Tell me what I need re: baby clothes?

[Ginger782]

Not sure which category to post this under.

I'm slowly collecting small amounts of baby clothes but aren't sure how many of each item I actually need? I really don't want to over-buy unnecessarily!

Anyone who has done this before, tell me how many of the various different baby clothing items I need in each size?

TIA!

Lots of muslins, about 10 vests, 10 baby gros and 4 cardis, snowsuit and hat. Unless you are expecting a tiny baby i would just opt for newborn upto 10lb, you can always get a pack of newborn upto 7lb for your hospital bag. Be wary of sizing as all stores vary greatly, ie, M and S/debenhams/gap and jojo size small, the supermarkets/next/john lewis are more generous. Save all the pretty clothes for when you are buying the 0-3 and 3-6 month stuff!

Just to add, unless you have something like a wedding to go to, I wouldn't even bother buying any newborn or 0-3 outfits. They poo and sick so much you will be going through vests and sleepsuits many times a day. Don't bother dressing them in outfits and most people don't care if they are or not. My babies were all 8lb+ and they only stayed in newborn for a fortnight max. They weren't in 0-3 long either. Of course it all depends on the size of baby. And gender neutral is good, in case you are planning on having anymore.

You will get given so many clothes from people as presents so I wouldn't buy too much. We have so many clothes (1 month old) that we have stuff he's grown out of having worn once or not at all.

It'll depend on how often you put washing on and how quickly it dries. I would expect to change their clothes about 3 times a day when they're new although it can be more often. Baby clothes are often white and it takes me a while to have enough for a white load of washing. On that basis I'd rather have more than 10. You can always put your baby in the next size up if you run out of clothes temporarily.

I agree with a pp about sizing being variable. I didn't find jojo small but did find Asda was. Try and get babygros with integrated scratch mitts (fold over cuffs); they're much better than faffing with separate ones. If you get given babygros without, I found socks were more likely to stay on as they go longer up the arm.

10 babygrows and vests in sizes newborn to 6 months. 5 babygrows and vest in size 6-12 months plus a few soft wool or cotton dungerees depending on season

2 -3 cardigans in each size. Skip newborn cardigans, they can wear 0-3 with sleeves rolled up or just wrap cosy in a blanket.

Always washed after just a few babygrows dirty as all in white, so just washed with white towels or pre rinsed washable nappies and then put in main wash with them

As above really.

I had about 10 vests and 10 sleepsuit in newborn. Same again in 0-3. No socks (baby in sleepsuit whole time). Couple of knitted hats as both mine were winter babies. A zip up fleecy all in one from Next for both mine and I had every size! So handy for the car seat as very thin fleece.

I got gifted the odd set of leggings and top for dd which we wore when we visited places but other than that I did a colourful sleepsuit for daytime and white sleepsuit for bedtime.

Oh yeah and a couple of cardigans!

I agree with 10 vests and sleepsuits in newborn and then 0-3. If you buy multipacks of 5 or 7 rather than individually they're pretty cheap. I also suggest buying them from the same shop as newborn in one shop might be the same as 0-3 in another. Having said that the sizing can be inconsistent even if buying everything from the same place!

I really like the wrap over organic cotton vests from H&M - much easier than trying to get a vest over a newborn's head! Same for babygrows - avoid poppers down the back or anything that needs pulling over their head! Less stress for the baby when getting them dressed and easier to get off after a poonami!

I agree with Chloe! Poppers only down the front for baby gros- I was given things with poppers only in the legs and pulling a pooey baby gro over their head isn't fun!

Also my baby (born nearly 8 lbs) has only just grown out of newborn size (6 wks now). 0-3 swamped him at the start

Thanks everyone who's commented so far! I'm in Australia and baby is due in the middle of a heat wave so we definitely won't be needing snow suits haha. The midwives are even warning about having hats on newborns too much in Australian summers/risk of SIDS with baby being too warm.
As it's summer washing will dry before you can even get it hung up so I'm not worried about that.
I'm trying to keep it simple and don't want dozens of different outfits and clothing options so I'm glad everyone has reaffirmed my belief I can stick with simple basics!
The number 10 seems to be a magic quantity most people are agreeing on.

Would also suggest babygrows with feet! I got so many cute or designer(y) ones with no feet and keeping socks on a new born is ridiculously difficult!

Pack a couple of different sizes in your hospital bag, see if you can borrow a few tiny ones.
I was expecting a large baby with dd. She was born at term weighing 6lb and everything I had just swamped her. As we had to stay in for 5 days, she had to wear a ratty old hospital Babygro till dh could get out and buy a few tiny ones.

Then, having not really learned my lesson properly, I assumed dc2 would be a similar size and only packed small babygros. He was 8lb 3 and long. Again, as we had to stay in a few days, dh had to do an emergency shop at the 24hr Tesco.

I actually read a great tip (after DD was born - typically) to have a couple of sized outfits each in a ziplock bag so you just pull out the one you need at the hospital.
Does seem a bit of a waste potentially buying a size you'll never need but one outfit isn't too bad. My DD was tiny and her hospital clothes swamped her! Also had to do emergency trip to shop to get some stuff that actually fit!

Don't go mad buying lots of things in bigger sizes, wait and see. DD was tiny and all the lovely warm winter clothes we bought didn't fit until the summer She was in newborn for months.

I agree with the quantity but I bought 3 different sizes with DS (all Next as I think they're the best). First Size, 1 month and 0-3 months. DS was 7lb 8oz and wore first size for 3 weeks, then 1 month until he was 6 weeks then into 0-3. 0-3 would have swamped him at 3 weeks so the interim size was good. DD due February and I'll do same this time (using DS stuff mainly anyway)

Agree babygros with feet, and also with built in mittens that just fold over. So much easier than scratch mittens.

Scratch mittens aren't recommended now are they? I thought it was supposed to be good for baby to feel their own face and others skin as part of development

Just plain baby grows - NOT the kind that you have to pull over their heads (aka "overtheheadbastards", you'll see why if you get one and the baby shits in it!!). I had so many lovely little dresses and outfits that she wore once or not at all; such a waste of money. Besides, babies look so so cute in baby grows! Congratulations :)

I had to cover hands during sleep, otherwise DD1 would scratch herself badly. But agree hands should be liberated when they are awake!

Yes to only buying baby grows that button up the front. My 9lb 9oz baby only last 1 week in the up to 1 month age range.

Don't forget blankets. Snow suits can't be born in the car seat.