What baby clothes do I really need to buy?

[Nessalina]

Due early October with my first, and I really have no idea what me & DH should have ready for the arrival.
We're not minted, but we'd like to get a basic baby capsule wardrobe ready, then I guess we're hoping kind friends will probably buy us some extra bits and bobs.
We have a washer drier, and I totally don't mind washing stuff to death!
So... What should we get? Two baby grows? Four? Do we need a hat? Are sleeping bags the thing these days?!

More than 2 baby gros. You might be changing a newborn 7 times a day. Supermarkets etc sell them in multi packs.

The simplest way to dress a new baby is in baby gros or sleepsuits. If you intend to use these both in the daytime and at night you will need a few more than 2 or 4.

I would suggest between 7-10 of these and baby vests. A couple of cardigans and a hat or two. Also a pack of muslin cloths. You may have a sticky baby and need to but lots more but stay if with at least a few.

I would also get a pramsuit/snowsuit instead ofa coat. Not a padded one as these are hard to get on and off teeny babies and can be dangerous in car seats . If you want to save money you can buy this a little bit bigger.

6 newborn baby grows
6 newborn vest grows
A blanket
4 muslins
1 small sleeping bag

12 vests with poppers at the crotch
12 babygros
12 muslins
A couple of baby blankets
A couple of cardigans
A couple of hats
Don't rush out and buy a snowsuit for Oct. By the time you actually need it from Dec-Mar it won't fit, so buy one nearer the time when you know what size your DC is at that point.

And unless you DC is tiny at birth, don't buy 'newborn' size as they will last under a month. Size 0-3 months might be a bit baggy to start with, but baggy is better than tight and you can always roll sleeves up.

4 muslins isn't enough - you'll spend your life washing and will always be running out of things. I've gone through 2-3 muslins in one feed in the early days ...

You will get loads of clothes as presents. This is what I'd recommend:

• 10 short-sleeve vests/bodysuits. H&M does wrap-over ones like this that are easier for newborns.

• 10 sleepsuits with fold-over integrated scratch mitts.

• 4 soft jersey hats

• 2 cardigans

• a snowsuit/pramsuit with feet, mittens and a hood

• 1 cute outfit

• 4 sleeping bags 2.5 tog

• 4 fitted cot sheets

For the clothes, get the above in newborn size and 0-3 months. Ignore the 'up to 1 month' size in Next. Once the baby's born you'll know what size they need and can buy more clothes as needed. My DS was in newborn clothes for 2 months, DD was straight into 0-3 months from birth.

I'd say 10-12 vests, 10-13 babygros, 2-3 each of hats and cardies. Snowsuit for a winter baby.

Then a couple each of the bedding things.

Wow! Lots more multiples of stuff than I thought I guess babies can get pretty messy...
Why would we need more than one sleeping bag? Do they sleep in a sleep suit in the sleeping bag, or is the sleeping bag all they wear IYSWIM?

Don't buy a snowsuit unless it actually gets properly cold. I had a baby in January just gone and I think there was one day we felt it was cold enough for a proper snowsuit. The rest of the time he was in vest/babygro/cardi/hat and layered up with blankets.

You need more than one sleeping bag because they might vomit on it or have a poo explosion. If they bring up milk whilst they're lying down it'll go all round the neck of the sleeping bag. My daughter regularly went through 3-4 sleeping bags a night (although she was an excessively vomit-y baby). My son, on the other hand, has been sick twice since he was born. He doesn't even possett when he burps.

I think you need

one multipack short sleeve vests with poppers between legs. 0-3 and 3-6
one multipack sleep suits with feet
2 cardigans
1 hat per size (unless your house is freezing)
2 2.5 tog sleeping bags 0-6 months

Muslins x lots

The sleep suit is basically like pyjamas, so you beed suit plus sleeping bag. Plus vest if it is really cold.

Hi, I'm due early October with my first too. I have got so far most of what's mentioned above. In terms of clothes I have a couple of organic cotton babygros in plain white, then a few with silly slogans on them and one really cute outfit and some cardigans. I have everything else except hats, scratch mits and bootees do I really need those?I'm not sure we need hats yet I always see others put their babies in hats.

12 vests (get a mix of long and short sleeved)
12 sleep suits
At least two sleeping bags. (Or swaddle wraps. We didn't use sleeping bags until 3 months, started off with swaddles instead)
2 hats
2-3 cardigans
12 muslins (my boy is two and we can still get through four a day, great for mopping up food, wee, poo, vomit)
6 pairs of socks.

I didn't use scratch mitts, you can just use Socks. Hats for winter babies. Bootees are good if you plan on using a sling or baby carrier from birth.

You need a hat for the first day or so all the time (except night) and outside generally in winter. I have never used scratch mitts or bootees.

A couple or 3 of packs of babygrows, in newborn and another in 0-3m, in case you have a big one. Since you're due in October, a couple of packs of onsie vests.

You'll probably be given fancier stuff by other people.

mrsnec you definitely need hats as babies aren't very good at regulating their own temperature. Scratch mitts are a PITA.

DD was a November baby and I just dressed her in a vest and sleepsuit so there wasn't any need to bother with booties or scratch mitts (I got the sleepsuits with fold-over cuffs). To sleep she wore a vest, sleepsuit and sleeping bag.

You definitely need more than 1 sleeping bag as newborn babies do poos that shoot straight up their backs, past the top of their nappies, and the poo's so runny that it goes through everything. It's unavoidable no matter which sort of nappy you use (I've used Pamper, Huggies, supermarket own brand and cloth nappies).

Bootees are purely for photos - they never stay on.

When DS2 started scratching himself, I just put socks over his hands, at night.

So are the hats just for regulating temperature then? It's still summer in early October where I am so I was wondering about that good to know about mittens and bootees though.

Just realised I said due early October in my OP, but it's actually early November

DS only wore hats outside, and he was born in February. You don't want to over heat them either, especially at night.

Definitely will need the cardis and hats, then, even if you have a warm (to you)house.

Though I'll confess that DS1 never kept hats on.

Neither did DS. Or blankets, even as a newborn he escaped out of both.