What size baby clothes to buy?

[SadPander]

Hi, If I am expecting a 8-9lb baby, what age clothes do you think I should be looking at? Newborn looks very small, so I'm guessing I should skip this and go straight to 0-6 months? Some of the shops are more specific though (2-4, 4-6 months etc) and I've no idea what size I should be looking at!

I'm expecting a 9lb baby and have bought only 0-3 month clothes. My last baby was 9lb 3oz and went straight into 0-3.

If baby turns out smaller than expected, you can nip out for smaller stuff from the supermarket.

Some shops come up small though - particularly Gap if I remember correctly.

Congratulations by the way.

Clothes usually have weights on the labels but I had a long skinny baby so they weren't that helpful! I'd probably get some 0-3 month stuff, although I've heard that weight predictions aren't that accurate so you might want to hedge your bets!

ive got a brand new 6lb 14 baby on my knee now and she has not one item of clothing that fits. her legs don't go into any of the legs of the baby grows, it is just like a bag of cloth around her.

make sure you have a few smallish bits I'd suggest.

but not loads as they grow quick.

Thank you, think I will get a range then, but try not to go to crazy with the clothes until baby arrives! My weight prediction is even more unreliable than you may think, as is just the weight I have decied the baby will be (based on mine and my DH's birth weight and the fact that the baby has been big in all scans so far) so guess I really should just hold off on the clothes buying!

DD was 8lb2oz and fit M&S newborn for a couple of weeks. (M&S sizing is big though). Agree with others that I would get at least a few things in newborn - soft white sleepsuits, wee vests.

Re sizing in general, DD is a 50th centile baby and generally M&S, John Lewis come up big, H&M and Zara size about right. Gap incredibly variable. H&M's sizing 0-1, 2-4, 4-6, 6-9 and 9-12 has actually made most sense!

Maybe buy some newborn packs but don't open most of them until the baby arrives so you can swap if necessary?

We took newborn outfits into hospital and 9lb14 DS could not be squeezed into them. DH had to go home to get bigger clothes for him!

IIRC he was also only in his 0-3 stuff for a few weeks.

He is sat on my lap now in Age 6 John Lewis pjs (not know for massive sizing) having turned 3 last week. We have managed to train family, if they wish to buy him clothes, to double his age when they pick a size.

Get used to sizing up .

Your three year old sounds bigger than my almost 6 year old! He still wears a lot of age four stuff

He is a monster. His dad is a 6'4 ex-rower. When he jumps on your lap you KNOW about it!

It really depends where you buy them from. Some shops 'newborn' clothes are up to 7.5lb (Next, Tesco) and some shops 'newborn' are up to 9lb (Asda) or 10lb. (Mothercare) Some are also really long compared to others.

I'm sort of expecting a big baby, although he will be two weeks early at least due to induction, so am going to get a few up to 7.5lb sleep suits and vests just in case, but keep them in the packaging and then send DH for some more or stop on the way home from hospital if we need more in that size. DD was born at 37+6 weighing 6lb 15, DS2 at 38 weeks exactly weighing 10lb, so quite a difference there!

Some clothes have European sizes on them which make a lot more sense as the go by length (in cm) rather than age/weight. Newborn is 50, 0-1m is about the same as 56, 0-3 months actually cover the next 2 sizes (62 and 68). I tend to look at those sizings as weight/age very unreliable and different for every make.

TBH I don't get why they don't do sizes by length in the UK.

FWIW we bought most in 0-3months, a bit in 0-1month and very little in newborn.

It is true that you have to get used to the sizes of the different brands in terms of cut as well as size.

My DS, just as example, has really broad shoulders so the is no possibility of buying him anything in Zara, which is cut longish but narrow. A tshirt that he could get his shoulders in would be the length of a dress.

id get 0-3 they go up to 14lb i think

Thanks all, really helpful! Begining to realise how little I know about babies - scarey!

This is really helpful, I have been wondering the same.

For those saying leave things unopened, do you not worry about pre-washing clothes? My mum did this ----> when I told her that current advice was to wash all baby clothes before using, in non-bio. Is this not actually necessary in your experience?

My washing machine will be forever grateful if not...

We knew we were having a smaller than average baby so we got a range of mainly newborn and a few 0-3m plus a couple of sleep suits and vests in up to 7lb range.

He was early and long and skinny. Had to send my mum out for mothercare premie size clothes.

My daughter was the same, though less tiny, and at age 4 is in age 7 clothes as she's so bloody tall!

Humpty - some wash, some don't.

I pre-wash everything - clothes, bed sheets, blankets, the lot. We've also built our pram (at 33 weeks!) to get rid of that horrid new plastic smell before baby comes.

Do what you feel it right. To me, new clothes smell too plasticky for newborn skin, but I'm not sure there's actually formal advice about it.

I washed nothing BUT no bits of my baby fell off so it can't have been too bad...

I would buy a selection, but resist resist resist the urge to unpack them all and fold them into piles repeatedly, as I did and keep receipts - that way you can change for bigger sizes if needed. My dd turned up 5 weeks early, so we ended up with a tiddler. Whatever happens, good luck and congratulations!

My rule of thumb is they look cute in too-big stuff but too-small is horrible. I pre-washed loads and DS looked adorable if a little lost in some of his 0-3 mth (weighed 8.02). He was a really wriggly baby and I liked that he had space to move - I had no idea some newborns could move so much!

We got newborn and 0-3 mo stuff for Dd before she was born. She was 7lb 12oz and little. She fitted the newborn stuff for a good few weeks so it was worth it. DC2 is due in a couple of weeks and I've just washed the newborn stuff so far. Am hoping that'll do for the first while!

Punch line, I'd get a bit of both. Also, you will need more vests than you think (says the mother of a pooer!)

DD was 9 15 and had a few weeks in newborn before going into 0-3. I would get some newborn at least - say 6 vests and 6 sleepsuits. Don;t buy too far ahead with clothes because you don't know the baby's initial size or how fast he or she will grow. You will probably be bought lots of clothes too, so really, try to hold back!

They're cheap enough to buy a few newborn sleepsuits and vests. My big baby fitted into newborn for a while and would've looked like nobody owned her in 0-3! I would definitely wash them though the factories use chemicals on stuff which is too harsh.

John Lewis newborn covers 8-12lb which is quite generous but great if you think you're having a baby on the biggish size. Some 0-3 will be huge others small. Very much trial and error!

I have a 12week old was told he would be 8-9lbs he was 6lbs9ozs!
Until visiting times when my sis brought up newborn babygrows he was in 0-3 month babygrow which was massive on him so my advice have some 0-3 with you but no harm packing a few newborns grows/vest in your bag too!
My friends dd was 8lbs 4ozs and wore newborn for 2weeks before she was ready for 0-3month clothes.