To wash or not to wash??

[SophieSkaterina]

Hello hello. I am a newcomer so apols in advance if I screw up. I am now in that pre-birth dream time waiting for my baby boy to arrive. Due on the 16th Jan, though already measuring 41 weeks and so I suppose (should I hope?) that he may well come early. Certainly far too big to move much and even leaving the house is getting difficult - primarily because NOTHING FITS down over the bump anymore and I am looking depressingly like mutton dressed as Jade Goody in my unintentional cropped top/ jogging bottoms combo.

My question. Am I already a bad mother if I don't wash all the new baby clothes that I am taking to hospital? My mother says YES but the pragmatist in me thinks its wise when I don't know how little this little one will really be (new born or a 0-3??). Please advise oh wise ones. XXX SS

Didn't wash them and he was fine.

The most important thing we did was,done because we have a dog. DH brought the dirty clothes home from hospital and left them on the floor in the kitchen for 12 hours so the dog could have a really good sniff, then they were washed. When I came home, the dog just sniffed the baby and walked off and their was no further curiousity or jealousy,

I'd wash - even if it just a low temperature quick cycle. They smell so much better and feel softer plus you don't know how long they've been stored at factory/warehouse, imported by boat, hung in store etc. or what else was in the freight container en route. Can you wash half so that you can tell what will size fit before you open the rest, in case he can skip newborn (ie take in the 0-3 plus one newborn outfit) - would your dh/dp or mum be able to wash the rest and bring them in to you if needs be ?

i dotn think they will kill them un washed but I have eseent he factories they are made in and relaly htey ar e not nice
or made my smokers and so have faggy hands ont hem

" by" smokers

I used comfort pure conditioner. Really didn't fancy putting clothes on that hadn't been washed. I was so hygenic about everything alse so why be any different about there little clothes?

hi hun i didnt wash all my ds clothes before having him...in fact i didnt wash any...didnt do him any hamr so i think its a personal choice

I think I was a bit too obsessed to be honest about hygiene. If we came back from anyones house who smoked (although they never smoked around either of mine as babies and still don't now at 5 and 7) and I could smell it on there clothes, coat, buggy etc. I'd strip it all off and wash it. I'd even re-bath them as I hate the smellof smoke anywhere near them.
I must say though I did actually enjoy getting all the stuff washed and ironed befoer they were born. It was just all part of getting ready for the birth.

I never washed them for any of my babies and they all did just fine. However I only bought ones that were in packets - would have washed anything that wasn't, iyswim.

Never washed stuff, never occurred to me, didn't realise people did things like that. Have no intention of doing it this time either.

Washed all baby stuff to make it softer for little one's skins. In fact washed everything for DS up until 1yo prior to him wearing it. Lasted about 3 months with DD.

I don't get all this straight into 0-3 stuff. DS was 9 lb 10 oz at birth and the 0-3 stuff drowned him - he was much better in the newborn size for the first few weeks.

I would

I LOVE MUMSNET!! What a fantastic response. THANK YOU ALL for your kind and brilliant replies. In the space of 16 or so hours I have had 39 answers and all are incredibly useful. Is this an indication of what we have all NOT been doing this New Years Eve?(personally managed half a glass of Red and went to sleep at 11.30). I am going to go the route of washing - just because quite frankly there's little else to do at the moment during this first-baby waiting time. Was much reassured by Christmas Booza's message that the new born stuff fitted her 9lb 10 bundle. This is a size issue rather than an activity issue - am more than happy to do one load for future Fred - its just the normal grown up washing that I now - miraculoulsy can't do and have to delegate to my DH!!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX SS