AIBU to be annoyed at people saying I'm buying too much for my baby

[peonyrose87]

I sent my family a picture of some baby clothes I've bought, literally 6 sleep suits, maybe a dozen vests, a snow suit and two hats.

They're all saying I've bought too much and to slow down, that other people will buy me things, and I'll end up with two much.

The things I've bought are all newborn/first size, so are for the hospital bag and the first few weeks. And I've really not bought a lot? I'm 21 weeks so still have a long time to go obviously but if I see something and like it I pick it up.

We live three hours away from family and I don't like relying on getting things for other people so why is it unreasonable to make sure my baby has clothes?

My baby was born in January in eastern Europe and we took him home in a snow suit! Weird comment at the beginning. Buy what you like! I didn't get to because said baby turned up 5 weeks early and I hadn't even started maternity leave! I was also scared to buy anything too early but if you want something then get it!

YANBU to buy that amount, YABU to be annoyed by advice to stop buying - many parents make this mistake then end up with clothes never or rarely worn.

Also, buckle up!! If this got you pissed then you're in for a World of pain!! You'll soon be bombarded with hundreds of opinions about everything from sleeping to burping to feeding to EVERY SINGLE LITTLE THING!! Even strangers in public sometimes chime in!

For your own sake, learn to smile, nod, ignore & get not let it annoy you. Honestly, having a newborn is hard enough without giving this kind of shit head space.

Do what you want and make your own mistakes! I bought far too much for DC but I don't care. We could afford it, I had great fun choosing things and we've given a lot of the unused things as presents to friends having babies after us.

People will always tell you that your children have too much stuff... Clothes, toys, everything. This is only the start of it. Just do what you like and take joy in it.

They've probably bought you loads of stuff and are worried you won't need it.

One thing I would say is go either end of the price spectrum for any further purchases. So one or two lovely, really expensive outfits that you absolutely adore and then a 5-pack of cheap basic cotton sleepsuits to chuck in your nappy bag or for middle of the night changes. That's what I found most useful.

I had to return newborn sizes when it became clear that there was no way they would fit my DD when she arrived. They were way too small so I would say don't get too many for this stage, other than that, its upto you what you buy!

And yes, cultivate a thick skin ,they all have opinions.....

Just keep it u yourself otherwise their comments will get you down.

I would buy some 2nd hand sleepsuits/babygrows as they shrink in the wash and dryer and some places the sizing comes up a bit different.

Even though I had whopper babies they just squeezed into newborn for a week.

Don't forget you need some cardigans

I would suggest not buying any more newborn. My baby was 9lbs and went straight into 0-3. On the other hand my first was 6lbs 7oz so DH had to quickly nip to boots and get some newborn stuff. Vests and babygrow are find but I would be cautious about buying too many little outfits (and people always give you little outfits). My first was dinky and didn’t fit into 0-3 until 3 months. Then we had a very warm April/May/June/July so all her 0-3 was winter stuff which was now far to warm to wear. My second was massive and went straight into 0-4 and is now in 6-9 at 4 months. I would be careful not to get too many seasonal clothes

My baby was born too big for newborn size!
I was disappointed but what can you do?
Do not get carried away

My DD was born in January. She was stuffed in her snowsuit from 3 days old and prammed into town. I like to walk and it was cold and she needed to keep warm.

I got this constantly from my MIL! Whenever she asked what people would buy, I replied "not clothes"

Even now DD is almost 10 months, she feels the need to comment every time she has something new on:
"Ooh, is that top/those leggings/that cardy new?"
"Has mummy been shopping again?"
"Aren't you lucky having a mummy who buys you so many new clothes"

I just nod, smile and ignore. It's like some people forget the excitement of being in the pregnancy bubble and wanting to buy things for your own child, rather than rely on gifts from others.

If I'd relied on gifts, DD would've been in very pretty, but impractical dresses most days!

Please get a snowsuit that unzips all the way down to the feet, though! Trying to contort a sleeping or squirming baby into one where the zips stop at the crotch is not fun .

I listened to this advice and ended up with basically no newborn clothes- had like 3 sleepsuits and that was it. My mum had to run out to mothercare and get me some the day after my daughter was born! Get what you think you need because everyone says this then no one buys newborn stuff because they think everyone else will.

My kids were born in November and January - snowsuits and hats were a must as I didn't have a car!

I don't think you can ever have too many vests or sleepsuits considering leakages, poo explosions on changing etc.

I was caught out with DD (2nd child) measured as normal all the way through, was born by c-sec at 38 weeks at 5lb - the 0-3 months were huge!! Whereas firstborn was 9lb6 - he was in them for 5 mins lol

Good luck OP, you'll be fine xx

I only bought dd one set of newborn clothes. Everything else 0-3 months, which was massive. I ended up going to mothercare when dd was about 3 days old to get loads of newborn clothes, which she wore until 3 months. She was full term and bang on average weight. I also had 2 snowsuits for her. A thicker and thinner one. The thinner had a detachable sleeping bag bottom, that you could split to make legs to strap in the pram and doubled up as a jacket.

I should add the new born were huge for DD too - we had to send my mum out for 'tiny baby'. Nevermind - she grew in to the rest

You need a fair bit for little ones as they can get through several outfits a day sometimes, a few dodgy nappy moments or throwing up their milk.

We heard the same mantra to be honest OP and ignored it and were glad we did. Gifts tend to be the fancy, frilly, posh stuff rather than the basics that you really need every day.
Maybe just stop sending photos and do what you like with your money for your baby. It's really no one else's business.

Yanbu. Baby shopping is lovely, buy as much as you like. Although I agree that it's probably best to not buy much in newborn sizes in case your baby is massive like my ds1.

We got given a lot but it was all 0-3 or bigger. Dd was in newborn for like 3 months so I was glad to have bought my own stuff. Also we were in hospital for 5 days so having quite a few changes was so useful. Go for it. Buy what you like , there's nothing quite like buying things you love and then seeing them in it!

I only bought 0-3 month clothes which was fine for DS but DD was 7lb 14oz and my mother had to nip out and buy anything she could in newborn.
I used pram suits but always a size bigger, because I crap at dressing babies.

Do what you want. I received the same advice, but I've bought a few things for a newborn just in case since you never know what you'll be given.

Like you've said in your answers, people usually buy bigger things for babies so you'll need a few things.

You'll need a lot more than 6 sleep suits unless you want to be washing and drying every day

It's nobody's concern if you do anything you choose, on your own private planet. On ours, mindless consumerism, particularly for an extra burden to the population explosion, is antisocial.

@DappledThings

Snowsuits aren't any use till they are walking in my experience so I'd return that if you can.

I had my daughter in a snow suit for most of winter. She was a baby that needed to be moving to sleep so we both spent a lot of time outside

If you re-use second hand things, avoid artificial fibre, and of course use washable nappies, you will at least do less harm. Babies born today have a life expectancy of about a century, but it is unlikely they will have a habitable planet if breeding and polluting carry on unabated.