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Original poster

What do newborn babies wear?

48 replies

highlander · 18/07/2004 08:10

I KNOW this is silly, but my first due in 9 weeks and so far we've only bought 2 babygro things.

What on earth do babies wear? What should I buy at this stage and how much of it? As you can guess, I'm not naturally maternal, I'm overseas (no friends etc to advise) and we're on a budget (ha - who isn't!)

How do you know if they get too hot/cold?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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Blackduck · 14/07/2004 08:46

The seasons thing got me too - ds just doesn't match up to the sizes so I have two 9 month coats that STILL don't fit him (he's 14 months!!) So I'd go with the 'keep the labels on' - I took loads of vests back to go up/down a size....

serenequeen · 14/07/2004 09:15

agree with the advice for mainly babygros and vests in the early days. think "outfits" work better when baby has uncurled a bit.

however, everyone i know must have read mumsnet as i got no clothes as presents! luckily i had some basic babygrows and vests bought anyway.

but i had a 9 1/2 lb baby and he was lost in 0-3m clothes! i think it depends on the manufacturer, e.g. i have always found m/care big and adams huge on ds, whereas next and gap seem to come up much smaller.

hth.

twiglett · 14/07/2004 09:17

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Original poster

highlander · 14/07/2004 18:50

oh, twiglett

did you get the bandana as well?

OP posts:

zebra · 14/07/2004 19:00

Am also a skinflint, but found newborn sizes quite nice because they fit when the 0-3 month stuff just swims all over baby... esp. if you have a small tiddler.

Everyone told me just buy BabyGros, but when you're out & about I notice almost nobody uses them-- babies all in proper "outfits". Made me feel very conspicuous.

One thing not sure anybody said -- most babies seem to hate being dressed/undressed, and baby-gros are just plain easiest/fastest to put on/off. So now, on 3rd baby, sod the baby-fashionistas, mine is almost always in just baby gros.

webmum · 15/07/2004 13:05

serenequeen I found that too!

my dd looked lost even in newborn sizes, and she's always been tiny and I found that the only brands that matched her actual age were Gap and Benetton (who by teh way, make lovely and lasting babygros), anything else I always had to get in a smaller size!!

bundle · 15/07/2004 13:08

i found separates more useful, eg the pinky marl cotton leggings/poppered cardi from gap that a friend bought us, cos you can pull them up to armpit level and no one knows

californiagirl · 15/07/2004 15:38

As always, your mileage may vary. Separates were a complete loss on my long thin wiggily baby until nearly three months, and they still don't work well. If the trousers stay on they're too short, and the elastic pinches. We had one set with feet she never could wear; too short before it stopped being too wide.

nightowl · 18/07/2004 08:25

pack of sleepsuits, pack of vests, scratch mittens, some neutral coloured little suit things, (unless you know what youre having of course) a coat, an all-in-one suit for outside, couple of hats, maybe couple of bibs, socks, bootees...erm cant think. i made the mistake of buying far too much and had a lot of presents and things given me. if anyone is going to buy presents ask them for 0-3 not newborn, theyll come in a lot more handy until you get yourself sorted. oh and if the baby is a bit smaller than average dont buy too many tiny things because they grow out of them in a few weeks (another mistake i made). knowing if they are too hot or cold is one of my issues aswell, i could never decide. you can buy the blankets with a little guide on them for night times, will tell you how many layers etc. but daytime im not so sure. might be something like one more layer than us but dont quote me on that. no doubt someone will know a lot better than me!

libb · 18/07/2004 08:26

I have plenty of babgros that you can have for free - my newborn is 8 weeks and has grown out of them already! They are very clean, I promise!

We've only recently started to put him into little clothes during the day so he get an idea of day and night.

Grommit · 18/07/2004 09:56

Highlander - I always found it much easier to dress baby in sleepsuits and vests with a little cardigan over if it is cold. You could have a few outfits for going visiting or for photos but generally sleepsuits are easier. I also bought 0-3 in whites/light colours to make it easier to wash. I would buy about 6 Newborn suits and vests and then 0-3months for anything else - they really grow out of them quickly. Good luck

LIZS · 18/07/2004 10:45

Agree with those who have written below. About 6 nb babygro's - preferably pure cotton and washable on 50oc +, especially if it is likely to be hot. Personally found the velour ones a bit worrying regarding overheating when very tiny. Perhaps get a couple without feet in case it is warmer and you could add blanket/socks if need be (although they probably won't stay on long!). Also loads of little body suits - if they are patterned and it is hot you can strip them down as outfits or use with leggings as t-shirts and add a cardigan/jacket as needs be. You can get away with larger vests so fewer newborn and more 0-3.

hth

hana · 18/07/2004 11:10

my dd was in babygros until she was about 3 months old - ones with feet as she was born in Sept and it was a bit chilly at nights by then. Also some vests. Muslins were great too to wipe up messy leaking feeding times.

Things I did buy but didn't get my money's worth were -
scratch mits
socks
booties/shoes

YOu'll get lots of presents of clothes and I'm going to disagree with nightowl (sorry!) - don't use all of them and exchange some of the smaller sizes for larger sizes - we found everyone tended to buy things in newborn or 0-3 and she had so many things to wear at first but once she grew out of them we were stuck!

good luck for 9 weeks time!

gothicmama · 18/07/2004 11:25

I managed on sleepsuits (3) vests (3) in new born size and 3 cardies, bibs and hat I did not use scratch mittens as we were advised against them

twiglett · 18/07/2004 11:32

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littlemissbossy · 18/07/2004 11:39

agree with everyone else really, sleepsuits/babygros and vests .... plenty of them, you won't believe how much washing a new little person makes, as for fancier outfits you need a bit of practice handling your baby first and family/friends tend to buy these anyway - hope it all goes ok lmbx

Blackduck · 18/07/2004 11:45

With everyone else here - vests and babygros - towelling ones are good as they are warm. (and more than you think you need! - ds would frequently need changing 3/4 times a day! - may have been cos he had no fat so his nappies didn't really fit...so leaky!!). Cardis so you can add, or remove a layer as needed...Hat - lose most of body heat through head...
Mittens - humm - ds HATED them so I never bothered.
Again with everyone else ask people to buy 0-3 and not new born, cos unless s/he is a dink they grow out of newborn in no time at all...
On the hot/cold thing a midwife got me to put my fingers at the back of his neck when he was 'just right' - I can now tell by using the same method!

motherinferior · 18/07/2004 11:53

I'd actually suggest not white - go to Adams (here - don't know the equivalent in Canada, that's where you are, aren't you?) and get vests/b/gros in nice colours. Then you can mix and match and look faintly dressed.

Everyone will give you LOADS of clothes. Ditto cuddly toys.

And my own babies did stay in Very Small for ages, but then they are the offspring of two notorious shortarses.

boudicca · 18/07/2004 11:58

no advice about clothing needs etc........but I thought I'd pass on what my Dd1 was told about mittens-check the insides,sometimes a length of cotton is left after seaming,and it can get wrapped around the babys' finger and cut off the blood supply.Must admit I was horrified when my Dd1's friend(a health visitor btw)told me this.Best wishes for you and Dd/Ds

Kif · 18/07/2004 12:15

get different styles of vest. All mine were 'over the head' and dressing was a bit of an ordeal at first.

and - at this age - I say quantity over quality. They use a lot of babygrows!

gothicmama · 18/07/2004 12:17

a tip for dressing use the babies elbow to help you guide arms through sleeves

SoupDragon · 18/07/2004 12:22

Unless you are both petite (or shortar$es!) I agree that you won't need many newborn sizes. DS1 was not in newborn at all and DS2 had 1 newborn thing (it was a novelty for me!) and it lasted about 2 weeks max.

Babygros/vest/cardigan plus hat for the baby and a musin square for over your shoulder. A cotton-jersey blanket is good too. Definitely quantity but you do need a bit of quality too as they get washed so often.

As a general rule, your baby should wear the same number of layers as you plus one.

SoupDragon · 18/07/2004 12:24

Oooh - my top tip is that an envelope necked vest can be removed downwards if you've had an up-to-the-armpit nappy disaster! It doesn't have to go over your precious baby's head!!

This is something 2yo DS1 taught me just before DS1 was born when he used to strip himself and get out of his vests without undoing the poppers. I WISH I'd realised it when DS1 was a baby!!

motherinferior · 18/07/2004 12:26

Oh, and hang on to those newborn leggings which you will inevitably get given even if you don't buy them. They make great shorts later.

spots · 18/07/2004 12:56

We got a lot of drawstring bottomed nighties for easy nappy changing at night, but wouldn't recommend... too much fabric has to go past armpit and I think my dd's not the only baby who loathes the armpit bit of getting changed.

good old babygros, white towelling on the whole, turned out to be most satisfactory, with the odd dungaree and vest type combo thrown in for variety.

(2 frocks for visitors, but they do make me laugh... skirt ends up round shoulders.)

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