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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Newborn clothes?

116 replies

Changeythenamey · 31/01/2021 10:10

We’re expecting our first baby in May and I was discussing purchases with a friend.

She couldn’t believe I said I was going to be sticking to sleep suits/ baby grows from super markets and Matalan. She was suggesting I was being a bit tight and expected me to go ‘all out’ on more high end outfits.

Now I’m worried I’ll come across as a skinflint.

We’ve bought some lovely little baby grows from sainaburys and ASDA. My thinking was that the baby will grow so quickly and will be messing them up so regularly that these will be the best solution for the first few months.

Am I being stingy and ‘missing out on dressing her up’? Money isn’t a problem but I do hate to be wasteful.

Also friend was suggesting that we need 20-30 outfits for every age bracket. Is this right?

OP posts:
Cornetttttto · 31/01/2021 14:31

Buy it all second hand. 75% of my son's wardrobe is second hand. Babies need very little and I cannot see any need for splurging.

JustPootlingAlong · 31/01/2021 14:39

I honestly think people are nuts to spend fortunes on baby clothes. I got gifted loads and some items we only managed to wear once. They grow out of things so quickly, it really isn't worth splashing out.
My DD is dressed almost exclusively in Primark, Tesco, Sainsbury's and Asda. She has the odd joules piece that I get off the outlet eBay page.
They don't care about labels and babies look cute in everything, so go for the cheap stuff while they are still tiny.

strawberriesontheNeva · 31/01/2021 14:44

Yanbu. Babies just puke up on lovely clothes anyway or poo on them 😆 they would be wasted

Soubriquet · 31/01/2021 14:46

Both of my babies stayed in baby grows until they were walking. Apart from in summer when they were either in a nappy at home or just a vest outdoors

Dd might have occasionally wore a dress but that was it

It’s a baby...they don’t need high end jeans and designer tops. They just need something they can sleep in, throw up on and have a poonami on without you going “oh shit! They cost me £20!!”

woodhill · 31/01/2021 14:52

@Changeythenamey

We’re expecting our first baby in May and I was discussing purchases with a friend.

She couldn’t believe I said I was going to be sticking to sleep suits/ baby grows from super markets and Matalan. She was suggesting I was being a bit tight and expected me to go ‘all out’ on more high end outfits.

Now I’m worried I’ll come across as a skinflint.

We’ve bought some lovely little baby grows from sainaburys and ASDA. My thinking was that the baby will grow so quickly and will be messing them up so regularly that these will be the best solution for the first few months.

Am I being stingy and ‘missing out on dressing her up’? Money isn’t a problem but I do hate to be wasteful.

Also friend was suggesting that we need 20-30 outfits for every age bracket. Is this right?

More money than sense, take no notice.
Youseethethingis · 31/01/2021 15:02
  1. “Outfits” for new babies are a waste of time. They go on for a few minutes to take a picture for the person who gave you it, otherwise are a faff.
  2. They grow so quickly!
  3. The more you have the more you end up having to wash/fold/sort and deal with when they are grown out of. More faff.
  4. Sleepsuits/rompers are the comfiest things for babies to wear and easiest for you to be dealing with.
  5. There are more important things you could be doing with your money to secure your baby’s future than farting about with expensive and impractical outfits that just happen to be the right brand.
fireme · 31/01/2021 15:02

😳. I always have my babies in baby grows and vests for the first couple months, that's all I've bought this time. Just carry on. I've bought 15 baby grows and 20 vests, one all in one to go out in... that's it! I don't know the sex of my baby either so it's all neutral.

EarlGreywithLemon · 31/01/2021 15:07

Our daughter was very happily in short sleeve vests plus baby grows until she was past 6 months, and then it was mostly rompers and cotton dresses because it was a hot summer. We also had a couple of cardigans, a pram suit and a snow suit for going out, and that was it. Oh, and 2 light and 2 thicker gro bags for overnight. We had about 20 vests and 15 baby grows (mostly multipacks with a few individual ones I particularly liked). We really did need that many, because she brought up milk like there was no tomorrow. She went through 4-5 baby grows a day easily, sometimes more.
That’s not even counting the poonamis. The washing machine was on pretty much constantly, including my baby vomit covered clothes. Not all babies do that though, so you might not need as many as we did.

Dontforgetyourbrolly · 31/01/2021 15:12

I was gifted lots of smart outfits for ds that only got worn to take a photo and sent to the gifted with a message of thanks ! They are so fiddly and uncomfortable , ds lived in baby gros until he was 12 months....ah nothing like a little baby in a baby gro , adorable!

FiloPastryMaker · 31/01/2021 15:20

Literally no point buying anything else. Especially if baby is due whilst lockdowns still going on - my baby hasn't been in anything else the whole time, we're not going anywhere and sleepsuits are comfy and easy. Just ordered a load more for next size up second hand from ebay... For the length of time they wear them the cost adds up, even if your sticking to supermarkets.

User56666 · 31/01/2021 15:23

No my three were often very sick as new borns and I often had to throw their clothing away as I couldn’t get the stains out. I certainly wouldn’t buy expensive clothing for such a young baby. The supermarkets do some lovely clothing at a good price.

SeraphinaDombegh · 31/01/2021 15:28

OP does your friend have her own children? I only ask this because most people who've actually had babies know that "proper outfits" for babies are a pain in the arse. They're fiddly, faffy, invariably get pooed or sicked on in minutes, and they're usually not very comfy for baby either. You do right to keep it simple!

EveryDayIsADuvetDay · 31/01/2021 15:33

explain to your friend that you're having a baby (that will puke, dribble, wee and poo), not a doll.

ChristOnAPeloton · 31/01/2021 15:35

YANBU. I assume you have a washing machine? No need at all for 30 babygrows.

I don’t personally like putting them on older babies in the daytime tho. Fitted leggings are more practical for crawling babies, otherwise they crawl up the inside of the suit- plus they look like pyjamas to me.

Pugdoglife · 31/01/2021 15:47

I probably had over 30 baby grows, dozens of vests and outfits for all of my children, in each size.... total waste of money, I must have given away hundreds of pounds worth of them still with tags on or worn once.
Supermarket baby grows are absolutely fine, next if you are feeling posh, I'd probably get about a dozen do you have plenty of spares and you will get your money worth out of them. A few nice cardigans to go over the top too.

Outfits like dresses or jeans are just a faff with babies under 6 months.

Bumpsadaisie · 31/01/2021 16:38

Your friend is mad.

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