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?!

There you go then. 6-12 of everything. Everyone has differet views, unsurprisingly

I've had 3 9lb babies and the second two really needed the newborn size, not 0-3 for the first three weeks.

If mine voms on a sleeping bag I don't use one.

Well that's a pretty good overview, thanks ladies
Showed DH & he's a bit put out that we'll need more than we thought, lol!

DS was a December baby and we dressed him in a vest, babygrow and knitted cardigan indoors and a snowsuit and hat for outdoors.

DS was not a 'sicky' baby (some seem to sick up milk a lot which requires more changes of clothes), so we got by on the following:

7 x vests
7x babygrows
4 x knitted cardigans
1 x cotton hat for first day in hospital
1 x snowsuit
1 x knitted hat
2 x fleece pram blankets
2 x waterproof mattress sheets
3 x sheets
2 x cellular blankets
12 x muslin clothes

Don't worry OP, that's what supermarket multipacks were designed for!

I would get a few newborn sizes. We had an average sized baby but we ended the newborn stuff as he looked drowned in the 0-3.

Also, one piece of advice I wish I had received for my October baby - don't be fooled into buying thick or padded snow suits or coats because it is cold. Thin warm layers (cotton or wool mix cardigans, thin pram suits) are much better for newborns as they are totally lost in the thick snow suits and end up curling up in the body part with the sleeves flapping about wildly.

i sent my sister a newborn set (a sleep suit, baby grow, leggings, hat vest) plus trouser and jumper set all from h&m. she thought that they wrre wonderful and has insisted that her rriends have them. the velourcwas quitecwarm, and 0 to 3 months is just huge on a newborn. i really recommend the newborn size in h and m. 10 baby grows, 5 leggings or dungarees, 5 vests or jumpers.

we did get a lot of clothes as gifts but they wrre in larger sizes.

The clothing partly depends on your choices - if you plan to use a sling you'll probably need a hat but not a snowsuit (your maternity coat /dh's coat will do up over both of you), if you're planning to co-sleep you may not want a sleeping bag etc.

The must-have clothes (imo) are pop-under vests, sleep suits and a hat. Muslins and a couple of blankets the right size to use for swaddling or draping over. The rest you can easily stock up on once you know size, what you have been given and so on.

I didn't like muslins at all. Instead we use terry nappies, or the guest towels out of ikea (20p!).

Take a look at the baby merino sleeping bags. Not cheap at £50 each (x2 for £90 usually), but they last all seasons due to material and 0-2 years per bag. So buy x2 and they will last 2 years, no need to replace every 6 months like others which in the end work out more expensive. Some sell on eBay so you might get a bargain. Ours lasted two children so 3 years daily use and we gave them away looking virtually new. If they haven't been sick/ pooed on we just changed weekly like regular bedding

Oh and I would say x10 baby grows and x10 vests.
That allows for some in wash, spare in changing bag, few in drawer

My 4 have always spent about a month or so in newborn stuff but were between 6lb9 and 7lb 9.

This babies due in November and will have
Couple of multipacks sleep suits (prob asda)
Same as above in vests
Couple of cardigans
Couple of hats
3/4 sleeping bags
Several blankets
Couple of outfits that I know I won't be able to help myself getting!

I'm not going to bother with a pram suit as I barely used dds who was born at same time of year.

This is the first boy in my family after several girls so family are prob going to go baby clothes mad, normally I'll ask if they do they get 0-3 or bigger.

Is a pram suit a snow suit? Probably not then.

Newborn varies in sz dependant on shop marks n Spencer and next are both small sized new born n their up to 1mth is same sz as supermarket new born sz if that makes sense.

Sainsbury have 25% off clothes every 6-8wks had one bout 4wks ago n do good neutral vests n sleepsuits.

Marks n Spencer plain basics r very reasonably n pk 7 vests was SAME price as primark!

I am due Nov n have brought long sleeve newborn vests n then short sleeve 3-6. I plan to get some long sleeve 0-3 as well. I also have 3 tiny baby ones n a tiny baby sleep suit as my last baby was 7lb 10oz but new born even seemed big in first couple weeks.

Sleeping bags you can get 0-3mth one's or 0-6mth kiddicare currently have the tatty teddy one in 0-6 for 9.99 in sale

I will use a swaddle initially then a sleeping bag.

You will get lots gifts for first baby n will be new born or 0-3mths. If u know sex once had 20wk scan n see any bits in sale in bigger sizes then def buy them.

I never got a snowsuit for my winter baby. She had a pramsuit (thinner and fluffier) but snowsuits are too bulky, and cant be worn in the carseat.

Ive just done a list for dc2:
Pramsuit
Two pram blankets (for car, crib, pram)
Two large swaddling muslins
Ten small muslins
Two flat sheets for crib
Two cardis
Two hats
Five white sleepsuits
Six patterened sleepsuits
(Above shared between Newborn and Up To 1m sizes)
Ten bodysuits
Two pairs of footed trousers
Two tshirts

No scratchmits (sleepsuits have them built in)
No socks (will be in sleepsuits or footed trousers for at least the first three months)

Ds was born the last week of last September (due October) and wore a pramsuit (thicker than sleepsuit but thinner and not padded like snowsuit) frequently. It was more useful than blankets for him as he was in and out of car seat and then he didn't wake up.

Pramsuit for anyone who isnt sure.

They are great. Dd was in a pramsuit to come home from.hospital and daily, whenever we went out for a walk. I added a hat and a blanket in the pram.

DS had a fluffy pram suit with bear ears when he was born (Feb baby). He looked so cute.

The Jojo maman Bebe fleece pram suits are really useful . They are not too thick and so you don 't need to take then off as soon as you get inside or in the car.

Buggerlugs - Just be careful. One of mine was over 9lb. The other two were 8lb +. None of them fitted in newborn longer than a fortnight as they were long too - in stuff with feet a lot of it is about length.

I never knew those little suits had a name. There you go, they are pram suits. We had one (in a bigger size as mine are all spring/summer babies) but only really used it in the sling. Our pram had a fleecy cocoon, and it was easier to layer up with cardies and blankets than faff about with a suit. Good for cold legs in the sling though. Interesting to hear that others love them.

Absolutely! Don't take the tags off and wash it all (like you always get told to!). Wash a few bits. But leave the rest for exchanging just in case. I've known some IVF whoppers too (never heard that they were smaller ), and growth scans can be pretty far off.

Congratulations!