Sleep suit/body suit/baby grows - help!

[Tealdoe]

I'm not sure if this is a daft question but I can't get my head round the different names for baby clothes. I went into Mothercare yesterday and they had a pack of 'baby grows' but then had one with long sleeves, one with short sleeves and one with no sleeves. Then they had sleep suits, body suits etc and I can't work out what the difference is and which ones I need. I ended up buying nothing! Please could someone explain the difference and which ones are needed for a new baby? Oh and also, what's a pram suit?

And last question - does the baby need blankets in the moses basket/cot or just sleep in a sleep suit thing?

Thank you :o)

baby grow/sleepsuit are the same thing. They have legs and arms.

vests/body suits generally have no legs, just crotch poppers, and can be either short or long sleeved, or no sleeves at all.

You'll need lots of each!

A pram suit is a thicker, padded babygrow, generally for use in colder weather.

Blankets or not depends on the weather and temperature, but to be honest I'd forget about sheets and blankets and just get grobags/baby sleeping bags. So much easier.

I've just finished buying for my first baby and I've bought:
Vests - short sleeves on arms & no legs, to be worn over nappy & under everything.
Sleepsuits - Long arms and legs - to be worn over vest, most likely in bed.
A couple of snuggle suits - Long arms and legs, fleecy material - to bring home in/ wear out when it's a bit cooler.
I haven't bough any pram suits, but I think they are similar to snuggle suits - i.e warmer and suitable to put over vests etc when out and about.

I also have some other clothes - leggings & dresses etc.

For the cot we have 2 baby sleeping bags, which don't require any blankets over, just adjust the amount of clothing underneath, and also some cellular blankets to layer up when not using sleeping bags.

I would suggest going to Asda and buying their newborn starter set (£7) which has 3 vests, 3 sleepsuits, scratch mitts, booties and a hat. We got one and it kind of indicated what we needed to get.

Also don't buy too much now as you have no idea how big your baby will be, we bought quite a few things, luckily most of it is 0-3 months instead of newborn/first size, as she is far too big and when she is born will most likely be near or over 9lb so wouldn't have fit into newborn sizes.

Good luck and if you have any other questions I can try and help as much as I can :)

Thank you! Would you use the baby grows in the day too or just at night (along with the baby sleeping bag)?

Oh just seen the other reply too. I think i'm sorted then and will give the starter kit a go. Thanks for your help!

For dd I bought lots of outfits when she was tiny. This was foolish.

For DC2 due next month s/he will be only in vests and babygrows. Possibly until school age

They are very functional and you would be amazed how much poo can come out of a tiny baby and leak everywhere. It also has a staining power second to none.

I have got some "posh" baby grows (being ones with a pattern and not just plain white) but that'll will be it for this one, so you can certainly use for day and night if you'd like.

I'd second buying from one of the supermarkets, they're a fraction of the price for mothercare, babies are in the small sizes for such a short time generally and you'll probably find people will buy a few 'nice' bits anyway

bodysuits are worn as vests, poppers under the crotch and babygrows are all in ones with sleeves and legs worn over the top, certainly wearable day and night for at least 6 months. Pram suits are like a coat worn over everything else when you go out and it's cold. You will need either blankets or the grobag type thing unless it's particularly warm, again, look at the supermarket ranges if on a budget.

You're welcome.
I've found Asda is the best for cheap baby stuff, they have a lot of offers on at the moment as well as it's the baby event i.e. 2 packs of £6 vests or whatever for £8.

My little boys due in august, so for during the day i need some vests (ie the ones with no legs and short arms) and then i'd put shorts & tops or longer baby grows etc over that? x

Depends on the weather really. I had an august baby and it was never warm enough for just a nappy, so she always had a vest on (the ones with no legs in) and usually a baby grow over the top. Or some ridiculous outfit - see my comment above When very tiny they do catch cold very quickly but then of course it is very dangerous to overheat. It is a blooming minefield! I think layering is the answer.

i've bought mine from asda and love their disney stuff.

Tescos are good, their sizing is quite generous (handy for my big boy).

Buy in colours that can be all washed together ie white, cream, pale blue/pink - makes the laundry a lot easier (and there will be tons of it!)

My DS was not little but I still felt he was too small for the 0-6mths grobags I'd bought, so I had him in the moses basket with blankets (he was born in Nov) for the 1st 3 months.

Sleepsuits with the built in fold-over scratch mittens are invaluable - my DS gets eczema and won't keep scratch mittens on.

Wouldn't bother with mothercare for sleepsuits etc, too expensive. Definitely get them from supermarkets.

Ditto nappies - I overstocked massively on Tesco own brand in size1 and therefore have had no trouble whatsover changing them up to the next sizes.

NCT (national childbirth trust) run nearly new sales throughout the country which are great for finding bargains. Look on their website for sales near you. Ditto boot fairs.

Oh, and if you have a girl, do not buy any skirts in age 6-12 months. This is when they start crawling - impossible to crawl with a flappy skirt getting caught under your knees!!

DS1 was an august baby and spent most of his time in just a vest occasionally with a full length babygro over the top. Definitely agree with the supermarket thing - up to 12 months all you ever seem to do is buy clothes because they grow so quickly. I hardly ever used sleeping bags, found the blankets more flexible, apart from in depth of winter when I didn't want him to be cold but even then we used thick fleecy all in one PJs mostly. Don't go overboard - the shops will all be open when your LO appears!