Advice for how many baby clothes i need

[KSCengland2025]

I'm a FTM and due at the start of August

How many baby clothes of each size should I buy?

Newborn/first size
0-1 month
0-3 months

I'm mainly looking in primark, asda and tesco.

Also did you make use of any outfits in 0-3 months? I imagine baby will mainly be in sleepsuits but is it worth having a couple of outfits in 0-3?

Congratulations! My DS was 7.5 pounds which is towards the upper limit of newborn size, so consider what size they predict you're having. And also how often do you see yourself doing laundry. If you can wash and dry somewhat often then you dont need as much!

I had about 10 newborn vests and sleepsuits. Then a bit more in the up to 1 month size. I reckon 10 is a good number to start with and then see what size your baby is, it's easy to pick up more as needed 😊 I was also hugely surprised by how generous people were with gifts so ended up with lots more than just what I had bought.

Probably same number in 0-3, a 10 pack of vests and sleepsuits. Plus a combo of a few leggings and vest tops, some little tracksuits and some dungaree sets. For outfits keep them soft and comfy, easy to move around in and if possible things that don't bunch up as they move. I don't think I bought outfits before baby arrived but did take him shopping for a few bits when I was up to it. I found it more fun shopping for him when he was here 😊 Also, if you're looking in Next I found their quality really good and they wash well/don't shrink. Primark stuff went bally for me so quickly. Tesco good too but smaller fitting in my experience. Happy shopping😊

Just remember you (or your partner, mum, helpful friend) can pick up another pack of vests at the supermarket as easily as grabbing a pint of milk. Don't feel you have to have everything in before you have baby and know how big they are. You don't want to buy and wash a load of Newborn stuff, then have a 9lb baby! Xx

My Advice would be that you need a lot less than any list you see says. If you are expecting a small baby then a few newborn sleepsuits are nice but if your baby is 7 lb plus the larger sizes are fine. People will buy you presents and donate their barely used clothes so I would save your money for things that you need. You can get anything that you are short of within hours at the shops or from Amazon.Personally, and I know that this is my personal taste, I don’t like to see babies in outfits.

I agree with @Lavenderandlemons my little girl was 7.5lbs so she didn’t really fit into any newborn, the only brand that fit was Next and she grew out of them really quickly!
I would try hold off until you know roughly what size they will be. I did buy a range of newborn and first size but didn’t open all the packs so I could return the packs she didn’t fit into.
My little boy had really bad reflux and needed frequent changes so we ended up needing a lot more sleepsuits and vests than I originally planned, he went through 4 vests and sleepsuits the first few hours so my dh needed to go get more.

I didn’t put my little ones into any outfits until they were roughly a month old but lots of my friends had cute little outfits for their baby’s so it depends on what you prefer!

I would say between 10-20 sleep suits and vests depending on how much washing you can imagine you and your family doing. I would focus on newborn and 0-1 month size and then a few 0-3 as they tend to be up to 10lbs so if it’s predicted your baby will be around 7-8lbs then you might find first size to be okay!

My Ds was like the hill bursting out of newborn in hospital. He was 8lb 3 so not huge, but they didn’t fit

1month+ fitted about 3 weeks
0-3 - he wore cardigans this size from birth, I just folded over arm cuff a few weeks

Based on this, I would say: no newborn. 6-8 1 month sleepsuits and vests. Straight away 0-3 month cardigans. About 8 0-3 month old sleepsuits and vest as they last a few weeks longer.

Don’t unpack all the newborn size so you can return them if the baby is big.
The list I had said 14 vests and 14 babygros and I found that number perfect (I haven’t got a tumble dryer so fewer would probably be ok if you do).
Also identify where in your neighbourhood you could send someone to buy premie clothes at short notice as you never know.

If you have any friends with babies or toddlers you would have an entire wardrobe for the asking - everyone tends to have way too much stuff and be delighted to pass it along. I don’t think we bought much at all for the first year except some fun outfits. My daughter came early so I did get a whole wardrobe of preemie sized stuff - not that I couldn’t have put her in the 0-3 clothes but they were swimming on her and I wanted some cute photos.

If you really want to buy a few things I wouldn’t get more than 5 of anything for the first few sizes. If you have a washing machine you’ll do laundry every day or two anyway as things do tend to get gross. But people love to buy baby clothes so if you have some friends and family round you might still end up with way more than you need.

I found that people bought us or donated a lot of "outfits" or "nice" clothes that we got little use out of.
This time round I'm getting a pack of 7 sleep suits and a pack of vests in 0-3. If baby comes early or is smaller than expected we can order next day from Amazon or send a relative to the nearest big boots.All in white so they can be bunged on a hot wash with the mound of white tea towels and muslin cloths that I have in circulation.

I agree with others, find out on the scan how big they predicting your baby to be. My DC came early and was small he is a 9 percentile I think it was. He drowned in newborn, I needed prem. And the newborn lasted us tell he was three months.
Just get weather approate for the sizes, have some Vests and the zip sleepsuits are amazing, the double zippers are the best. Poppers are alright for day time when you not to tired. And rompers if your house gets warm.
Have some cute outfits for photographs, and definitely take somethint cute when new new born, they grow too quickly.

I found it is useful, once you find a brand you like, to try and stick to them because the sizing can vary wildly like in women's clothes. So if you like Asda vests and baby outgrows 0-3 then you know they are ready for 3-6 but if you switched to Tesco 3-6 might be too small!

Agree with you not to worry about outfits and just get vests and baby grows

People will buy you stuff, give you used. some babies hardly use the newborn stuff. Don’t waste money on loads of outfits.
DD was born in a heatwave so she just wore vests a lot of the time.
you just need enough to cover a day that you can wash and dry.
i remember buying new Moses basket sheets though as there were a few accidents and useful to have spares.

My little boy was born at 37 weeks weighing 10lb! I’d bought loads of newborn/0-3 months and he didn’t fit in anything! I had to send my sister out to get a boatload of clothes for him! And nappies, none of the nappies I’d bought fit him either! My advice is to wait until nearer the time to gauge whether he’s a tiny/average/bigger baby and then buy!

I bought about ten vests and ten sleepsuits in newborn (I had a diddly one so actually started in tiny baby size) I didn't get anything in up to 1 month. Tbh I didn't even know it was a size when I was shopping, we just went straight from newborn to 0-3 months. I hardly bought anything in 0-3, we got SO many clothes gifted to us when baby was born, mostly in 0-3 and 3-6 months and I didn't need much else.

I didn't make use of outfits until we were in 3-6 months really, just the sleepsuits and vests

@KSCengland2025 I'm due with my first in June, and have been given a lot but bought a few bits on Vinted - you can get most things for £1/2 plus postage (lots of bundles of really good brands under £2.50!), so really recommend getting bits there. I bought 7x BNWT M&S vests for £3 yesterday...

I've found that different brands vary size-wise! We have a drawer of newborn and a drawer of 0-3 months, just in case I give birth to a 50lb mega-baby. Got about 10 of everything to save having to wash everyday. Summer baby so a mix of onesies, vests and shorts/t-shirts - not really outfits, just something to keep baby comfy and save onesies from going on the wash.

Also don’t buy ahead for the time in sizes. Ie my May baby should have been 6month size by winter. He was in 12-18 month snowsuits that Christmas and 12 month clothing. By peak heat summer July there was no way he would have fitted 0-3 month summer clothing.

It’s the length also. I think newborn was up to 50cm. Ds was 53cm born so the vests didn’t even do up. I’m only petite so wasn’t expecting him to be longer than newborn size

I just had my first baby in March, so she’s 5 weeks old now. She weighed 7lb 13oz at birth and was 52cm long - she needed newborn size. We had a 7 pack of newborn vests and 5 newborn sleepsuits/bodysuits (probably could have done with a couple more as we were washing them every day!). By week 2 she was in up to 1 month size and weighing around 8lb 8oz, we found Primark vests and sleepsuits in this size fit great, other brands such as Mamas & Papas, Asda and Tesco were a little on the big side. By her 3rd week she was in the up to 1 month of other brands and still in them now as the 0-3 month stuff from everywhere is a bit big on her and she must be 10lbs+ now.

Friends and family have bought lots of outfits for her but mainly in 3-6 month sizes. However I’ve been making sure I take our LO out and about a lot for my sanity(!!) and I like to put her in things other than sleepsuits (just personal preference) so I’ve shopped at Primark and Sainsbury’s for little leggings and tops which I put a short sleeve vest under, or stretchy dungarees which I put a long sleeve vest under and a little cardigan over the top. As you’re due in August you may not be using cardigans when baby is newborn, but like a PP said just use 0-3 cardigans from the offset and roll the sleeves up. Again not that you’ll necessarily be using hats in August (except sun hats!) but most of the 0-3 size bury my daughter to the point she can’t see 😂 so I’ll turn them up to save her sight! As a general rule of thumb though, once baby is a few weeks old and can regulate their temperature better, ditch a hat outdoors if the temperature is 15-16 degrees, as they only lose their body heat from their head you won’t want them overheating in the summer.