Newborn Clothes - 1st Timer Help Please!

[WineandDine]

Sorry if there are other a million other threads on this however I could really do with some guidance on baby clothes! I'm due at the end of August with my first and currently have the following bits. What else do we need and any tips on sizes?! We're trying to stick to essentials in the early days as realise we will be given lots as gifts:

Sleepsuits
3 x up to 1m
7 x 0-3m
1 x 2-4m

Babygrows
3 x up to 1m
3 x 3-6m

Babygrows (short sleeved)
7 x up to 1m
5 x 0-3m

Vests
3 x up to 1m

1 x top/bottoms 0-3m
2 x cardys
2 x socks
2 x cotton socks
10 x Muslins

TIA x

I'd suggest buying a few decent bibs as well - we were bought all kinds of lovely decorative ones which looks nice but were an awkward fit or not absorbent enough etc.

Scratch mitts are useful.

You may need more socks, but it depends whether you'll dress the baby in babygrows or outfits.

Rather than buying loads, it might be best to just make a note of where you can get more of everything if your need it. Then you can send someone out easily enough.

Oh, you might need a couple of hats as well, and some kind of coat for the trip home from hospital. And blankets (you'll probably get bought loads, so just a couple to start you off).

Do you have a washing machine and a tumble dryer? I used far less stuff with dc2 with a tumble dryer.

Hey wine&dine;
I'm the same as you expecting my first baby and completely unsure of what and how many to pack!!!!
I'll be watching the thread for some tips!!!! Xxx

What's the difference between babygros, sleepsuits and vests? Well I know what a sleepsuit and a vest is, is a babygro a sort of day time sleepsuit without feet?

My tip would be to have a look at the sizes in pounds and ounces rather than months. I think newborn is about up to 7 and a half pounds, up to one month is up to 10lbs and 0-3 is up to 14lbs.

I had a few newborn sleepsuits that were hand me downs, even though my baby was 8lb he fitted in them for a week or so. I bought mostly up to 10lbs sleepsuits and vests, I'd say you need about 10+ of each depending on if you have a tumble dryer.

I'd recommend a few newborn babygrows, my baby us five days old, just under 8lbs and the up to one month are too big. Will be a couple of weeks till she is in them

Thanks Purl1Knit1 will add bibs, hats, scratch mitts and socks to the list. Hadn't thought about a coat but look in to and we have a few blankets.

No tumble dryer (just my trusty Lakeland heated airer) so guessing I'll need more rather than less to make things a bit easier...

diploddycus yup have assumed babygrows are all in ones type things without legs/feet? Have a few long and short sleeved ones. Will double check weight for things I have so far, thanks

X

You want a few things in newborn size as at 7lbs my dd was swamped even in them. But tiny baby only fit for a few weeks, so wasn't worth investing in them. You will get a lot of presents, bit may be surprised. A lot of people buy big sizes nowadays to avoid you having loads in up to 3 months but nothing for when baby gets bigger.

I recommend newborn sizes too. My baby was 8lb8oz and up to 1 month we're massive on him. He's now 3 week old and only just fitting into them.

Sleepsuit is the modern name for a baby grow. An all in one with feet and sometimes fold over mitts. Shops have started saying sleep suit to encourage us to buy outfits and clothes for the day. DS was mostly in baby grows til he started pulling up as I think they're cute and they're all super easy

Sleep suits are easy for the first few months. Matching tops and bottoms gets hard unless you put the whole outfit in the wash. I think post 3 months my DC started wearing more outfits, although we had a few pairs of linen dungarees for ds and dresses for dd as they were summer babies in a heat wave when vests would have worked just as well.

Don't forget blankets and cardigans, great for extra warmth when you're not expecting it to turn chilly.

As long as you've enough clothes in each size to accommodate say 5 outfit changes in a day you're doing great (you can sling the whole lot in the wash that night).

Obviously the little outfits an things are lovely, but essentially you'll just want to keep them warm and clean. Multi packs are great back ups.

Just reread your list - so maybe more cardigans / long sleeve onesies, you can always put a top over that

I went a bit mad with dd1 and bought loads of vests, sleepsuits and little outfits and she only wore most of them a few times and some of them were never worn.

I've now got a 15 week old dd2 and she is always in a short sleeved vest and long sleeved sleepsuit although I've stopped the vest now the weather's warmed up.
I had 3 newborn ones that fitted for a month (she was 7lbs 9) and is pretty much out of all the 0-3 now too.

I personally wouldn't get hats or a coat for a summer baby, it's dangerous for them to get too hot, my dd was sweating in the car seat after just 20 minutes yesterday and all she had on was a thin cotton romper suit so had bare legs and arms too.

You'll also find different brands fit different shaped babies too, I found Tesco were great for my long thin dd1 but swamp dd2 and Sainsburys fit her better.

Thank you all! Have struggled with the sizing for different brands as there seems to be quite a difference but think I have a good variety and there is always online shopping... Had a voucher for 20% off at M&S so picked up a few more things this morning too
Very tempted by all the adorable little outfits but as you say, I know sleepsuits/vests will be much easier for the first few months!

On another note, can anyone offer any advice re sleeping bags? Planning to use these (if baby will play ball) but are they practical with a newborn?

Thanks CindeFuckinRella - helpful to know the rough recommended weight as the 0-6 m one I have doesn't have any indication.

I have a few little leggings and tops that were included in a starter set so I will see how I get on with both - thanks again x

I found that DS2 was bursting out of newborn stuff within a week or so. He got lots of lovely little outfits and barely used them. He was 9lbs 15 at birth and just really big. It so depends on the size of the baby.