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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To suggest you don't buy newborn sized clothes as a gift?

103 replies

NeedingAGoodNap · 12/05/2021 09:58

Unless you know the baby actually needs them? I was just clearing out my dds old clothes and found lovely newborn clothes that were never worn. We will donate them of course but it still feels like a waste. DD was born bigger then those clothes so there was no way to use them.

OP posts:
Queenoftheashes · 12/05/2021 10:09

I never do for that reason and also assume they’ll get loads of gifts in the smaller sizes

Flump9 · 12/05/2021 10:11

It goes the other way aswell though. I got lots of 0-3 clothes but my baby was early and under 3lbs so didn't get to that size until about 6 months old so clothes completely the wrong season. The answer is probably wait until the baby is born and you know the weight and ask if they have lots of newborn clothes already before buying.

takealettermsjones · 12/05/2021 10:14

Yeah just buy bibs, sleeping bags, teething toys, muslin cloths, non-squirty bath toys. Much easier!

MrsClatterbuck · 12/05/2021 10:14

I also never buy newborn sized clothes as a present. Also try to match age child will be wearing them with season. Sometimes I buy for a year old which is also appreciated.

CassandrasCastle · 12/05/2021 10:14

Hmm...I was very glad of the few I got. Most people gave me what felt like massive sizes (like 6-9 months), and I ended up being stupidly quite unprepared for the number of tiny suits I needed for DD

FoxtrotSkarloey · 12/05/2021 10:15

I think it goes every which way, so the best thing is to always give a gift receipt.

We ended up with (given new or second hand) with a whopping 21 sleep suits for six - nine months. And had to buy some for three - six months...

Quail15 · 12/05/2021 10:16

I've just sorted through all of DD baby clothes ready for the arrival of ds. I was given so many beautiful new born baby clothes - DD was 9lbs 12 when she was born and very long, these clothes didn't go anywhere near her. Ds was equally large and very long. All these clothes have gone to the charity shop.

Everyone this time has bought Ds clothes in size 3-6 months which is lovely.

StreetLightsHoney · 12/05/2021 10:16

YABVU. It depends entirely on the baby.

My baby was very small and didn’t fit in newborn clothes until she was a couple of months old.

Don’t try to control what other people gift. Just be grateful someone (you or a charity) is getting use out of them.

FoxtrotSkarloey · 12/05/2021 10:18

@takealettermsjones

Yeah just buy bibs, sleeping bags, teething toys, muslin cloths, non-squirty bath toys. Much easier!
Oh please no. I'm also, swimming in bibs, mitts and muslins. It's so kind of people, but there are limits.

A nice outfit, with a gift receipt and then if the size isn't needed, it can be swapped for the same outfit in a size which is. So we still think of the people who gave us the outfit, but it gets full use. Perfect.

AngeloMysterioso · 12/05/2021 10:20

I don’t tend to buy baby clothes as gifts for this reason. My go-to these days is a deluxe jojo maman bebe changing mat, a little jellycat toy and I always buy a present for the Mum.

takealettermsjones · 12/05/2021 10:26

@FoxtrotSkarloey Fair enough! I couldn't get enough bibs and the sleeping bags were worth their weight in gold! I guess everyone's different Smile I'm with you on the scratch mitts though, they were useless for us.

Numnumcookie · 12/05/2021 10:29

You just can't predict it unfortunately.

People got us gifts in a variety of sizes and were careful to buy appropriate clothing for the weather when he would theoretically be that size, except.....

He's now 4 months old and in 9-12 month clothes already. So I have a tonne of beautiful summer clothes, t shirts and shorts etc that will never be worn as they'll be too small by then.

Thecatsawinner · 12/05/2021 10:29

I was told not to get newborn size, ended up struggling in the first few weeks trying to buy new born, we didn’t have a lot of shops near us, trying to handle a new born in too big clothes isn’t ideal. Defo get some, not many. You can be sheets change them or cut feet off sleep suits

JillsFlapjacks · 12/05/2021 10:31

Generally, I agree. I only get newborn if baby is very small to begin with. My sisters have both had babies at 5lbs and under, for example. So I've bought a couple of newborn bits, and some for up to one month etc. etc.

MangoM · 12/05/2021 10:39

Best just to ask if you want to ensure it's going to be useful.

We had a lot of clothes given to us for the 3-6 month size from people that didn't know that we'd given loads of second hand in that size from a friend.

Similarly, looking a little too far ahead, we got given a lovely gillet in completely the wrong size as a friend assumed my son would be small (He's pretty average height for his age) so got the season/size completely wrong. It was a shame as it was a really cute little gift.

Laundrydragon · 12/05/2021 10:41

Yep. I usually go with small gift along with a nice gift voucher- you can get some that are accepted every where. I received so many tiny clothes for my very, very long baby born in a heatwave - so they weren't used at all (he still out grows trousers on a seemingly daily basis) . I just made up a parcel for our local baby clothing bank.

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 12/05/2021 10:43

I thought everyone knew this!

My Dd was tiny so she was in newborn or early baby stuff for ages, but mostly you buy bigger stuff for the season it will be by that time.

ichundich · 12/05/2021 10:44

They are mostly bought by people who haven't got kids or had them a long time ago. I used to buy my friends' babies newborn stuff when I didn't have the experience yet of how fast the grow. Same goes for toys that are too old / young for the child in question.

SnarkyBag · 12/05/2021 10:45

DS’s were huge so went straight into 3months plus baby grows so we never got to use any newborn stuff. I generally wait until baby is born before I buy a gift so you know more about sizing. Another reason I hate pre baby shower shite. I loved getting gifts in the days after mine were born

NameChangeChronicPain · 12/05/2021 10:49

YABU. I actually found out of all of the clothes sizes, DC was in newborn size for the longest. We had so many vests and sleepsuits and got loads of wear out of all of them.

wombatspoopcubes · 12/05/2021 10:53

@NameChangeChronicPain

YABU. I actually found out of all of the clothes sizes, DC was in newborn size for the longest. We had so many vests and sleepsuits and got loads of wear out of all of them.
Whereas my (really big off the chart ) baby skipped newborn, wore 0-3m for exactly two days and then only fit in 3-6m clothing.
randommum82 · 12/05/2021 10:59

Honestly, I asked for the next size up in nappies and packs of baby wipes as gifts third time round when friends asked. So incredibly useful

zizl · 12/05/2021 11:06

I remember being told not to get too much newborn as they grow out it so fast. I had a very sicky, reflux baby so I ended up not having enough sleepsuits and had to get more. We were gifted one from someone that visited us in hospital, it was very much appreciated!

cooliebrown · 12/05/2021 11:21

yeah we would usually get a nice romper for 3-6mo, as new parents seem to get masses of newborn stuff given. New DGS never got to wear half the newborn suits he was gifted, and I believe they had a dressing-up session with him so they could take pictures of him in the suits people had given (though for most that was only time he wore!)

OldEvilOwl · 12/05/2021 11:23

I usually buy a sleeping bag

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