How much baby clothing realistically?

[Caspianberg]

I have been trailing through old threads and other online searches and there seems a huge variety on how many baby clothes are needed.

I have just started to get the odd bits. Looking at mainly sleepsuits and vests, with cardigan etc combo. So nothing fancy.

But some people say just 0-3, not newborn. Some newborn is essential. Some say 6 of each, others 20.

20 sleepsuits? really? thats seems a lot if i am buying newborn and 0-3 ideally before baby is born. that would be 40 sleepsuits and 40 vests.

We will have a set of drawers to ideally fit all baby clothing, nappies etc. 4 drawers total.
Live fairly remote and no basic supermarkets here stock clothing so would like to get the basics to cover first few months beforehand. Baby due April. Have washing machine and dryer, plus plenty of hanging space to dry anything.

Also bedding. I was thinking 2 cot sheets, 2 blankets etc.. But some seem to say 6-8 of each?

The difference in whether people recommend newborn or just 0-3 comes down to birth weight. My babies have all been smaller than average so needed newborn and even some tiny baby. I found 10 sleep suits etc worked well. I would recommend 3 cot sheets and blankets so that one can be in use, one dirty and one drying.

You will definitely need more bedding than that. I'd say at least 4 sets .
Then with regard to vests and babygrows 10 of each as a minimum, and even then expect to do a fair bit of washing with this amounts . Some days you will be changing baby several times a day.

Also depends on whether you'll have a sicky baby or not. And poo explosions too. We didn't have much sick but she always always had poo explosions

I had enough for the first week and then presents started pouring in so I had a better idea of what I needed. I had 2 sheets for his little baby bassinet thing. Probably 1 pack of vests. Then I bought a little newborn set from m&s with a couple baby grows, a little pair of trousers and 3 vests and a wee cardi. DS wasnt a particularly pukey baby and has never in his life had a blowout so I guess I got off fairly lightly with the washing!

It also depends where you buy from as 0-3 and newborn are for different lengths/weights depending upon which shop you buy them from. I’d buy very little as there is always next day delivery or a 24 hour supermarket not too far from a hospital or town if you really need more in a hurry.

I didn't buy NB size with my first baby as he was predicted 10lb but with the others (2x 8lb5 and 7lb2) I used up to 1m for quite a while. I'd say to get around 5-10 sleepsuits of each size, vests (mix of long and short-sleeved) and a couple of sleeping bags. I only have 2 sheets and I always put a muslin under their head so you can just change that if they're sick. Loads of muslins, standard size and maybe a few big ones to use as blankets/swaddles. I rarely if ever used cardigans when they were young, they lived in sleepsuits as you'll change their clothes lots! You can easily get through 5 sleepsuits in an hour at times and then other times you'll realise they've been wearing the same one two days straight.

Congratulations! I found i needed about 14 sleepsuits and 14 body suits, loads of muslin cloths (I swaddle plus use them for burping etc - ended up with 16). 6 hats. Bought the sleepsuits with inbuilt mitts cos mitts are a pain in the arse. I also bought extra blankets for her swaddle and cot - i have 6 small blankets. 2 sets of bedding. I ended up doing fewer laundry loads.

Mothercare run bigger than next (this is where i mainly bought clothes from). My baby was 7lbs 7oz at birth and was in up to 1 month clothes from next for a week before I had to move her into 1-3 next sizes. I would also buy very little as I ended up with a lot of up to 1 month clothes she’s not worn.

Thanks so far. I think we will get a few items as gifts so trying not to go too crazy.

So aiming for say 8-10 sleepsuits and vests in both sizes, plus a couple of cardigans for on top is probably a reasonable amount for the average baby? actally by june its usually 30+ degrees here, so I am assuming less sleepsuits needed maybe and more just vests?

@OrangeZog - no 24hr supermarkets or next day online delivery here unfortunately. There is a place near the hospital that DH can run to if needed, but its pretty expensive, and its around 50 min drive from our house. So would prefer to keep as an emergency rather than essentials if I can avoid.

I've never bought Newborn always bought 0-3... My babies have varied in size from 7lb 11 to my 2nd being 9lb 8 and no3 predicted to be bigger and 0-3 have been fine. Plus depending what your going to be dressing baby in depends what you should get amount wise... Alot only seem to put baby in babygrows for first few month whereas I've always got baby dressed in a morning even if we are staying in and kept babygrows for nighttime..
I have 20 vests & 20 baby grows all 0-3 and most bought in packs of 5 or 10 (and didn't realise how many I had actually bought untill I put them away lol)
They can go through them so fast
many times I've changed babies vest/babygrow through the night because of sick/poo explosion🙈

I've also got 2/3 sets of mitts/hats
2 thicker hats for when we are out as he's due in Jan I expect it to be cold.
Handfull of tops & Bottoms
2 thicker blankets and 2 thinner ones
Pack of Muslims & Bibs
About 10 pairs of socks ( I can't stand a baby not having socks on its a pet peeve of mine 🙈)

In regards to moses basket sheets/cot sheets you will need more than 2 of each I'd say at least 3/4 sheets. But everyone will always advise more or less with everything so just gauge it on what you think I would say x

Do I need socks? I assumed they didn't wear socks under the sleepsuits which come with little feet

I only put socks on when I get baby dressed when we go out but some just leave babygrows on there babies so suppose its just personal preference x

Hello,

I had a June 2018 baby, it was sweltering. He was 8lb7oz when he was born and this is how long he was in each size:

Up to 1 month - 2 weeks
0-3 months - from 2 weeks until 7 weeks
3-6 months - 7 weeks until about 4.5 months

He was a large baby (91st percentile) but this illustrates how quickly they can move through the sizes and that, in my opinion, it is not worth overbuying and rather "topping up" if you think you need it.

Quantity wise, I started with 2 x hats and 6 x vests (up to 1 month), 6 x sleepsuits with mittens built in (up to 1 month).

Once he moved into 0-3 months and I knew he was going to be in the size a bit longer, we had around 8 x vests and 8 x sleepsuits. No cardigans as it was summer and very hot! He spent most days in just the vest and then went into the sleepsuit for bed.

My son is now 18 months and we still have only ever had 2 x mattress protectors and 2 x fitted sheets and a couple of blankets and never had a problem with this. He was not a sicky baby and we've so far avoided any real incidents in the crib and on the go.

You will see that quantities suggested will vary wildly. The best advice I can offer is to start small and increase if required through online shopping. I'm not sure how remote you are, but for example, you can order before 10pm online with M&S and still get next day delivery! You also have access to a washing machine and dryer and your baby will be born as the weather is improving so by the time they are 3/4 months they will require much less layering.

Good luck!

And yes, get socks. He always had socks on his feet if he was not in a sleepsuit.

Gontinthe charity shops and FB market place.

You can pick them up for next to nothing so, can buy whatever you want. If you have too many, no problem.

Charity shops round me often have baby grows/sleepsuitss/cardigans/leggings etc etc at 3 or 5 for £1

We bought newborn for both boys and had to do an emergency dash for "tiny baby" as they were so baggy they were covering their faces!

Also my eldest could easily puke on five grows per hour (wet enough to need changing rather than just a wipe). My youngest wasnt a puker so we used a lot lot less. We also passed on loads of our muslins - we needed about twenty for our eldest but only about two for our younger boy

Ok so definitely a few socks. I guess handy with just vests when warmer also.

No charity shops here. Have a few locals offered some secondhand bits though so will see what they have.

Can get m and s, h and m etc overseas delivery, but it takes around 10 days to arrive. Hence being perfect to order from in advance but not for an emergency last minute.

I have a large city with most shops in around 1hr 30 mins away, So will plan to head that way In january/february with a list of how many to get.

We have a rather enthusiastic granny sending knitted cardigans and hats so i think they will be covered.

Socks are brilliant over sleep suits. Stops baby drawing legs up in sleepsuit and getting all tangled.

It depends a lot on the baby. DS1, I had 3 newborn vests and babygrows. He drenched them in puke within the first 12 hours (severe reflux). He was also pretty small so stayed in newborn for the first month.

DS1 would need changing multiple times a day until he was 11/12 months (at which point he had learnt to direct his sick...).

DS2 I remember being surprised and feeling guilty that he d been in the same babygrow for 48 hours and it was still clean....

I've bought 10 of each and that should do fine. Personally would defo recomened getting some newborn. My first was 8.8 and was still in newborn for a couple weeks so you will need something for them to wear for the first few weeks.

I have LOADS of everything, but ninety per cent is second hand.

With my first, I took six body suits and six sleepsuits in my hospital bag, and despite being there for less than 18 hours, we got through all of the sleepsuits because my daughter kept being sick!

Wow! We had nowhere near that. We had two sets of bedding and about 7 sleepsuits to start. Though I did get some hand me downs etc. It really doesn't take long to run a washing machine cycle!

My daughter is 5 months old and still in 0-3. She was in tiny baby for 6 weeks and was 5lb 3oz. I'd defo get newborn. They puke and pee everywhere at first.

Maybe think about buying some tiny baby depending on the size baby you are estimated. We brought loads of newborn and 0-3months but no tiny baby. We had to go out and buy it last minute as our little boy was quite small.

Also lots of friends and family will buy the baby clothes so I wouldn't buy too many yourselves. We didn't buy much yet we have enough to last until he is at least 6 months old (if not longer).

The newborn vest i have seems so tiny already!