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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Confused about baby clothes (September baby)

20 replies

OrangeGloss · 11/06/2011 05:48

I'm 28 weeks tomorrow and starting a list :) but I'm confused with the variety of clothes on offer - babygros, sleepsuits, bodysuits, all in ones, with feet, without feet, short sleeve long sleeve......

Would a baby be too cold in a short sleeve bodysuit? Am I meant to put on some kind of trouser and cardigan? Do I need lots of hats?

It sounds silly but what should I be buying as a starter kit for a September baby?

Sorry if this is really obvious!

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Jemma1111 · 11/06/2011 06:37

Just buy a few of everything but not too much as I'm sure your family and friends will buy you loads of clothes!

Ask your midwife if she thinks you'll be having a small/large baby and obviously take that into account.

Good luck

roundthehouses · 11/06/2011 06:50

You won´t go wrong with a set of short sleeved bodies /babygros and a set of pyjamas (all in one bodies with legs and feet on). You put the body under the pyjamas, long sleeved might be overkill in september. Or if you do get some get 0-3 months so they last you into winter. In fact don´t get newborn size at all, my boys were both 3.3kg ish at birth and lasted 2 weeks max in newborn size.

My boys were april and feb births and really i never got much use out of long sleeved bodies, they were just in the short sleeves plus pyjamas.

A couple of cardies, again 0-3 won´t be a bad idea. I wouldn´t personally bother with trousers then you have to faff about with socks that don´t stay on. Pyjamas are the best bet.

You probably want a couple of light cotton hats at first too.

Congrats!

PinkFondantFancy · 11/06/2011 07:05

orange thank you so much for starting this!! I've got a couple of short sleeved bodies but also have the same "erm, so what else do they need" dilemma!!

Besom · 11/06/2011 07:13

On the other had I only bought 0-3 and ended up having to send my dad on an emergency run to mothercare to buy 'tiny baby' (the size smaller than 'newborn') because dd was so wee. I would second what people have said about not buying too much though. People will give you stuff and you can have fun buying stuff when baby is with you. Sleepsuits (footed) and short sleeved body suits should do you for september.

Chulita · 11/06/2011 07:18

Both my two lived in short-sleeved bodysuits with footed long-sleeved sleepsuits over the top for the first 3 months. DD is a November baby and I used to put a cardi over the top, DS is a July baby and he never needed a cardi strangely enough. I'm not one for the faff of dressing up a tiny baby and I think they look gorgeous just in their sleepsuits. Considering they sleep so much I just reckon the more comfortable they are the better!
I agree with roundthehouses long-sleeved bodysuits are overkill imo.
For the first few weeks I'd go for a mountain of short-sleeved bodysuits, a slightly smaller pile of sleepsuits, 2-3 grobags of both tog-ratings, couple of little hats and a couple of cardigans.

Original poster

OrangeGloss · 11/06/2011 07:29

Thanks everyone, this is all really useful and kinda making sense now!

Is a hat necessary indoors or are they just for outside?

Can I use a grobag from birth?

Pink it's so confusing isn't it? It's all kinds of clothes I didn't know existed

OP posts:

mum2JRC · 11/06/2011 07:31

Agree with previous posters and if you can get the baby grow's where the end of the arm sleeve folds over to become a scratch mitt even better! ( I got those from John Lewis and Next)

Vix286 · 11/06/2011 07:37

Orange & Pink, its very confusing.

I am hoping someone can help with my question

The books have said it needs a hat to come home in?

Can anyone tell me if it is really going to need a hat in July/August (due date 23/07)?

I know its England and summers aren't normally that hot, but won't it be too hot?

Sorry this hat thing has been troubling me for months!

(I have got a hat in a starter set I brought from mothercare so I do have one if it is neeeded!)

Catsu · 11/06/2011 08:25

Yes you will need a hat! Just a thin cotton one though, not woolly kind!
Newborns lose all their body head out their heads I tink. The mw will put a hat on them immediately they are born and they should def wear it outside while they are tiny.

I am on baby no 3. I've got a few short sleeve body suits (pack of 7)
a few sleepsuits, long sleeves and with feet (about 10)
one Cardigan and a couple of hats.
Plus a few little blankets.

Ds1 was in newborn size for quite a while, ds2 a big less (maybe a month)
I've got similar amount of clothes in newborn as in 0-3 size

hope that helps!

Chulita · 11/06/2011 08:28

Like catsu said, you'll need a thin cotton one. DS was born in a heatwave but he still wore a hat for a couple of weeks.
Neither of mine went in grobags to start with because the bags are quite big and I swaddled to help them sleep a bit better. I switched to grobags around 8 weeks when they started being able to get their arms out of the swaddle and I didn't want to buy a swaddle blanket.

californiaburrito · 11/06/2011 08:34

I'm also having a September baby, and my DD was a November baby but this time we're expecting a boy so I'm excitedly having to buy a few new bits.

I would also forgot long sleeve bodysuits, they can be hard to get on a young baby. But short sleeve or sleeveless are a good idea and you'll need at least two or three day.

I'm not buying any footed sleepsuits this time around as they were a nightmare with my DD. She kept kicking and her legs would get stuck up in the torso bit. Yep, socks can be a pain but in my opinion Baby Gap stay on the best and I would also invest in some baby mocassins like this for when it gets cold.

Also those wrap around top are good, but can be a bit expensive.

And as for sizes, it is nice to have a few things that actually fit the first few days, but they do grow out of them quickly and it can feel like a bit of a waste. And everyone will buy you clothes in the 3-6 months range so don't buy so much in this size.

Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy.

Chulita · 11/06/2011 09:18

Ah see my two were uber-stylish and wore socks on the outside of their sleepsuits to stop them snuggling up inside the body bit. Wrap-around stuff is lovely though!

ShowOfHands · 11/06/2011 09:29

We had lots of bodysuits which was dd's default first layer. On top of that she had one of two things (May baby), either a babygro/sleepsuit or if it was warm, a pair of footed soft trousers. If it was chilly she had a cardigan on over the top of the babygro.

A hat is necessary for going outside at first but you mustn't leave it on indoors as they need to lose heat to regulate their temperature.

We ummed and aahed about newborn vs 0-3 months and at 3.5kg (7lbs12oz), dd was an average size but newborn was plenty big enough and quite roomy, 0-3 months was far too big. She did however then grow outwards so rapidly that she was in 0-3 months for a couple of weeks and then missed out 3-6 months completely. You just never know.

lollystix · 11/06/2011 09:36

You can't beat granny knit cardis IMO. So warm and they fit for newborns unlike shop ones with zips etc. Just need some of these, some short body suits (vest type things), babygrows with feet (front poppers - not back ones) and maybe some tracksuit bottoms and t shirts. Jeans etc are a total faff till they are 6 months. Lots of 0-6m sleeping bags too cos all my boys had a habit of wetting through them in the first 3 months

Vix286 · 14/06/2011 22:10

Catsu, Chulita, Showofhands thank you, I have put a little cotton hat in the hospital bag.

Original poster

OrangeGloss · 15/06/2011 07:11

I'm going shopping this weekend, so will be taking careful notes from here. Also taking the mil for sanity check of not buying too much :)

OP posts:

PenguinArmy · 15/06/2011 07:57

The clothes issue really threw me with DD

In the end as she was small she lived in 4 vests and 4 babygro's for a couple of week.

Personally in the UK peoples homes are so hot that winter clothes aren't really a issue. People dress their babies up to the outside conditions despite being outside for such a short space of time. Think of constantly going into shops and having to strip off/loosen all your layers. Blankets come in handy here.

New mum privilege lets you get away babygro's and vest for 6 weeks (or more). This then gives you time to scrutinize other peoples babies and decide what would work well for you. Also gives you a chance to look at what people have brought you. Remember there are 24 hour supermarkets to send DH out on clothe missions too. These trips were the first ones I did when DD was a newborn, nice short outings with a purpose.

One point is that older generations typically dressed their DCs in more layer so might say all the time they're not wearing enough (then again they actually had cold houses).

nicolamumof3 · 15/06/2011 10:34

you can get such lovely funky sleepsuits now, that i tend to use these too for several weeks. With a short sleeve bodysuit under. The bodysuit is like a vest and mine all wore these as a vest til they came out of nappies basically!

cardi over top of sleepsuit personally i favour the cotton knit ones. And agree blankets are kinder to little babies then bundling up in thick coats etc especially when they are in/out of car, shops, houses. Unless going for long walk of course.

I also buy newborn my largest baby was 8lb 6oz and still fitted newborn for several weeks I don't personally like them looking drowned in their clothes. and a couple of packs of sleepsuits doesn't cost much.

saoirse86 · 15/06/2011 12:12

My daughter was born last september and I had no idea either! She mainly wore short or long sleeved vests (just depended on how cold it was that day and whether we were going to be outside muc) and sleepsuits (long sleeved with feet). Last winter it was cold enough that she always needed the feet on them.

I used swaddling blankets at first to keep her warm and cosy at night. Sleeping bags don't usually have arms so won't be so warm when it's cold.

I used the wrap around long sleeved vests from H&M which I really liked. I think they were about £6 for 2 but can't remember. They're good because they don't need to go over the head and I think they must be a bit warmer as there are 2 pieces of fabric over their tummy. I'll probably buy some more for this winter too.

I always used snow suits for going out from about late october as it was so cold.

CherryPie3 · 15/06/2011 13:34

All I used for my children for the first few months is a bodysuit/vest, sleepsuit, scratch mitts (if the sleepsuit didn't have foldover ones).

None wore a hat indoors apart from dd who was a March baby, ds1 and ds2 were both July babies and I was told off for putting hats on them even in the hospital.

I didn't bother with sleeping bags until they were 6mths, I swaddled them. Never bought a swaddle blanket, just used a flannelette blanket, pram size to start with then cotbed size as they got bigger. Saved a fortune

All wore cardigans if the weather was nippy.

If we were going out somewhere fancy, (wedding or party eyc) I would put a jersey outfit and socks on them so they were still comfortable but 'dressed up' a little. I am not a fan of baby jeans and jumpers and trendy outfits - to me they look uncomfortable for such sensitive baby skin. Babies grow so quickly, it's best to just let them be babies while they can cos before you know it they'll be demanding the trendiest clothes! (dd is 6yo now and has been nagging for Lelli Kelli shoes for months...£££ so not happening as she will ruin them within minutes of wearing them!)

Rather long winded but I hope it helps :)

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