tiny, receiving blankets.

They are about twice the size, and three times the price. Yes, the tag is rather staggering, four flimsy pieces of muslin for forty dollars? I suppose if you’re the handy type, you could buy muslin, dye it yourself and cut it into squares, but with a six month old on my hands, I preferred to fork over the cash. And anyways, the patterns are just so sweet.

I’ve used them for everything, a changing pad, a swaddler (perfect for bigger babies who don’t fit in the little blankets anymore, or for summer because they are so light) a stroller cover, a head cover (once again, thanks to the breathable fabric), a nursing cover, a thin summer blanket, a play mat and even a sling in a pinch.

On top of their amazing versatility, because they are so thing, they can roll up or fold up perfectly to fit down in the bottom of any diaper bag. Despite the thinness of the fabric, they are amazingly strong, and I have used them for the purpose of a makeshift hip sling to run into the grocery store more than once.

My son loves the bright colors and the softness of the fabric, which - like a good prefold diaper - just gets softer and softer every time you wash it. It holds up to being drug around, dropped in the mud, wiping a snotty nose (or filling in for an empty package of diaper wipes) and even getting slept on by the odd cat and stepped on by the husband if forgotten on the floor.

Muslin isn’t a new concept; we have just rediscovered it in the last 5 years. It has been used for hundreds of years, all around the globe in association with babies. I’m sure when Jesus himself was lifted from his dusty cradle; they wrapped him in natural organic cotton muslin.

I can only imagine how much easier those first six months would have been if I had received them as a shower gift. Personally, it’s my new gift of choice.