What does a newborn wear (I know this sounds stupid)?

[Minstrelle]

So, I am starting to think about what to buy and I've looked online and in some shops and I'm a bit confused by what's on offer.

There seems to be 3 things (mainly) for newborns - vests (no sleeves, sometimes with poppers under the bum), bodysuits (mostly shortsleeve, with poppers under the bum) and sleepsuits (longsleeve, mostly with feet). But I keep seeing references to babies in babygrows - which of the above (if any?) are these ones?

My second question is, as the thread title suggests, what do they normally wear in the daytime (assuming I don't bother with "proper" outfits) just around the house/out for a walk in the pram/carrycot thing - is it a combination of the above and if so, which? I can see the sleepsuit working (on its own/with something else?), but what do they wear on their bottom half if they're in a body suit? Presumably for nighttime, it's a sleepsuit - do they normally wear something underneath this?

Sorry if this sounds ridiculous - this is my first, and I've never really had to think about this before! All advice much appreciated!

And I buy nice coloured babygros as outfits. Saved me the changing. I found its when they start crawling that you definitely need 2 piece outfits. They can get the legs out of those leg holes!

0-3 months is usually from approx 10lbs

beth unfortunately it totally depends on the baby.

DD was in 0-3 mths from about 3 mths whereas DS was in 0-3 mths when he was about 3 weeks old and has been in 6-9 mths from about 16 weeks!

Napisan isn't recommended for newborns, it's too harsh for their skin. Stick to unscented non-bio (I think persil is a bit too scented for small babies).

And definitely don't buy too much in tiny sizes, babies are very unpredictable in terms of their size when they arrive and how fast they lengthen.

Good luck with your new baby, enjoy their lovely new baby smell

I would suggest you also buy a couple of packs of 'vests' for the hospital. They are like a cotton waistcoat with Velcro fastenings (nothing over nappy). When the baby is first born and you are in a warm hospital they are very simple to use under swaddling and make checks easier.

We continued to use persil non bio for DS and not had any issues with it being too harsh, and there's family history on my side of sensitive skin so OP if you want to carry on using your normal washing powder, go for it :)

You'll hear lots of conflicting advice about most things baby related, especially on here so just go with the advice that seems sensible and fits with you/ your family. And if that means discarding my story about persil, I won't be offended- every baby is different and what works for one won't work with another

Vest and baby grow and cardi. Blanket and a cosy toes that goes into car seat. Never a snowsuit. What an utter faff to get the baby into.

Babies don't need hats indoors as they can overheat. Both DC wore short sleeved vests and baby gro's (or sleep suits as they're called, with feet) indoors. Outdoors we just put a pram suit over the top and a hat.

Watch out for sleep suits / all in ones that don't have poppers down the front. It can enrage tiny baby to have it put over his head. I learned this from putting ds1 in his 'going home outfit'!

I'm actually one for 'outfits' it's not like I put him in a 3 piece suit. Had quite a lot of 'day' baby grows as well as plain white for night. White is good as it can go in the wash with all the bedding.

You can get soft dungarees and pants that personally I find easier for changing. I have boys so I love a soft hoodie. A plain white/ cream cardi in boyish style also went over many an outfit instead of a coat.

I'd hold off until you know gender anyway so just a selection if baby whites for now or some non gendered things (red is good, I think yellow looks girly and beige is boyish)

I'd hold off until you know gender anyway

See this didn't bother me. I just dress DD in colours I like and that never includes pink! And she regularly wears what are apparently boys clothes, but they all look like clothes to me. I think you should dress your baby how you want to dress your baby, OP.

Depends where you live regarding April baby not needing a pram suit. I remember trudging though the snow in April to buy my dd some tights and all I could find in the shop was summer outfits. I would actually go for a pram suit as well as a cardigan but then it is a bit colder here. It can be easier for the car seat than blankets. Get one with a zip down to the toes.

Do not put kids in snow suits/pram suits in the car at all. It is v v dangerous.

Both my ds came home from the hospital in pram suits (Feb and April) but maybe I am thinking different degrees of thicknes. Their suit material was like a thinnish jacket nothing like a snow suit. We are also in Scotland. We did put ds in a snow suit in the car when it was -10 c as the car never warmed above zero for the duration of the trips (to pick up dd). Also lots of car seats spend time on pram bases and blankets would not supply enough wrap around warmths up here as you pushed it outside.

I think you can put them in the car seat in a snowsuit as long as you don't lengthen the straps. The danger as I understand it comes from loosening the straps to cater for the bulk of the snow suit, but in an accident the snowsuit will just compress and provides no support so it means the straps can be too loose to be safe and the baby could come out of the seat.

You can buy cosy toes to go in car seats which is far safer than snow suits. Even if you pull straps v v tight in impact wadding would still compress on snowsuits.

I've bought 2 piece pyjamas for my bump. I find pj bottoms easier for nappy changes, rather than the bleedin poppers on sleepsuits.

But I'm horrifically lazy

Hi op, I am due my second dd, also in April, and I have the following ready:

Tiny vests and sleepsuits (cheap, plain) in case she is little like dd1, I expect these to last up to 2 weeks

Newborn/up to 1 month vests and sleepsuits (cheap vests, slightly more exciting sleepsuits as they are on show) which will last a couple more weeks possibly more

0-3 month vests (cheap, plain) and nicer sleepsuits which I expect to last up to 3/4 months

I have left all snow suits etc in the loft, if it is cold we will just use a blanket. By the time we go out much it will be may anyway (unless baby is early)

I found people bought outfits as gifts often in 0-3 size so I never had to buy any.

I preferred to get pretty sleepsuits up until about 3 months even for daytime rather than struggle with t shirts etc.

If you are thinking of cloth nappies then you may need bottom half clothes (except dresses etc) in a larger size than you would expect.

Another first timer here. This has been really helpful, didn't realise snow suits weren't suitable for car seats. I'm off to re-pack the hospital bag (again).

Just seen Bilberry's post - good pont, depends where you are. I'm in Kent so would hope for reasonable weather in April - I am lazy anyway so not planning to leave the house much for the first few weeks ....

I'm so glad I read this! Baby is due in May and I haven't a bloody clue. I didn't even know vests should go under babygros, I thought you could just use them on their own with tights or leggings

I have a cozy toe for my maxi cosi infant car seat. That way I don't have to put DC in a snowsuit in the car seat just to keep warm. They are a must really for autumn and winter babies.

Honestly, this has been a proper revelation-have learnt so much! I feel much less like I should just buy everything that Mothercare/JL has, just in case!! Although I can't guarantee all non-frivolous purchases of course!

Glad it's helped others too - you'd think it'd be in at least one of the books (granted, I know it's location/month of birth specific)!

The other thing that's worth bearing in mind is that the