Snuggle Hearts + NICU Hats + NICU Cot Quilts
NICU Cheer now includes a pair of Snuggle Hearts in each of our gift-bags for families of premature/sick babies. Each delivery we do a total of 250 bags that are distributed to Melbourne major hospital’s with tertiary level NICUs. This means we need at least 2000 individual hearts per year as they are given to families in pairs.
The Snuggle Hearts are very simple to make even with basic sewing skills. If you'd like to sew and donate some please send an email to nicucheer@gmail.com or click below for the 1 page template & instructions will be sent to you. ♥️
Mum wears one heart down her top to pick up her scent, & the other is placed on, under or near your baby in their NICU cot (check with your hospital for their guidelines on this). The Snuggle Hearts are then swapped back and forth so that mother & baby can always smell each other even when apart. The program has been introduced to help a mother’s milk come in when she is apart from her baby, while the scent of the mother also has a calming effect on the baby. ♥️
Rush University, USA: “The sense of smell is one of the earliest senses to develop...After birth, the sense of smell continues to develop, and it is one of the senses that helps the infant recognise the mother,” said Lawrence. “So having the mum’s familiar scent can really help ease an infant’s stress and discomfort.”
Christie Lawrence, clinical nurse specialist and assistant professor in the Department of Women, Children and Family Nursing at RU. ♥️
Rush University, USA: “The sense of smell is one of the earliest senses to develop...After birth, the sense of smell continues to develop, and it is one of the senses that helps the infant recognise the mother,” said Lawrence. “So having the mum’s familiar scent can really help ease an infant’s stress and discomfort.”
Christie Lawrence, clinical nurse specialist and assistant professor in the Department of Women, Children and Family Nursing at RU. ♥️
Humidicrib Quilts
When babies are in the NICU their humidicrib (also known as an isolette cot, or an incubator) are covered with cute quilts that serve both an aesthetic, but also practical purpose for the baby's best care. You can see our son Ashton's quilts in each of the photos above.
NICU Cheer are now accepting donations of these and whilst the numbers coming in are small we donate them in bags to families who are having an extra rough time in the NICU, but if we get enough we'd love to also include them in our regular bags and/or supply them directly to the NICUs too.
Please see below for the instructions for how to make them. Open Cot quilts can be knitted too, but I don't have specific instructions for those, please just make them to the below measurements.
INCUBATOR TOP COVERS - these can be made in 2 sizes
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Materials;
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100% cotton for top side
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Darker fabric for bottom side
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Measurements:
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Finished size 53” wide x 39” long (Giraffe)
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51” wide x 33” long (Standard)
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Instructions
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Cut fabric adding ½ inch for seam allowances.
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With right sides together stitch around 3 sides.
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Turn right side out and finish off open edge.
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To secure layers stitch several rows across entire length of cover or quilt.
OPEN COT QUILTS – These can be fabric or knitted.
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Materials
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100% cotton top or flannelette
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Calico or flannelette for backing
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Lightweight batting only –
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Measurements
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Finished size 27” long x 27” wide
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Instructions
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If using a solid piece of fabric please add an extra ¼ or ½ inch for seam allowance.
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With right sides together, sew around 3 edges.
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Overlock or zigzag
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Turn right side out
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Finish off open edge.
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To secure layers – sew several rows through all layers, or quilt.
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If using a quilt block pattern please ensure the finished size is either as above or no more than 2 inches larger.
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IF KNITTING
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Please make to above measurement and ensure wool is soft and nothing scratchy.
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Knitted Santa’s Elf Hat
Developed by Pamela Tatt, Knit4Charities Inc.
https://www.knit4charities.org.au/
We try to include a Santa Hat in all 250 of our Christmas Day bags now as they're so loved by the families. We include them so they can get some festive season happy snaps with their little one, and find some joy in the NICU despite having to visit their baby there which is not what any parents dreams of for their baby's first Christmas.
Happy Knitting... and thank you so much for helping us spread cheer to the NICU.
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Using the Chart below, this pattern has sizes to fit Very Small Premature Baby to Newborn Baby. If you are used to knitting in the round this pattern should be easy for you to convert from 2 needles to circulars or dpns.
NOTES
Materials:
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White 8ply yarn – small amount – less than 50g will make all sizes including
pompoms -
Red 8ply yarn - less than 100gm should make one of each size
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4mm needles (average knitters – 4.5mm if you are a tight knitter)
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mall white PomPom
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arn needle for sewing
Abbreviations
K = Knit
Dec = K2tog = Knit two together
Cast On using a stretchy cast on such as the Long Tail Thumb Cast On. If you don’t
know how to do a stretchy cast on use a needle 2 sizes larger i.e. 5.00mm to cast on
then change back to 4.00mm to complete hat.
Sewing Seam – use a flat seam such as the Bickford Method – remember these are
going on tiny tender heads!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1ZMMdV5NUQ
FINISHING
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Cut yarn leaving a long tail, thread on yarn needle and slip through the remaining 3 sts on the needle.
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Pull up tight and secure.
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Sew seam with a ‘flat seam method’, weave in ends neatly.
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Make a small white Pompom and attach to the top of the hat.
NICU Cheer is sharing this pattern with the permission of the creator Pamela from Knit4Charities.
Please post or deliver finished hats ASAP to:
NICU Cheer, 3 Busst Drive Watsonia North, VIC 3087
We are proud to partner with Knit4Charities and the wonderful work they do for those in need all over our country. If you’d like to learn more about what they do or volunteer your knitting skills please head to their website at: https://www.knit4charities.org.au/
