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NICU Smock Pattern
I drafted this pattern 4 years ago after my cousin’s little boy Benjamin was born months early weighing in at 2lbs 8oz I searched everywhere for preemie cloths to fit! Babies less than 3lbs are considered ‘micro-preemie’ & you can actually find some stuff on the internet to buy made, but not many patterns. So after looking at different things I drafted up a pattern for a NICU friendly preemie smock that fits a good range of sizes. When babies are in the NICU it really helps the parents to see their little ones wearing some sort of clothing. BUT with all the monitors & wires many clothes are difficult to get on, or they get in the way of the wires or the nurses… which is what makes these so great!
I do not want to sell this pattern because I did not create it so people could make them to sell or I could profit off of it, but to encourage people to help others out. For that reason this pattern is free for personal and charity sewing only. Charity does NOT count as selling them and donating part of the profits. These are intended to be given/donated to families and hospitals in need.
This pattern, the pieces along with the instructions & photos, are copyrighted & may not be sold or reproduced without the written consent from the owner of Everything Your Mama Made & More! Feel free to link people back to the blog where they can access it for free.
Before sewing items to donate to the hospital (this or others) PLEASE contact them first & ask what they need… you may need to bring this in to show them before they can give you an answer. Some hospitals are very strict about what they can take.
If you have any questions feel free to send me a quick email or leave a comment
Happy Sewing!
Copyright © 2010 Everything Your Mama Made & More! All Rights Reserved.
Baby Ricardo born at 31 weeks 4lbs 1oz, wearing a reversible smock.
Preemie 6lb doll in the serged version from a generous pattern tester from www.sewingmamas.com
122 Responses
Sarah
That is a really good idea! Im going to call my hospital and see if they need any. Did you use flannel or cotton?
Kymy
I use flannel which actually is cotton. I highly recommend JoAnn’s snuggle flannel if you have one near buy, it washes up SO much softer then most other affordable flannels!
Juliana
Thank you so so much. My friends baby was born this June at 1lb 10oz. I looked everywhere for micro preemie patterns and just had the hardest time finding things. Sadly, Miss Molly passed away In early August, but we continue to make donations on her behalf. It really helps her cope too. I can’t wait to make a stack of these!
Shelby
Thank you so much for creating this! My baby was born 14 days ago at 2lbs 6oz, and we’ve been given permission to dress him, and I’ve been having a heck of a time finding patterns. This is perfect. Thank you so much!!!
Monica
Can’t wait to sew these. Thanks for the pattern.
Clare
I wish I knew about these when my daughter was in NICU (7 years ago now)….would of been so much easier to get around her lines and wires.
Such a great idea and absolute credit to you for doing such a wonderful thing for these little bubba’s.
Candace
Thank you so very much for sharing your pattern. Our grandson was born at only 24 weeks 1lb 8oz. He is 28 weeks now and weighs 2lb 2oz. I wanted to make him one of the t-shirts and found your pattern. Thank you again!
Angie
I wish I had seen these about 9 1/2 years ago. Our twins would have been able to use them. They were 3 lb 15 oz and 4 lb 9 oz. These things are adorable!!
They would even be cute for my 3 year old’s baby dolls. 🙂
Loretta Rolison
As a former NICU mommy of 30 week micro preemie twin girls it was a nightmare to find the girls clothes. Thank you for sharing this pattern. I can’t wait to make some of these to donate
charlotte
checked with a nurse from hospital yesterday here in fla.she had never seen anything like this and would love to have some for “her babies”,sid to make sure they were soft cotton flannel
char
Pam
Thank you so much for creating and sharing this. My daughter was a NICU baby and I contacted the NICU here and they are more than happy to use these, I made my first one tonight.
charlotte
I have made several of theses smoks for the local hospital and a home for unwed mothers.
i have made several others bu adding 1″ to pattern for larger babies.
Many wonderful commnets on pattern.Thanks for sharing this pattern,many happy cute babies and happy mommys
char
Janette Butrym
These are so GREAT!!! I cut out and sewed 14 of these yesterday. They are so easy and cute!! I have to put the velcro on them, then find a hospital to donate them to. I want to make some more today so there is a big pile to take when I find somewhere.
Thanks again and thanks to Joann Fabrics for having flannel on sale this week!!
Betsy
I made these for a friend with preemie twins. She loves them! You can see them at http://mommysgreat.blogspot.com/2011/06/nicu-smocks.html
angela somers
Hello,
first let me say a big THANK YOU! This is awesome and you are to. Quick question, If I am not using a serger, and I am using bias tape, do I allow for 1/4 inch seam around entire smock or just at the shoulders?
Thanks
angie
Kymy
You only NEED it at the seams, though honestly it’s forgiving enough size wise that you don’t need to go to the trouble of removing it… I don’t actually cut anything off when I make the serged ones! This is why the turned & top stitched tend to fit the tinier babies a little better. I hope this helps!
Beatrice
Dear Kymy,
Thank you so much for sharing. I teach sewing at a private school and I was looking for an easy and tested (and free!) pattern for these. They fit the bill exactly. We make flannel blankets for Project Linus almost every year, and if we cut the flannel about 32″ square, we are left with enough to make a couple of these shirts. Perfect! We will be donating the shirts to Newborns In Need. It is a perfect project for girls to learn to do their part in the world, and the more advanced students use their skills making bereavement garments for the babies that don’t make it, so they are not buried in just a blanket, plus it helps the parents.
Anyway, just wanted to let you know that your sharing is multiplying quickly, from what I can read in the comments above! What goes around comes around: Much joy to you, God bless.
Beatrice
Kymy
Thank you so much for letting me know, I am so glad I could help! If you ever want to share pictures with me please use my contact us page, I love to see my readers work!
Kristin
Awesome pattern! How hard would it be to make a pattern like this for babies up to around 15 lbs? My son spent a lot of time in the ICU, as he was born with a heart defect. Even at 8 months old, and 75th percentile on the growth charts, he was in the ICU and couldn’t wear normal clothes because of all the tubes and monitors connected to his body. The children’s hospital he was in has a special Cardiac ICU for kids like him and I would love to make some of these to donate.
Kymy
Honestly I would try photo coping it & blowing it up to 150%? I am actually working on grading it for bigger babies that have hospital stays.
Alma
It is not hard to make it larger. I have made them small, medium and large. I just get newspaper,and scissor and start experimenting, increasing around the pattern and inch or two at a time. If I can make you a pattern let me know and I will snail mail it to you. I make theses and donate to many hospitals. Thanks for the pattern Donalee. Alma “Soul Angel”
Kim Ellis
Thank you so much. My son Benjamin was born just under 2 pounds and these type of shirts were the best for dealing with all of the tubes and cables used in the NICU and afterwards. I think I’ve found a great thing to donate back to the NICU that helped me bring my baby home. Thank you so much.
charlotte
I hve made many of theses for our hospital here in Fla (Spring Hill hospitsl) , Working on several to go to St Judes in Tenn.
Some instead of doing on fold line am taking them to edge of pattern, making them just a little bigger , using ribbon instead of velcro.
Thanks so much for sharing this quick,easy and so great a pattern
char
brandi K
We had our sweetest little boy at 31 weeks and were given a little smock in the NICU and now we are making some for our awesome NICU! Thanks so much!
nallyh
I LOVE this, such a great idea, I want to donate to the hospital now but I have a question? If I don’t have a serger and don’t have any bias tape can I just do the zig zag stitch around the eges or do I need that bias tape? Thanx for the tutorial!
Natalie
Kymy
If you use a knit fabric you could get away with that, but not with wovens like the soft flannel. If you don’t have a serger or bias tape I would suggest making the reversible version instead. Otherwise it will unravel into a thready mess. The zigzag is great for finishing seams you don’t see, but not so much for just finishing raw edges. I hope that helps!
Kristy
I spent a couple of hours making a stack of these with some family members. They turned out so great. It was so nice to be able to make something cute for those darling little babies. Thanks so much for sharing this pattern!
http://toddandkristy.blogspot.com/2011/12/5th-annual-betty-hively-christmas-party.html
Kymy
That is just wonderful!!!!! Merry Christmas!
Norma Stone
Thanks for the pattern. Our family, community and education club, (fce) formely called home demostration club.plans on making these for our state project. Since we don’t have a hospital with a nic unit, we are going to ask surrounding hospitals in Nashville TN,, Murfreesboro TN. or Huntsville Ala.
Amy
Thank you for sharing your pattern. Here’s how I used it. http://sheblogsfunny.blogspot.com/2012/02/for-maries-daughter.html
Elizabeth
Is there anyway that you could enlarge this for a child that is in a size med shirt and 52 pds ? My son has autism and loves the feeling of being ” squished” and this would fit under a shirt and also give him the control to make it tight or lose. I can sew I am just really bad at pattern alteration . Help!
Elizabeth
Kymy
I would love to but I am swamped right now & honestly the proportions of it are all wrong, so it would need to be completely drafted from scratch, sorry.
Julie
Hi thank you so much for creating this pattern. My little boy was born 2 weeks ago at 2 lb 13 oz. I cant wait to make these for him. I was wondering when I print the pattern should I print it at 100%? The pattern looks so large.
Kymy
Yes, it includes seam allowances, once you turn & top stitch it & get it finished up it will be a bit smaller :).
Linda Krehbiel
Loved this. My daughter is an NICU nurse and I’m waiting her response, so I can get a group here to make them for her unit.
Joan Van Leeuwen
Just became a great-aunt to twins both about 2 pounds. This is something I’m going to get right on. I think it will help their parents. Thanks so much for the pattern. It seems a little big, but will take me a few weeks to get to town, sew, ship, etc. Can’t wait. Thanks again.
Kymy
You will definitely want to do the turned & top stitched version as it turns out a bit smaller. It will be a tad big on 2lb babies at first (it’s designed for 3-7lb) but when they let them wear it they will fill it out quickly :). At 2lbs they may still have to wait a while because they often want them under the belly lights which involves showing as much skin as possible. Congrats on becoming a great aunt!!!
thefinderofthings
Thank you so much for creating and sharing this pattern. I love that it is easy enough for beginners and for younger sew-ers. Now I have something to do with all my scrap flannel.
Kimberly
These are so beautiful. Not sure if I am crafty enough to try these, but just wanted to say thank you. My little guy was in the NICU. I remeber the morning I went in and he was finally able to wear a sleeper. I knew at that moment he was getting better and it wouldn’t be long before he came home. It would have been so neat if he had something like this while he was there.
Renelle
Thank you so much for this cute pattern. The hospital my tiny Grandson is in use more of a dress and my stepson is horrified his son in dressed in a dress, can’t wait to get to the sewing machine.!!!!! Thank you Thank you Thank you
Diane
Thank you for the blessing of this pattern. My granddaughter was born on Apr 9 at 25 weeks, 1 lb. 9 oz. This will allow me to do something tangible while we pray and wait.
Charlotte
Tons of prayers for a fat heathy cheeked litte angel,
Char
Bethany
I really can’t wia to make these. I am a donater I make burp cloths premie hats and baby hats for our local Childrens Hospital. I really can’t wait to make these for the little babies in the NICU. They look like so much fun to make.
Andrea
As the mother of a former micro-preemie (1 lb. 4 oz.!), I know just how much impact it has for a parent to see their child in “clothes”. It helped me to see past the “Discovery Channel aspects” of my child (as in: wow, I didn’t know that babies eyes were still fused shut at 25 weeks!) and helped me see him as my baby. I can’t wait to start making these for the local hospital to, hopefully, help other parents going through this difficult experience. Thank you so much for this!
Charlotte
The nurses here
have asked if I could make a few sets with diaper covers to match, some are used to bury, others have been sent home with mommies, I try to make at least 15-20 every month or so,does anyone have a pattern or know where to find one. Have looked at preemie sites and have not found one
Char
Kymy
Charlotte I will see if I can make a preemie & NB cover pattern here in the next week or 2 :).
Charlotte
thanks so much
Kristin
Here is a tutorial on how to make your own pattern if you already have one diaper cover the right size. Seems easy enough…
http://www.makeit-loveit.com/2011/04/make-your-own-diaper-covers-and-little.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MakeItAndLoveIt+%28Make+It+and+Love+It%29&utm_content=Google+Reader
Or here is a pattern you can buy for $8
https://www.youcanmakethis.com/products/baby/Bloomers-Diaper-Cover-Sizes-Preemie-5T.htm
Kymy
Yes that is a great free tutorial if you have one small enough… this is also free & has pattern pieces & would be easy to size down just a tad for preemie instead of buying one. That being said regular bloomers won’t work in the NICU as most babies there has sensors on their feet. They need one that opens up easily more like a cloth diaper cover. I may just make one up today if the toddler lets me :).
Karen in KS
I just came across this pattern and am so grateful that you posted it. My daughter, now 26, was born 5 1/2 weeks early and weighed 3.5lbs. She wore a cap that someone had made. It meant the world to me to know that someone had thought enough about these little babies to make something a little special for them.
sonja
hi,
i just wanted to say thank you from a NICU nurse. often we have donated clothes for the older babies but it’s hard to find clothes that are the right size for the little micro preemies. these babies are unique in that they are ready to wear clothes and maintain their body temperature (with lots of burrito wrapping!) but rarely have anything that remotely fits them. also, these babies often have IV’s and some tubes that are hard to maneuver around little t-shirts. this is a perfect pattern as it’s cute for the parents (and babies) and practical for the nurses. this also brings some sort of normalcy for the families as they can learn how to handle their babies, which can be very difficult in an isolette, and dress them in real baby clothes. thank you a million times over.
MN61
Ella’s Halo would be a great organization to help bring these to families!
MABLE VALLEJOS
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATTERN MY GREAT GRAND SON WAS BORN AT 27 WEEKS SO YES HE IS ONLY 2LBS 3 OZ AND 13 INCHES LONG AND I WANT TO MAKE HIM SOME NICU WRAPS THANK U FOR YOUR ATTERN
Robin Burton
Hi, Thank you for your free pattern, I have had it for ages, and, saw an article in the New Zealand Herald 10 days ago, about a baby born at 30 weeks, so decided to make a smock for her. I had a call from her mum thanking me and asking if I could make some more, and another for a little boy in NICU. Hope the word spreads here in NZ..
JulieCC
YES! Finally a NICU gift I can make to give back to my micropreemie daughter’s hospital! I always have lots of flannel left from rag quilts. In fact, I plan to make some micropreemie quilts and could make them to match the smocks. My daughter is 12 years old now, but was born at 1 lb, 2 oz and 22 weeks, 4 days gestation (before viability). She had to wear doll clothes for several months because preemie sizes swallowed her up. She was the smallest, sickest baby for quite some time and was given all sorts of blankets, hats, gifts, etc., from strangers and charities. Now that she’s older and I have time to sew, I can finally give back.
I plan to make many in this 3-7 lb size, but I’ll also use her “birth size” doll (made by an artist) to try to make them smaller for the 1 & 2 pound babies. From 1-2 lbs, my daughter couldn’t really wear anything, but at 2 pounds it was soooo hard for the staff and I to find stuff she could wear.
I agree with the nurses and other preemie parents – this pattern is excellent for getting around the “bed spaghetti” of the NICU – easy access for tubes and wires and getting things off quickly…like the day my daughter coded.
You can see photos and read my journal of her first five years here:
http://4crooks.home.comcast.net/~4crooks/
…and her birth doll on this page:
http://www.godslittleones.com/ (laying on the artist’s hand with the heart behind her)
Thank you!
Cindy
This is a great pattern! Thank you the time and effort….now even more can be donated. Going to sew a few right now.
Ana-Maria Sanchez
Thank you for the wonderful pattern. And I too would of loved this cause my Grand Daughter wt. 2 lbs. 1 oz. and this would of made a difference but it still can for the babies in ICU. I am truly blessed that you started this. Thanks ever so much
Ana-Maria
Cindy
Thank you, for letting us use your pattern, our team of 8 have made 70 of these smocks to donate to the Riverton UT Primary Children’s Hospital N.I.C.U. and the Jordan valley Hospital N.I.C.U. Because of you, more can be done, Riverton MACU team.
Karon
Thank you for sharing !! I will be making a wardrobe of these for a friends grand baby a 2 pounder !!
Pat Walkup
Hello, I love this pattern, but none of our local hospitals want them. Is there a way to find out where I could send some if I make them?
Kymy
Maybe fellow readers might have suggestions? Most I know have simpled called the nearest hosptical with a NICU’s and asked if the needed/wanted them. You could also try emailing them with a link to the blog that has pictures of them modeled. Sorry I can’t be of more help!
Kymy
Plastic snaps should work great (they were in stores when I made this online). You just need to make sure they are well reinforced or they will rip out of the fabric. I was told to avoid metal snaps because they can heat up under some of the isolate lamps.
charlotte
I make theses for several units, I use ribbion and make ties, the nurses like these
char
JulieCC
I never thought of that as an option – great one! My DD’s primary RN asked me to make the gowns longer to cover up their diapers, so that’s what I plan to do also.
Alma Harshe
May I have the name of the NICU and the charge nurse. Thank you!!
JulieCC
Alma, I had posted the info, but it’s gone now. Write me directly at 4crooks @ comcast.net (remove spaces) and I’ll get you the info. I can’t contact you from here.
Alma Harshe
Thanks will do. Alma
Lydia Persson
I only use velcro as it is more adjustable and easier and quicker for the nurses to get off the baby in an emergancy.
JulieCC
My DD’s hospital does not want velcro as it does not hold up in the industrial laundry. That’s why I asked for suggestions.
Deb
Always looking for activities to do with my grandchildren so they can learn about giving to others. this is great since they are wanting to learn to sew..Thank you for sharing!
Shannon
Thank you for sharing this! My best friend and I are going to make a bunch of these and donate them to the local hospitals in honor of her sweet son! So happy to find a way to give back and help families going through this difficult time!
Todi Hilton
What a wonderful idea. My grandson will need heart surgery upon his birth. I am starting these now for him and to donate to Childrens Hospital Of Pennsylvania. Thank You.
Laura
I just made these for a friend of mine who is also expecting a baby with a congenital heart defect. It is so nice to be able to do something, no matter how small it may seem, when you feel otherwise so helpless. God bless your grandson and I wish your whole family the best!
Alma Harshe
Hi Laura, this is Alma, I make these also but my problem is all the hospitals I give to have an abundant suppy, do you know of any hospital that can use them. Thanks in advance, Alma Pamharshe@yahoo.com
Kathleen
This is so sweet. My daughter was a 5.5lb preemie and I had finding clothes that fit her even. I will have to make several of these and donate to hospitals in my area.
Elizabeth Rogers
This was so easy to sew. I will make a bunch of them for donating to a hospital. Thanks for the pattern!