stupid new parent question - trousers for newborns?

[beanlet]

Sorry to ask what may be a very stupid question, but we are expecting our first baby at the beginning of July, a little boy. We can't work out at what stage he will need to wear trousers/shorts to keep his legs warm.

Do people keep their newborn to 3 month babies in sleepsuits (with legs and arms) all the time? Do we need to buy trousers/shorts/romper suits/dungarees? Or, because it's summer, can we get away with putting him just in short-sleeved onesies (the ones with no legs)?

For July, you'll prob want poppered vests, sleepsuits, and maybe some short sleeved/legged romper suits. TBH, they don't need anything else till they start to crawl

Trousers/shorts are quite impractical with newborns, tbh. Dungarees are easier, but realistically you'll be looking at a combination of poppered vests and long-sleeved sleepsuits, depending on the temperature. I'd expect that he'd be in sleepsuits with legs and arms unless it was a very hot day.

We used trousers (July baby) but only because we'd been given them, and not that often.

Don't buy too much in newborn or 0-3 months - they can grow out of it very quickly. And often people buy you clothes - I barely bought anything for mine until they were as year as I swapped a lot of newborn size for 6-9 and 9-12 as we had so much. But for little ones, sleepsuits are fine, and nice and soft and stretchy. And trousers are no good at first as they rub on their cord stump.

well I found dungarees soooooo impractical (she just sunk into them!), and little stretchy pull on and off trousers v useful.
all we had before she was born was a few vests and sleepsuits though - you'll get given a tonne of stuff, wait till the baby's here and see what suits you then buy it

Mine is due then and if the weather is like today, I'd probably have them in a baby short sleeved vest and a baby grow with feet as it's not that warm and it's not as if they move about a lot to keep themselves warm unless glued to you. If it was warmer I'd just put them in a vest or an all in one. Trousers can be quicker for whipping off for a nappy change (once the cord stump has dropped off) than all the poppers on a babygrow though, it's whatever's your preference really. I have a mix.

sleepsuits until 3 months, I reckon. Mine was a july baby and we still had him in full footed and long-armed ones, they lose heat quickly. The ones with built in scratch-mitts are v. handy.

dungarees are a PITA.

We bought newborn essentials when the weather was cooler, and have got a load of trousers and long sleeved tops that haven't been touched. DD (3wks) has pretty much only worn short sleeved vests during the day, and just a sleep suit (no vest under) at night.

Granted, we live in a warm flat, but even when we're out visiting, she's too warm in all the layers we thought we should put her in. When we're out seeing family, I've got a couple of the soft dungaree type bodysuits (not the denim ones, they're made out of vestie material) that I put over a short sleeved vest, just so it looks like I've made an effort to dress her!

And we always take extra layers with us - a cardigan and sleepsuit - in case it does get colder.

I second RobynLou - get a few vests and sleepsuits and see what suits you all best when the baby arrives. Also, RuthieCohen is so right about the built in scratch mitts in sleepsuits. They have been life savers for us!

Just buy sleep suits with fold-over-scratchmit cuffs. People will give you tons of sweet but impactical outfits that will mainly serve to make you feel guilty about the lack of wear they see. My pfb is four moths now and has stacks of clothes that fitted him for fractions of seconds, in which time we never quite got him in to them... sleep suits are much more practical and seem more comfy for them.

Thanks so much for all this very helpful advice! I think we'll just go with poppered vests and sleepsuits rather than trousers for the moment and see what other people buy him for "visiting" outfits.

I bought lots of lovely outfits and dungarees when pregnant with DS (he's my first). He ended up living in sleepsuits until nearly 6 months old We had white ones for the nights and brighter ones as day wear
with the frequency of nappy changes I couldn't be bothered with anything more fancy. Also, he had bad reflux which sometimes meant having to change his clothes 8 times per day.

Romper suits (short sleeve and leg) for very hot weather, otherwise just sleepsuits until 3-6m. 'People's clothes' are a waste of money IMO - stick with the baby things intially - there's nothing cuter than a baby in a sleepsuit! In fact when it got much colder with my DCs I just put dungarees over the top of their sleepsuits!

If you do get anything trouser-like make sure you get thin, soft, lightweight fabric ones. Stretchy jogging bottom type ones are best.

Anything like denim or thick cotton feels way too bulky and uncomfortable.

DS2 was born in August, and he was mostly in vests with joggers/ and shortie sleepsuits.

The thing which I'd never really appreciated until I had my first baby was that of course you don't have the routine of getting 'up' in the morning and dressing the baby in clothes (e.g. jeans ) for the day, and then changing into PJs at the end of the day.... they are in and out of their cot/sleep all day, and it always seemed 'wrong' to me to put them to sleep in 'proper' clothes?