When New York mom of two Vanessa Gordon headed to the hospital to have her second baby, she brought her first baby’s sentimental hospital blanket: a white cotton swaddle blanket with pink and blue stripes. At the time she didn't realize that it's the blanket that all babies are wrapped in when they are born at that hospital.
“For me, I think it was simply that it was the memory of the first photo taken of her," Gordon says of her affinity for the keepsake. "I remember I blacked out during her delivery and then I woke up with her in my arms and [she was] already wrapped in a blanket. There is something so beautiful about the blanket, and of course her."
Those blankets are officially called "Kuddle-Ups." According to Jeremy Fogel, textiles division general manager at Medline, the company that manufactures the blankets, 1.5 million Kuddle-Ups are sold every year.
NPR reports that most hospitals launder and reuse these blankets on thousands of babies, though of course some make it out of the hospital. Ahead, a look at the Kuddle-Up's history, and enduring popularity.
The birth of the Kuddle-Up blanket
Medline introduced the blankets in the 1950s, though Fogel says that the early version was “high quality” but lacking in both color and character. “It did not feel special enough for new mothers and their babies,” he says.
And so the company conducted a focus group with women in the office on what improvements might be made.
“The group suggested that it be gender-neutral in color, and together chose the candy stripe design. With that, the iconic Kuddle-Up design was born, and from first sight, the design has grown to symbolize the celebration of a new life for so many,” Fogel tells Yahoo Life.
Though the pink and blue candy striped design is most popular, the blankets also come in a duck print (the second-most popular style), in addition to dinosaurs and baby footprints.
The growing popularity of the Kuddle-Up corresponded with the dramatic increase in hospital births, which nearly doubled between the years of 1946 and 1960. Its appeal, however, has spanned generations.
A multi-functional must-have
The blanket, which is 100% cotton and flannelized, has been used to wrap brand-new babies, but also doubles as a multi-use baby product for parents who end up taking one home from the hospital. Gordon, for example, says she used it in her diaper bag for many other purposes during her kids' younger years, such as providing an additional layer of padding for changing, absorbing spills and more.
For some, it’s a mainstay in the baby’s first picture that makes it onto social media or in birth announcement cards. The Kuddle-Up has also served as a baby’s first going home outfit in some cases, too.
“Our daughter was 5 lbs., 10 oz. when she was born, and even though the outfit I brought to the hospital to bring her home in looked so tiny, she was swimming in it,” says Jenny Powers, a mom of one in Brooklyn, N.Y. “When we were released from the hospital, all she had on was a diaper so we wrapped her up in that pink and blue blanket and brought her home in it.”
Jené Luciani Sena, a mom based in Schenectady, N.Y., used the blankets to help her pets get acquainted with babies’ smells. “They are great for that!”
A sentimental keepsake
While not every mom has a fondness for the classic Kuddle-Up — expectant mom Amanda Kass told Yahoo Life she planned to bring something "softer and more organic" for her daughter's birth, while Rachel Sokol preferred to use her own swaddles rather than the "hospital-looking" alternative — many have used the blanket long after their babies outgrew them.
New Jersey mom of two girls Kerry Kane says she’s been thinking of using her Kuddle-Ups for a future crafting project, but isn’t sure what. “Honestly I did not want to cut them up,” she says.
Gordon's blankets are now vacuum-sealed at home, though she also has plans to use them for a DIY project, like tie-dye or a hanging patchwork, with her daughter one day. Other families, meanwhile, keep theirs on display.
“I had three kids each born four years apart and loved that they each were swaddled in the same blanket. I have shadow boxes with their first photos, hospital bracelets and tiny hats in my bedroom and they are among my favorite possessions,” says Jody Mercier, a New York City mom. “I feel like anytime I see a new baby swaddled in one, it gives me 'new mom warm and fuzzy vibes.'”
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