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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To give up on ironing baby clothes before baby is even here?

77 replies

directyourcall · 15/07/2016 13:53

Oh my god they're literally impossible to iron. Spent over an hour and only ironed a couple of them. Managed to get them crease free with only a few tears.

Left them on the ironing board yesterday and I've gone to them today and the crease goblin has been and they don't look like they've been ironed at all. I folded them once in the middle, that's it.

Fuck it. I've packed them in babies hospital bag anyway, I'm 39 weeks so it needs to be packed regardless. AIBU to think it's a little bit pointless to try and iron them again? I don't want baby to look scruffy but I'm fighting a losing battle here.

OP posts:

Bear2014 · 15/07/2016 14:20

I can't believe your OH is pressuring you to iron when you are 39 weeks pregnant. You need to address that behaviour above all else!

LillyBugg · 15/07/2016 14:20

ironing baby clothes? don't want the baby to look scruffy? oh thinks you should?

STEP AWAY FROM THE IRON.

Honestly, you won't have time when baby is here. You won't care when baby is here. You will laugh about this in the future. I promise!!

WankersHacksandThieves · 15/07/2016 14:26

We like everything ironed so yes we would iron (well DH does all the ironing :) ), but no, you don't need to. All baby cares about is whether the clothes are soft, warm and comfy and baby will soon warm out any creases when they are being worn anyway. Hope all goes well.

Topseyt · 15/07/2016 14:27

Who irons baby clothes? My best advice is don't. I had three babies and never ironed a single baby grow.

If MIL and DH want them all ironed then let them do it. If they want to actually make unnecessary work for themselves then let them do just that.

Relax with a cup of tea.

PS, I almost never iron. I just about know where my iron is.

Houseconfusion · 15/07/2016 14:28

Ironing baby clothes?

What the actual?

wait till you get shat on

LilithTheKitty · 15/07/2016 14:29

Don't iron baby clothes! If DH wants them ironing he can do it

PersianCatLady · 15/07/2016 14:30

I don't think I know anyone that routinely ironed baby clothes.

I think I ironed the odd little smart shirt when my son was sitting up but nothing else.

Honestly you will find that the clothes are in the wash so much there is no need to iron them.

If you have a tumble dryer the best thing to do is to remove the clothes from it the minute the cycle ends, give each item a shake and put it over the back of a chair and then they are ready for next time.

Dreamstosell · 15/07/2016 14:33

Ok let's just suppose for a moment that you do iron the baby clothes and there's not a crease in sight (imaginary or otherwise) and you dress the baby in the beautifully iron clothes. Then you pick up that beautifully dressed baby and cuddle it .... and crease all the beautiful, painstakingly ironed clothes and your back to square one 😀. See it's pointless.

lifesalongsong · 15/07/2016 14:33

Oh my, firstly how short of stuff to do are you and your OH that you need to talk about ironing baby clothes and secondly how big a baby are you expecting if it took you an hour to iron two items.

My mind is boggling, are you talking about newborn sleepsuits, for an elephant

luckiestgirl · 15/07/2016 14:35

Hahahahahahahaha

paddypants13 · 15/07/2016 14:37

3 year old and 1 year old here. Apart from for a couple of special occasions I have never ironed my children's clothes. And even then it was only because the items were really creased.

Get your feet up and enjoy the peace and quiet while it lasts! Congratulations on your pregnancy.

Dachshund · 15/07/2016 14:37

OH wants them ironed, OH does it.

I find that if I sort of smooth as I go and button them up as I hang them out to dry they're crease free anyway.

Methinks you are deep into nesting right now? Nothing wrong with that but step away from the pro and put your feet up!

MumOnACornishFarm · 15/07/2016 14:37

OP put down the iron and go and run yourself a bath. After that, go and have a nap. In 2 weeks from now you will understand why ironing baby clothes is utter madness.

ijustwannadance · 15/07/2016 14:40

In a few weeks you won't give a flying fuck about ironing anything.
My only advice is stop trying to live up to you mil's standards.

MissBattleaxe · 15/07/2016 14:44

Tell your DH his bollocks are wrinkly. They need ironing. Offer to help.

ILostItInTheEarlyNineties · 15/07/2016 14:55

Are we talking babygros here or are you taking a long frilly dress/tuxedo shirt and linen trousers for the baby in your hospital bag?

MarklahMarklah · 15/07/2016 14:55

Do NOT iron things like this. Put the kettle on, get cake/biscuits and put your feet up.
I rarely iron anything because I can think of about a thousand things I'd rather do. I do iron school uniform because it looks really awful if it's creased. Everything else can just pass muster as it is.

ILostItInTheEarlyNineties · 15/07/2016 15:00

You would need a very small little iron. A mini iron.
Thankfully, no such thing exists.

Feeches · 15/07/2016 16:13

Tell your DH his bollocks are wrinkly. They need ironing. Offer to help.

This x100000000

blueskywithclouds · 15/07/2016 16:20

Occasionally I look at my daughter's clothes and think they could do with an iron...then I tell myself not to be stupid 😁

OutOfAces · 15/07/2016 16:41

OK I'll admit it. My name is OutOfAces and I'm one of those weirdos who irons baby clothes.

But I love ironing. I iron everything from smart shirts to dishcloths. And I enjoy ironing DS' clothes (especially muslins because they're so easy). I think this started in a misguided belief that it would be hygenic to run a hot iron over them.

And even I say don't iron them. You honestly can't tell the difference between ironed and unironed once the baby is wearing them; the only reason I do it is for the fun of ironing itself - and if you don't find ironing fun, well there's your answer!

If for some reason the people who are telling you to do the ironing can't do it themselves and you don't want to say no, I would think this a great time to employ a 'don't and say you did' approach.

Original poster

directyourcall · 15/07/2016 16:58

Haha so many of the posts here have made me laugh.

I'm not a tea drinker but I did sit down with a pork pie and a glass of caffeine free (eww) cola. Feel a little better now. In his defence he is anxious about doing what other people do as well? If that makes sense. And so was I.

Hmm as to ironing out any of his creases... it did make me laugh!

OP posts:

AlpacaLypse · 15/07/2016 17:05

Mmmm pork pie... you're giving me the munchies OP!

Seriously, looking ahead please don't let worrying about being compared to your mum or your MIL get to you. Sounds like they're one from each end of the spectrum of OCD super-woman to frankly slutty when it comes to housekeeping etc! So long as you can see the floor and the loo isn't actively creating new life forms, good housekeeping in the first few months is not compulsory!

geekymommy · 15/07/2016 17:07

OH and MIL want the baby clothes ironed? They know where the iron is.

You do know that up to 200 mg of caffeine per day is OK in pregnancy according to the NHS and OBs here in America, do you not?

FasterThanASnakeAndAMongoose · 15/07/2016 17:14

I think you're nesting!

I barely even fold baby clothes - grows and vests just get crammed in the drawer. Despite this my 2 always look presentable.

When I started maternity leave I had a sudden panic because there were mould spots on the bathroom ceiling, so I mopped it with bleach.

Step away from the iron, have a bat and a nice cup of decaf tea. Don't even think about ironing another thing! Everything will be fine.

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