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Original poster

Best way to clothe babies - esp on a budget?

116 replies

BearMama · 29/02/2008 15:44

Thoughts on this please...I plan to have my LO (due in March) in babygros and snowsuits for the first three months and am trying to resist the urge to buy all the cute clothes, even second hand as everyone says they grow out of it so fast.
I just found out today that there is a difference between "newborn" and "0-3". Novice mum alert!
Tell me your experience - what did you dress your LO in for the first year and what would you do differently?

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
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bubblagirl · 29/02/2008 19:35

my e mail is sylv_25 at hotmail.co.uk if you mail me i'll give paypal addy will sortit out for you and sens asap wont be till next week sometime x

Original poster
BearMama · 29/02/2008 19:46

gemmummy, I am having a girl
bubblagirl, have emailed you x

OP posts:
gemmummy · 29/02/2008 19:50

oooohhhh how exciting! pink clothes, lovely. i think the choice for girls stuff much better than for boys in the cheaper shops too. the colours just seem nicer. have fun!!!!!

Original poster
BearMama · 29/02/2008 20:03

Thanks, and yes you are right about the better choice for girls, I thought so too!

OP posts:
GirlySquare · 29/02/2008 20:13

agree with novicemama charity shops and ebay are great for babygros, ahame I didn't lmpw about freecycle when dd was born or I would have tried it.

LeonieD · 29/02/2008 20:48

This reply has been deleted

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Lulumama · 29/02/2008 20:49

i have a few girl bits i can send you if you like ?

bubblagirl · 29/02/2008 20:50

i havent recieved an e mail x

Original poster
BearMama · 29/02/2008 21:09

Lulumama - thank you. My email is [email protected]. Could you let me know what you have? Not being picky but have been offered by others on this thread so dont want to be greedy and take something someone else could use!

bubblagirl - have re-sent, any luck?

OP posts:
Lulumama · 29/02/2008 21:10

no worries. will email you tomorrow, as all the stuff is in the top floor so i need to get it out and write a lsit

Original poster
BearMama · 29/02/2008 21:16

Thanks Lulumama X

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elkiedee · 29/02/2008 21:21

I would buy in 0-3 months and no smaller, specially if new, you can pick up secondhand or giveaway stuff in smaller sizes because they grow quickly. My baby was born at 7lb 7oz and lost too much so did have tiny baby and newborn sizes but I wouldn't have bought those as he grew out of them so quickly. Newborn clothes usually say up to 9 or 10 lb and 0-3 up to 14 lb, then 3-6 up to 18 lb.

Also, vests and babygros are lovely and I did mostly those the first few months, but if you get any lovely weather in April/May, be careful not to overheat the baby. ds was born in early May and it was a horrible summer but even so there were times when the hv told me I'd overdressed him. On hot days after that I just used vests at home and put on a pair of trousers to take him out. And on that note, the snowsuits are gorgeously cute but for a baby born in March, I would mostly use cotton babygros and layer with those lovely cardis and cellular blankets where needed. And hats or hooded cardis for going out.

Good luck with everything.

charlotte121 · 29/02/2008 21:24

poundstretcher.... tesco asda... all have cheep clothes charity shops do some pretty good deals, friend who have babies... etc

Original poster
BearMama · 29/02/2008 21:30

Good advice elkiedee - will look out for hooded cardies. Being in Scotland I dont expect many hot days so am planning to layer with cardies and babygros and carry extra bits and pieces just in case.

OP posts:
gemmummy · 29/02/2008 21:34

bearmama where in scotland? my ds born in elgin, tho we've now moved back down south.

Original poster
BearMama · 29/02/2008 21:40

gemmummy am in Edinburgh. x

OP posts:
gemmummy · 29/02/2008 21:43

i love edinburgh, we went there quite a few times for the weekend, before ds came along. good shopping!

gemmummy · 29/02/2008 21:43

i love edinburgh, we went there quite a few times for the weekend, before ds came along. good shopping!

Original poster
BearMama · 29/02/2008 21:52

I know, esp if you start early. Bad idea going near Multrees Walk with a credit card tho

OP posts:
Eliza2 · 29/02/2008 21:55

I used mainly second- or thirdhand clothes from my SIL's sister for the first year.

I had a few new bits and some presents for 'best'.

If Ebay'd been around then I'd have been buying there.

Original poster
BearMama · 29/02/2008 23:06

Ebay is good but I'm not keen on buying baby stuff from there as the description can be misleading - best to get from charity shops where you can see it, or Freecycle.

OP posts:
shelleylou · 29/02/2008 23:19

tesco and ethel austin do gorgeous sleepsuits and vests, nothing fancy buit lovely designs on them. Best part is they are reasonable and wash briliantly, great in those early days.

ja9 · 29/02/2008 23:24

haven't read whole thread...

but i second NCT sales - ime there is always an abundance of the first sizes in excellent hardly used condition. v v cheap too.

Lulumama · 01/03/2008 12:31

have emailed you, bearmama x

luvaduck · 01/03/2008 14:53

i hardly used sleepsuits after 3 months as had ds in a baby sleeping bag at night with just a long sleeve vest (our house is quite warm), and he went into separates quite early.
my advice you don't know what you'll need until she's born - so make sure you can take stuff back - don't wash everything yet. also they grow out of newborn clothes VERY quickly -better to get 0-3 months.