When did you put your baby in 'proper' clothes?

[MrsVik]

My DD is 11 weeks, and most days (6 out of 7, normally) she's still in a vest and sleep suit all day.

On the days that I get her dressed (normally if we go out to visit someone) she seems uncomfortable laying on buckles, seams etc.

At what age did you put your baby into proper clothes throughout the day? I know it's good to do to establish a nighttime routine, although my DD goes into her sleeping bag at night, so there is at least that which sets day apart from night. And she sleeps pretty well at night.

So how important is it? Whenever we're out and about with the sling or pushchair I feel a bit guilty that she's not properly dressed - just a jacket over her PJs. I don't want people to think I don't look after her properly!

[4madboys]

i tried to put ds1 in proper clothes when he was alittle baby to help him distinguish between day and night as he was such a crap sleeper, it didnt help at all so i gave up.

i have kept all four of my boys in babygrows or those outfits like babygorws but without feet for as long as possible, until they were up and walking tbh, occasionally i would put them in leggings and a top or dungarees, but it was babygrows all the way for me, i like babies to look like babies andlike you say they are more comfortable for them.

i am now expecting no 5 and it will also live in babygrows, you can get some nice colourful ones from blooming marvellous and other places that look nice for daytime

oh there is an organic range of lovely stripey ones in bright colours, only i cant remember the make, but google organic stripey baby clothes and you will find it

[MangoTango]

"Sleepsuits" is just a marketing term to get people to think babygros are inappropriate daytime wear for babies and splash out on lots of outfits. There is nothing wrong with them and they are more comfortable IMO, specially for naps. I used to put my dds in outfits for toddler groups and visits and the like, but for knocking around at home and for taking the younger one on the older one's nursery run she wore babygros. Actually they spent most of their first year in babygros as i love them.

[MangoTango]

PS. My older one slept through from 9 weeks for 11 hour stretches, so it didn't harm her sleep that she was in babygros. (The younger one didn't sleep through until she was over 2 just in case i am sounding too smug!)

[tostaky]

I had a c-section and i had my DS mid-november. This meant i wasnt very mobile, and because the weather was grim i was feeling a bit down. so very early (at around 5-6 weeks) i felt that if i had to make an effort for myself and get dressed/take care of myself, then DS had to as well!
This is when I switched to proper clothes (and even baby shoes!)
Try to avoid complicated outfit. I avoided jeans and buckles and dressed him in soft fabrics.
I did get some funny look like i was one crazy mum to put shoes on such a tiny baby, but hell it made me feel so much better and he did not seem to mind either....

Then again, you can find some cool babygrows for "older" babies and you could change babygrow one for the day with brighter color/pattern, and one for the night with softer colors?

I dont think it is very important!

[JamesAndTheGiantBanana]

Not for ages really, beyond special outfits for visiting/photos etc

I love babygrows, they're cute, comfy, well designed and babies look like babies in them. Nowt wrong with that.

[stinkypinky]

As long as possible - kinder on skin, easier to change, no riding up or down. For special occasions you can dress them up, but agree about them lying on buttons and zips - ok once sitting unaided.

No shoes until walking outside.

I would buy a babygro for myself if I could find one that would fit!

[ImSoNotTelling]

About 4 months maybe?

[ImSoNotTelling]

They can hamper crawling IME so I reckon it's a good idea to do something when they show signs of trying to get on the move.

I used to put a pair of jeans over the top one of them women at postnatal group said she was impressed that I always had DD dressed so nicely with her socks matching her tshirt

[thumbwitch]

probably around 5mo - when an old man commented that he was out in his "pyjamas" and I looked at DS and thought - yes, it does look like that now - so started to dress him up more.

However, I did have the best ever baby velour dungaree thingies with feet that he had to wear over a longsleeved vest - he was wearing those from around 4w onwards.

[poorbuthappy]

My twins are 16 months and if we don't leave the house (obv hidden in pushchair for school run) then babygros all the way! Really helps to keep on top of the washing too!

[SPBInDisguise]

DS was quite old i think, maybe between 6 and 9 months
DD much younger about 4ish months, though she still has pyjama days when were not going anywhere. i buckled under the pressure of loads of lovely clothes this time & the guilt of knowing that shes my last so if she didn't wear them none of my dcs would!

[wukter]

I love babygrows as well, and my nine mo lives in them - I still think she seems unconfortable in outfits and they hamper her mobility. Depends on the pattern really, that can make them very much like pyjamas.
I think little velour dungarees with a long sleeve tshirt are lovely on babies, they're dressed in them but they're comfortable as well.

[wukter]

X posts thumbwitch

[ImSoNotTelling]

I used to get DD1 dressed if we were seeing my mum, to avoid faces...

[thumbwitch]

I was so sad when DS grew out of his! And then I couldn't find any more in a bigger size . Sooo cute...

Thinking about it, I used to let DS stay in his babygro all day if we weren't going out - this went on much past him being 5-6mo.

I still love babygros for him to sleep in but finding ones that are the right size now is quite hard - he is 2.3yo and the last lot I got from Tesco have really long legs! I mean, a good 3" longer than DS's legs - he's not a flippin giraffe!

[tortoiseonthehalfshell]

Around 6 months. But I kept her in comfy stretch fabrics till about 9-10 months - cotton leggings and t-shirts and things. At 16 months, I'm starting to introduce jeans and shoes, because why be uncomfortable before you have to?

[toomuchmum]

My wee ones were in babygrows until about six months. Apart from the odd special occasion.

Hated all those outfits with buckles and pockets etc.

Girls stuff seemed to be worse and I have to admit I took a lot of stuff back to the shops that I recieved as gifts.

Babygrows and cardigans were definatly my choice, babys look very cute in little white babygrows!

Wouldn't it be cool to have huge babygrows! I did get one (minus feet) out of H & M for my oldest daughter (she was eight at the time)and she lived in the thing, I thought it was cute, my partner thought it was hideous!

[winnybella]

Not that long really.

In Paris you can get lots of pretty, affordable cotton or cashmere tops, sweaters, pants - no buckles or zips.

I found the zillions of buttons on sleepsuits a nightmare.

[tortoiseonthehalfshell]

Toomuch: I have to admit, I look at my now-16-mo-old in sleeper PJs and wish they made them in adult size.

[MangoTango]

Here

[Psammead]

It's MrsVik here - sorry, I fancied changing my name.

Thanks for all the advice. I feel like I'm on the right track now!

I do love her in her babygros - they are cute, and she's definitely very comfy in them. I will continue to be a lazy dresser and consider myself in good company

[outnumbered2to1]

My DS1 was dressed in babygrows and vests from day one until he was about 9 or 10 months cos it was just easier plus he slept lots.

DS2 also spent his time babygrows but he had dislocated hips and was in the von rosen splint for 6 weeks followed by the pavlik harness for 6 months so it really was just easier and much more comfortable for him. He is now 3 and still goes to be in a big sleepsuit....

[Firawla]

i put mine in them straight away really? well maybe first 2 or 3 weeks mainly in 1 peice baby grow kinda outfits, but not the actual pj ones i would change them into a more daytime kinda one iyswim. ds2 gone into jeans and outfits bit earlier than ds1 as he was bigger, he never seemed bothered or uncomfy by wearing clothes

[sparkleshine]

My DS is 15wks and is in clothes during the day. He has been since about 6wks old. Though the clothes were soft t-shirts and jogging type pants with no buttons, buckles, zips etc.
Personally i would keep him in sleepsuits/babygrows during the day if we arent going anywhere. He has a few lovely thick cuddly ones that are too hot for night time so wonder when he is gonna wear them but i will use them at some point.
It was my DP that said we should start to dress him and use the clothes we had been given and bought ourselves.

Though i do like looking through his clothes and choosing his outfit for the next day. He does look so cute in clothes, but for lazy days would love to keep him in sleepsuits, just wonder how other people would react.

[grumpykat25]

We went to a wedding yesterday. I dressed my dd up in a cute dress and cardie combo we bought from Monsoon before she was born. I put her in the dress (enormous, she's only 5 weeks old), abandoned the cardie in favour of a woolly one knitted by nanna and then got myself ready. And then I took her pretty dress back off and put her back in her babygro- I was only dressing her up for my benefit and she was just swamped and clearly not very comfy. Back to babygro's in grumpy household!