Please help me clothe my newborn (arriving soon)

[BlanketBlue]

I have got most things now I think, but lastly just need the baby's actual clothes! I don't want any fuss, just a few simple suits / vests or onesies (whatever you call them - sorry - first time Mum!)

Please can you advise on what we actually need to keep a newborn baby clothed and sleeping comfortably? The bare minimum in terms of styles / items, although we are happy to get plenty of duplicates to avoid endless laundry. Baby due soon so clothing needs to be suitable for summer.

Thank you!

Hard to advise when the weather is so erratic but I’d say sleep suits/the onesies, maybe 8 so the washing machine isn’t constantly on. Useful to have a range of newborn and 0-3 because it’s hard to guess weight, and then vests (t shirt ones) maybe 10. Id then get a couple of short sleeved and short legged rompers for the day if it’s hot, a cardigan for if it’s cool and you’ll want a couple of hats for hospital.

Cellular blanket should be fine for sleep, get a couple in case they’re spewed on!

I had an April baby and dressed her in sleep suits or vests and leggings whilst it was cooler. As it got warmer she lived in short sleeved vests and rompers as she was a sweaty little thing. The general guide is to put them in one more later than you wear but she always ran on the warm side. I had a couple of cardigans but didn't use them til autumn

Okay thank you both. What's the difference between vests, onesies and rompers please?

I take it onesies / sleep suits are acceptable daywear for a sleepy newborn..?

:-)

Should have clarified - due in June x

When you are buying sleepsuits it’s worth trying to get ones with the built in mittens that fold down over their hands. Scratch mittens never stay on in my experience!

Vests / bodysuits (short sleeved)
Sleepsuits / onesies (ie full length arms and legs)
Lightweight rompers for hot weather (sleeveless or short sleeved arms and short legs)

This is literally all you need to clothe a June baby, absolutely fine to have them in sleepsuits all the time.

Useful extras:
Lightweight sun hat (although you should keep baby in shade)
Sleep gown / baby bundler - this is basically a long nightie which is sooo handy for nighttime because you don't have to piss about with sleepsuit poppers for nappy changes

If you want to get proper "outfits" and not just sleepsuits I would recommend soft pull-on leggings rather than things with poppers and buttons, much easier for nappy changes.

As PP said get a few different sizes, some shops do a 1 month size which can be quite handy for in-between newborn and 0-3.

DS was a March baby and a warm one so we didn't use his cardies much (shame as they were lovingly hand knitted by his grandmothers!). I found it easier to pop a blanket over him when we took him out in the pram or car seat. Otherwise at home or in the baby carrier he was plenty warm enough.

PS Sleepsuits with zips are a godsend (can you tell I got sick of poppers!) We had a couple from Maxomorra (lasted ages because footless so not outgrown length wise) and also Gap IIRC.

I always recommend baby bundlers from John Lewis (are sold elsewhere sometimes called baby gowns) they last ages and no poppers for night time nappy changes.

I discovered them with DC2 - life changing!

Great minds We got a couple from John Lewis and a couple from M&S (cheaper!)

Huge hands DH couldn't do poppers!

I would buy some layers, long sleeved sleepsiuts, short sleeved vests, a mixture of short sleeved rompers, tshirts & shorts, joggers, long sleeved tshirts, a couple of cardigans or fleece zip up hoodies, a coat that will take you up to when you need to buy a winter coat, socks, lots of things that mix & match.

A coat? For a June baby?!

Sainsbury’s also do the zipper babygro’s, which I discovered way too late. Couldn’t get in with the long gowns mentioned, as my baby was a constant kicker. Cellular blankets on hand for layering if they fall asleep underdressed are great!

Unless baby is measuring less than average at your scans then I'd get 0-1 months and 0-3 months and skip the newborn size. Mine were very much average size and weight and newborn was always too small. 0-1 lasted about 2 1/2 weeks and then they were in 0-3. You'll be surprised at how quickly they grow so don't get too many of anything!

I find asda has best value for quality and price. Sainsburys and boots mini club are good too
I'd get 6 short sleeve vests
6 long sleeve vests which also act like long sleeve tops
6 bottoms (leggings, or jeans)
6 sleepsuits (also called baby grows)
3 cardigans
2 packs of socks
A sun hat
If a girl you could also buy a little dress if you fancy but not essential, they do look cute however
I'd purchase 0-3 and 3-6 months. You don't need more than what I've said
Obviously get a couple of blankets, one or two warmer ones to use when it's cooler and 2 cellular ones for the when weather is hot
Suncream if you plan to take baby to the park.

Jeans?!

I still don't put DS in jeans and he's 3

I realise I am probably on the extreme side but I think most people would not put a newborn in jeans?!

Vests and sleepsuits generally, a jacket or cardigan if it's cold. Because of the hot weather some rollers would be good.

Vests under sleepsuits depending how cold they are. There's some useful general guides on Pinterest for how many layers and stuff like that.

My kids lived in onesies. There's really no difference between day or night wear. I just put the baby in a sleeping bag at night. I never had vests when they were babies just sleeveless body suits. After a few months you could put baby in more fun clothes.

Don’t think my daughter wore an outfit (even leggings and a vest!) until she was at least a month old 😂 definitely ok to keep your newborns in sleepsuits/onesies.

They tend to HATE being changed when really little so zipper sleepsuits like mentioned above was all I had the energy for, no fannying about with more complicated stuff.

Totally off the topic of clothes but I was neurotically worried about overdressing on summer nights, gro-egg will fix this if you haven’t ordered one.

Agree with PP. We had a GroEgg with DD1 and kept it incase we had another. Currently using it in DD2's room now. Was a god send last summer during the heatwave. She was a May baby.

Also, I learnt from my 1st. DD2 pretty much spent the 1st 8 months of her life wearing baby grows (onesies). So much easier to change nappies etc. She is a reflux baby so was sick 24/7. Couldn't have been arsed doing outfit changes with that anyway!
Dont buy too many in newborn size. Buy 0-3 even if they look ridiculous with long legs, you'll get far more wear out of them.

I only ever layered her in the first week with a short sleeve vest under her baby grow. It was warm after that so she just had a cellular blanket over her in the baby grow.

I preferred pjs to onesies I guess again no faff with poppers and yes to be worn day and night

I thought the zip sleepsuits seemed really uncomfortable, they bunched up and looked awful.
Sleepsuits/all in ones are best for night and day in my opinion. Though for a June baby you might want some rompers (all in ones without feet so cooler, some are short legs/sleeves).
Tuppence and Crumble do brilliant cotton star wraps, they’re like a cross between a jacket and a blanket. They do fleece ones as well for Winter.
I would get vests with poppers to fasten under their nappy, I think they ride up otherwise and also it helps to keep the nappy in place.
I would get 10 sleepsuits or rompers and 10 vests.
Sleepsuits are best with sleeves that fold over as scratch mitts, separate ones just fall off and newborns often scratch their face.

You can quickly go through sets of clothes when you’re sleep deprived and don’t get chance to wash them, plus newborns are often sick and nappies often leak.
It might be beat to get less initially until you know what size they are. Some won’t fit in newborn and need 1 month or even 0-3.
I’d get at least 2 cellular blankets.
You definitely won’t need sun cream as it’s not suitable for newborn skin, they should be kept in the shade at all times for 6 months.
Muslins would also be useful.
Good luck and congratulations!

Petit bateau had the best onesies and the only ones I reused with baby #2. More expensive but definitely worth it. They also had alternative ways of doing them up, ie back flaps!

@NameChange30 plenty of people put their newborns and 0_3 months in jeans.. They aren't the stuff kind of jeans material we adults wear, more like stretchy jeggings. Shops are full of them so clearly people are buying them. Not everyone wants to dress their newborns in sleepsuits 🙄
Personally I disagree with purchasing stuff from petit bateu and John Lewis as they cost an arm and a leg only to be grown out of in a few weeks

I bought gap/John Lewis/Petite Bateau stuff 2nd hand quality was so much better and still very inexpensive 2nd hand.