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Original poster

Why is a baby’s “going home outfit” a big deal?

257 replies

EmAreSea · 09/10/2019 07:23

DH and I have just been discussing this as I’m 37+6 today and have been packing (and re-packing, and double-triple-checking, and re-re-packing) hospital bags. We’re taking a selection of sleepsuits for baby to wear in the hospital and then started talking about the Going Home Outfit, and both started wondering why it’s a thing? How did that come about? Does anyone know?

OP posts:

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 09/10/2019 08:17

DD1 it was a colourful sleepsuit. DH tried putting a Rugby shirt n her, but as it was 6-9 month size, it drowned her.

DD2 was a homebirth so I had chosen a special sleepsuit, white with red and grey elephants.

I still have both sleepsuits.

Tableclothing · 09/10/2019 08:18

Please forgive the minor derail, but can someone please explain to this soon-to-be ftm what the Car Seat Horror entails?

KUGA · 09/10/2019 08:19

I assumed it as when in days of old we never had much to wear,so a new baby came out of hospital in the best you could afford
Quite possibly a Victorian thing ?.

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Clothing Families

LashesZ · 09/10/2019 08:21

I thought it a "special" outfit, especially if money was tight. My DM knitted me a cardigan I wore as part of my "going home outfit". DD also wore it as hers

Ginfordinner · 09/10/2019 08:21

It is only a "thing" to people who make it into a "thing".

DD is 19, and social media wasn't around back then. I was only concerned that the car seat wasn't too uncomfortable for her. That said, I have kept the outfit she went home in, and can't believe how small it is.

Teddybear45 · 09/10/2019 08:22

All the sites I’ve read seem to suggest the special / ‘going home’ outfit allows the parents to gain back some control over the parenting process, and dressing the baby in what you want can help reduce symptoms of PTSD / PND.

SchadenfreudePersonified · 09/10/2019 08:23

The midwives were REALLY keen on a hat. That’s all I remember from DS1.

Same when my two were born.

TBH, I think I could have taken them out in a hat and nappy, and no-one would have batted an eye (I didn't by the way).

I think it's a photo opportunities thing.

the baby in the bed next door went home in a 27 piece primrose outfit de excellence. My mum has never got over it......... That baby went to Oxford on accelerated entry btw.

Primrose , you say Lurker? And 27 pieces . . .

< realises where went wrong >

Robs20 · 09/10/2019 08:26

I didn’t think it was and was surprised by all the hype. Packed a couple of sleepsuits and hats in my hospital bag.
Dd1 spent 4 months in nicu so her going home outfit seemed VERY important at the time!

ReanimatedSGB · 09/10/2019 08:26

I remember thinking something about it, and putting DS in a top and trousers (soft ones, like pyjama pants) and a hat to take him home, having spent the three days we were kept in wearing sleepsuits. This was 15 years ago. Like a PP said, the hospital staff were very keen that he went home in a hat.
But the babygro that went in the memory box was the first one I dressed him in the night he was born.

Theyellowsquare · 09/10/2019 08:29

I had my babies in the 90s. A going home shawl was a thing then, usually knitted by an elderly relative or a 'family shawl' passed down.

user1480880826 · 09/10/2019 08:29

Instagram generation

QueenAnneBoleyn · 09/10/2019 08:30

No special outfit here. Plain white babygrow and cardigan. I did buy her a cute Peter Rabbit hat beforehand but it was too big for her.

Millennial · 09/10/2019 08:31

It wasn’t a thing when my dc were young, so if it is a popular thing to do now I’d be thinking it was because of social media.

I remember packing a couple of babygros in different sizes and a hat. But they weren’t special babygros, actually I didn’t buy anything new in newborn sizes as I was always unsure of newborn sizing so just packed secondhand ones id been given. I bought nice new outfits in 0-3 month sizes.

And I don’t have any photos just after the birth either or going home photos, we never thought of it. I do have some of the baby and us a few hours old. And then a few days old. Things have changed a lot in the last decade.

OMGshefoundmeout · 09/10/2019 08:33

I didn’t know it was a thing. I couldn’t tell you what DC1 wore when we left the hospital. And DC2 was born at home -if this becomes a thing what will be the equivalent photo op all the home birthed children?

NameChange84 · 09/10/2019 08:33

Maybe it's a regional thing. It's not American as far as I know of!

It was most definitely a thing when I was born in 1984 as I've heard about the excitement of my parents choosing my outfit and then finally seeing me in it, showing me off in it etc.

It was also a thing when my first friend had a baby in 2007. I went with her to help her choose it. In the end it didn't fit when the baby was born as she was small but she dressed her in it anyway and took pictures for a laugh in years to come. I'm sure she kept the outfit.

I think its more of a tradition than a modern invention.

notso · 09/10/2019 08:34

SM I suspect. It certainly wasn't a thing when my dd was born 14 years ago.
It was definitely on the lists you got in magazines etc when I had DC1 in 2000.
DD's was just a standard navy and red babygro from Mothercare

Chillisauceboss · 09/10/2019 08:34

Mine had a slightly nicer white babygrow with yellow ducks. I remember choosing it and realising at one stage I would carry my baby through my front door wearing it. It wasn't super fancy and apart from the very standard photos (not on SM) it wasn't flaunted. I also wanted to keep it for my baby's memory box, I have my first outfit and my first pair of shoes.
I've known many generations of my family to have set aside an outfit that baby will arrive home in. It's not a new thing

katmarie · 09/10/2019 08:34

I didn't bother too much about a going home outfit, just popped ds in about 6 layers of clothes, (he was born in january and it was snowing a few days before so very cold). I did cover him in a blanket I knitted for him, which I'm planning to make into a bigger knitted throw for when hes a bit bigger. I kept the very first outfit he wore though, it's now in his memory box.

lightlypoached · 09/10/2019 08:34

My DD is 20. I carefully chose a beautiful Gap soft all in one with tiny pictures all over it. With a matching hat and a very soft pale yellow hoodie. And tiny white socks. She looked beautiful. I still have it in her keepsake box.

DS was born at home and his first outfit was a beautiful hand me down white flannelette night dress. We still have that.

We didn't have Instagram or fb in those days, the pictures are in my head.

I think it's just about marking a special effort for a landmark event. It's rather lovely but entirely optional.

PickedByYou · 09/10/2019 08:35

My lovely sister in law made me some nighties for my kids. She embroidered them. I was delighted to take a snap of the kids leaving hospital in them. All pre Facebook.

PickedByYou · 09/10/2019 08:37

I got DD a 'hello world' sleep suit

That's really cute. 😊

cookiemonster5 · 09/10/2019 08:38

It's always been a thing in my area. As soon as babies were born in hospitals and not at home they were wearing a special outfit.

I've kept each of my children's going home outfits.

NameChange84 · 09/10/2019 08:38

And with all things, if you don't like it or can't be bothered to do it yourself, don't do it.

Kaykay06 · 09/10/2019 08:42

My eldest son just turned 18 and he had a going home outfit, wore babygrows otherwise but had little lemon trousers a white too with little ducks on and white cardi and little lemon hooded coat. Hat too all 4 boys wore that outfit home youngest is 8. Wasn’t for pics as such but I was young with ds1, no social media etc then really

greenflamingo · 09/10/2019 08:42

3 kids and never heard of this being a thing.

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