What age clothes to buy up to

[Brs12]

Hiya,
I’m currently pregnant with my first and since finding out the gender (little boy 💙) I can’t stop buying clothes! 😬
I have read a lot not to buy too many newborn clothes as they may not even need them and also that you are likely to be gifted a lot of the newborn and 0-3 months as well so I have limited myself to a few second hand bits and sale items.
I’m just wondering what age everyone bought up to before the baby was born? I know now it is super easy and convenient with supermarkets and everything but I am planning on buying pre loved where I can and so it can take a little longer to get full outfits etc. I have only bought a few items here and there when I see them but I don’t know if it’s just a complete waste.
I am telling myself it’s not a huge loss if baby never gets round to wearing some bits as I can donate or resell again and they won’t go to waste. 🤣

It's totally up to you!! First size is the one you don't need a lot of - my baby never went near it! 0-3 you mostly need bodysuits and sleepsuits. 3-6 slightly more interesting clothes, and the best ones are usually 6-9 months and 9-12! I had up until age 1 (bit of everything) and I was so grateful to my organised self as they fly through the sizes.

I didn't really get bought much but you're right, it's usually 0-3. It's very exciting - don't feel guilty for getting carried away! Vinted is the best for bargains 😊

If I saw something in the sale I bought it even if it was up to 12 month as I can’t say no to a bargain! I’d just be careful to make sure they are the right size for the season. I now buy my babies next years summer clothes in the size up in this years sales! The time goes so fast! Congrats xx

I'd personally wait - we got gifted so many clothes when DS was born we didn't need to buy anything for the first 6 months! Also, depending on how fast they grow you don't know if it will be summer/winter when they will be in those clothes. I got lots of hats, mittens, jumpers and cardigans but by the time he grew into them it was summer and they barely got used. Finally, if you hold off buying stuff in the bigger sizes it gives you something to look forward to when you can go out shopping when the baby is actually here.

Same issue, me and partner are both tall, and were long babies for our weights, siblings the same. Newborn clothes say up to 7lb and 0-3 month some say up to 10lb. Due to complications baby may need to be born early in which case smaller and lots of use. If I go to term may well have an 8lb plus baby that's the length of a 9/10lb baby so I'm not sure what to get! Just going to see what comes out and if family need to do emergency dash so be it 😅

People go on about not buying too much in the small sizes and yes people will buy you some 0-3 clothes but with both of mine they have been relatively big babies but needed 0-1 month (rather than 0-3) clothes for the first month. It’s also the time when you have so many visitors and people wanting to take their picture. Some people are happy with them just being in a sleepsuit all the time when they’re tiny but I always felt like it was solely pyjamas so I bought little outfits that would feel like pyjamas but looked like clothes (leggings and tops/bodysuits) for all the visitors coming. I’ve done the same again this time, I even put an outfit on if we’re just staying in the house. I’ve just got a thing about them not being in pyjamas!

@Brs12 I bought myself absolutely loads when pregnant (everyone told me not to lol) and I’ve used everything so far multiple times! I definitely needed first size/newborn, my babies 3 and a half weeks and she’s still wearing them, 0-3 would be absolutely ridiculous on her! Lots of newborn I bought is also too big still so for me not a waste at all! I guess it depends how big your baby is predicted to be🤷🏼‍♀️

Well i bought 0-3.. but ended up premature 😂 so had nothing to put her in.. luckily neonatal had a few bits for her. Id go for few newborn and 0-3.. then nearer the time see what they measure and get a few around that. I found a ted baker coat secondhand still with labels for 3 pounds.. its 9 months but had to get it while i saw it! Its helpful to have a few bigger incase of sudden growth spurts x

Thanks everyone, I feel a lot better about buying lots now.
@Moonrising a good point about waiting until they are born to leave something to look forward to.
I think I’ll try to stick to mostly smaller sizes and get a few newborn/ 0-1 outfits as @DDx says, i’d like to keep the sleepsuits to bedtime as much as possible.
I might end up with far too many clothes but at least baby will be well dressed 🤣

I bought 0-3, 3-6, and handful of up to a month, about 30 sleepsuits and same amount of bodysuits + some outwear, pramsuits and small bits. As for fancy outfits maybe couple on 3-6 but it's only worth ith when baby starts to crawl, walk so 6-9. Probably having more clothes than needed lol. I plan on rotate wardrobe so needed 2 sizes to start with. All clothes like new, good brands from vinted, wish it existed when my teen daughters were born. I never relied on gifts as was never given much and didn't expect as no family around. As for visitors, I never had need to to show off my babies dressed up like gypsy queens so nice sleepsuit or set was sufficient.

I have bought quite a bit from Vinted too, great for baby clothes as a lot haven’t even been worn!
When I say outfits I’m more referring to ‘daytime’ sleepsuits and a couple of jumpers/cardigans and leggings so although they all look like pyjamas it makes me feel better having ‘daytime’ and ‘nighttime’ clothes 🤣

30 sleepsuits

Obviously it's everyone's choice what they want to dress their baby in but I want to reassure op that 30 sleepsuits is really much more than you need...!!

There are plenty of lists you can find online, but depending on the season when baby is born, 8 vests and 8 sleepsuits should do it. Plus a warm pramsuit and 3-4 hats. You won't need socks or mittens as they are part of the sleepsuit.

If you buy less, it's better for your wallet, future decluttering, and the environment

I wasn’t planning on buying more than 10/12 of each size at least until he arrives tbh (if I can help it 🙈🤣)
I have been given a lot of newborn clothes by a family friend who recently had a baby so I probably have enough already but would like to choose a few things myself for the hospital and coming home etc.
One thing I have noticed is a complete difference in sizes, I have a couple of f&f sleepsuits in newborn which are almost literally half the size of some from next and other places. They even look small compared to a tiny baby sleepsuit which was in the bag I was given by the friend. Is this just the particular sleepsuits or are f&f sizes generally smaller?

You just don't know

I was told the same as you so bought lots of 3-6 and above

Had a tiny baby who didn't even fit in 'tiny baby' which I had to run out and buy and two years down the line my little one has just gone into 9-12 so you really just don't know

Buy what you want. In whatever size you want and the. Keep for another one, gist to friends or charity or resell like you said. Nothing goes to waste unless you let it

Congratulations

The seasons is the main issue as babies don't grow neatly into the sizes at the stated age. They could be up to 2 sizes different, so if you are due in Dec and buy a load of summer stuff in 6-9 months, that's great if they are exactly average size, but if they are wearing that size in march or September it might not be able to be worn.

Also you will find you have preferences for/against certain clothing like I had a load of sweaters for DC1 but never used most of them as I didn't like pulling clothes over a wobbly newborn head and didn't really use pull over clothes until they were sitting unless they had envelope neck, poppers etc.

Buy 3-6 months incase you get one like me. I had an average sized first baby who doubled her weight in the first 6 weeks.... A real chubby feeder 🤣 she was in 3-6 months by six weeks old. Lots of unused first size outfits ! Gutted!

I would just be weary of buying too much for specific seasons in bigger sizes as you don’t know what age they will go into them. So for example DS1 didn’t go into 3-6 month clothes until he was four or five months old. DS2 is four months old and is in 6-9 months clothes. Also, keep the tags on bigger clothes. That way if for whatever reason they don’t end up wearing them, you will find it easier to sell on!

Dd went straight into 3-6 months from birth, nothing smaller than that fitted.

Ds I bought newborn and he needed tiny baby. 0-3 was huge on him.

@Brs12 Just like adult clothes sizes, children’s vary from store to store and depending on item. Usually I find Tesco boy’s clothes quite big, especially trousers.

Well, if it costs you 50p for nearly brand new next sleepsuit then why not 30, so I don't have to wash clothes all the time. I have 11 and 13 year at home already so plenty of weekly laundry pile up anyway.
For sizing there is difference in length and shape same as with adult sizes, also some brands shrink more than others in washing. I didn't fuss when I had kids years ago, bought what I could afford and in nearest shop, mostly Asda, Tesco and was happy with, although I run those clothes to the ground lol. This time round having experienced different manufactures through the years, I opted for Next, Mamas &Papas, Marks and Spencer, Mothercare, especially for basic sleepwear etc. If I had to pay full price for it, no I wouldn't buy but those days there are ways to shop for quality pieces without breaking bank ....same with other baby items like prams, cots etc.

Yes sizes between brands vary hugely
babies don’t grow steadily will have leaps then stall for a bit I found. So we barely touched the lovely 3-6 months stuff and seemed to leap to 6-9 which was worn for much longer. If you have a baby on higher centiles it’s quite usual to be 2-3 sizes ahead so don’t be freaked out by that! None of this you will know til he’s here.
basics like vests and sleep suits in a range of sizes is a safe bet. If it’s a nice outfit then get it bigger, it’ll be comfortable loose anyway. Resist very winter /summer specific items till you have better data.

I'd wait until they're here safe and well, just get a few bits. And do remember the "sex" is not guaranteed just because they've told you.

Bit of everything sounds good.
However just a little bit of advice, with my DD she was 6lb14 and fitted into 0-3 months.
When my DS came along 13 months later we'd got a load of clothes thinking he wouldn't be much bigger than that as I'm really petite (bone structure). Anyway he was bloody enormous and almost 9lb. He didn't fit into any of the 0-3 months and I hadn't bought anything in 3-6 so my Mum had to run around the shops as soon as he was born and bring me clothes for him!

In hindsight I'd have kept the tags on the clothes until he was born so I could take the smaller (unworn!) stuff back.

I've bought a few 0-1 month, a bit more of 0-3 and primarily 3-6 months because I do have a lot left over from first child.

I also know that I'll have a big baby (having growth scans) so I can buy appropriate sizes based on the weight recommendations.

For "clothing" it doesn't really matter - just make sure you have plenty of bodysuits for under the sleep suits because you go through them quickly!

My first sometimes neeeded four or five sleep suits a day, loved to spit up and have enormous poonami’s. Not sure how may sleep suits/all in ones we had but eight would not have cut it! Don’t understand the hate for them being in pyjamas or need for daytime outfits. Sleep suits are soft and comfortable and easy to change mine lived in them for those first few months

Focus on 0-3 and see how big they are when baby arrives. I’m about to move my 9wo into 6-9 months. He was an unexpectedly big baby (measured normally so no growth scans) so skipped newborn and “up to one month”.
I think what @ConsistentlyPeeved and @Mydustymonstera said is worth noting. My 8lb11 baby comfortably fit into newborn for a couple of weeks and my 10lb9 baby was in 0-3 months until 4 weeks. My babies tend to be long and skinny and different brands are cut completely differently. In fact I have a pack of vests that despite being from the same packet are slightly different in size. Definitely agree with leaving the tags on!