What to buy for Newborn

[dueinjune]

Hi Everyone

I was hoping someone might be able to help me??
My baby is due end of June, (we found out he is a boy) and i am clueless about what we should buy for him to wear. Everyone we have asked has said that he will just be in sleepsuits and bodysuits for the first few weeks and that we should just buy a few basics until we know his size. We feel stupid as we dont actually know what babies wear!!
So far we have bought a pack of 6 white sleepsuits in Newborn and a pack of 7 short sleeved bodysuits in Newborn. We have also bought a pack of 3 scratchmits. We also have a few sleepsuits and bodysuits in 0-3 months. Do we need to buy a couple of Newborn hats and socks? Also we are unsure as to what the bodysuits are for? . Do they go under sleepsuits or on their own and should we be buying short sleeved, long sleeved or sleeveless as it will be summer? We have heard that you get a lot of outfits given as presents so to hold off from buying them. Any help would be much appreciated .

Sleepsuits
vests
scratch mits
Socks
Hats
Romper suits for hotter days (short sleeved sleepsuits)
I think mine just wore vests on hot days.

bodysuits go under sleepsuits, i found they stop nappies from leeking

What you've already got sounds great.

Usually a short sleeved bodysuit goes under the sleepsuit unless we have an excetionally hot June.

A copuple of soft jersey hats will be useful for the first few weeks or so, and in case it's a bit shilly, the best thing is hand knitted cardi's if you know any knitters! They're so much softer than anything shop bought.

White is the best colour to buy to start with, although it's boring, as newborn nappies do leak and it's much easier to chuck everything in together in a hot wash.

You will get given TONS of outfits, but if you can't resist buying stuff, get in in a bigger size, ie 3-6 mths or 6-9 mths, as the gifts will ahve dried up a bit by then!!

sounds like you have enough. When he arrives go round all the charity shops and kit him out. Saves a bucket of cash. And people will give you cardi's and booties etc.
All mine were summerborn and I had then in sleepsuit at night or just vest if it was really really hot and sleepsuits during the day. By about 3 months old I'd found t-shirts and those losse trousers.

Excuse my typo's - you get the gist!!

You definetly need sratch mittens, they are cotton mittens, stops them scratching themselves. Muslin cloths, put them on you when they are being burped, keeps the vomit off you. A cotton hat for when it's in bed (not one with ties on it though). Socks to keep it's feet warm. Depending on the temperature outside, a vest under a babygrow with a cardigan. They can't control their temperature so they won't sweat when hot. Best way to tell is to put the palm of your hand on his tummy. If it feels warm you know he's hot. If he's got layers on (vest, babygrow, cardigan) it's easier to keep him at the right temperature. Shortsleeved ones are the best for the summer. My son was a easter baby, I used to dress him in just a vest (the ones with the poppers at the bottom). Remember the factor 50 sunscreen.
Congratulations. It's scary being a parent but there is so much that you will love.

My wise sil gave me some face cloths - always good for when you need to give them a top and toe and wipe their botties as cotton wool gets all over the shop...

My other must have was a receiving blanket/swaddling blanket ...

It sounds as if you are well prepared - don't buy too much - you can always pop to the shops and get what you need in the right sizing.. 3 months goes v quickly..

Good luck!!

Wow thanks everyone. Didnt expect to get so much help straight away. Really appreciate it

Thank you justjules, missed that thread and thanks again for everyones support and the congratulations. Now i have found this site you will be hearing from me a lot more!!

DS was born in May and he wore short sleeved bodysuits under babygros/sleepsuits then rompers when it was a bit warmer. People will buy you loads of outfits as well, I loved putting DS in them but it's more of a faff than just the sleepsuits.

We had hats and sock and scratch mitts, didn't use any of them. I didn't like the idea of scratch mitts, I wanted him to be able to feel things around him, socks we didn't bother as it was warm enough without unless going out, and same with hats.

Do you think i have enough with 6 sleepsuits and 7 bodysuits or should i buy another pack of each?

Depends how often you wash and whether your baby is sicky. I'd probably buy another pack of each myself.

Thank you. Excellent, you have given me another reason to go baby shopping!! I love it!!

I had a June baby last year and had visions of him wearing mostly body suits but actually ended up having the heating on quite a lot as it wasn't exactly summer weather when we first brought him home.

I'd definitely have a few more clothes to save you having to do regular washing and also I found that most of my friends thought they were being really helpful by buying us gifts in larger sizes which was great but meant that we actually had to go shopping so that he had something to wear there and then!

Also be aware that sizes are so not standard. I've found that mothercare clothes are the ones that have been most accurate with their age/size correlation but don't know if that's true for all babies or just mine.

I'd also recommend buying a couple of warm cardigans while they're still in the shops and also having a nice warm blanket to wrap him in if necessary because fingers crossed we will get a nice summer this year but it can still get chilly when you're sitting in the garden toasting his arrival with a nice glass of something chilled in the evenings!

Hope it all goes really well for you!

Thank you and very good point. Luckily i have a mother in law who is a fantastic knitter so i am hooping she might knit me a few cardigans.

How are you enjoying being a mummy?

Aside from the occasional meltdown when the sleep deprivation gets to me (and today may well turn out to be one of those days!) I absolutely love it! It's such a cliche but it really does go so fast so make sure you ignore the housework etc. and just spend hours and hours cuddling your baby on the sofa in front of trashy daytime tv!

this changing mat
crib - couldn't fit the big cot in my room. don't bother with a swinging one though. get this instead oh and ones without bars are ideal if you don't want to be untangling your baby from them all night long.
a sleep positioner will also stop you from having to keep putting your baby back on their back before they learn to roll front to back and back to front.
sling
baby gym
pushchair with a carrycot. would have used the sling full time but have you tried trying on clothes with a newborn attached to you!!used the carry cot as a moses basket aswell.
cot bed
beanbag seat - lies flatter than other baby chairs
push along walker with bricks in (lasts well into toddlerhood)
high chair
doidy cup/avent magic cup/tommee tippee easiflow/straw cups
baby food/milk thermometer
insect net for cot/pram
travel sleeping bags with zip off arms are great so you don't have to wake them up when transferring from car seat/pushchair to cot after you've been out.
lots and lots of cot sheets and cellular blankets
cot bumper (to stop baby getting stuck between bars!!)
cot mobile
baby monitor with camera (saves running up and down stairs when they cry in their sleep cos your not sure if they are awake or not)
respisense breathing monitor (but i am over cautious cos my brother died of SADs)
plug in night light (for late night nappy changes)
books - to tilt the cot when baby has a cold
sleepcurve mattress
vicks vaporiser
prince lionheart slumber bear
nappy stacker, cot tidy helps save space in drawers and wardrobes.
my friend has a nappy wrapper which means you don't have to go outside in the cold to put stinky nappies out.
muslins - ds wasn't sicky but he has them as comforters so if you lose one or need to wash one it isn't the end of the world.
fisher price cot piano and various cot toys keep my ds amused in the morning when i want to get things done upstairs
nice toy boxes you don't mind being on show in your living room (we have the wicker ones)
drawer tidy for keeping little socks and hats and gloves etc in so they don't all get lost
net for washing machine for above items
UV sun shade for pushchair and car seat
pram/car seat toys
cool bag for bottles and ice packs(an ordinary one will do)
electric breast pump
v cushion can be used in both pregnancy and for feeding (whether breast or bottle)
bottle brush, rack for drying bottles on, silicone orthodontic variable flow teats
tiny scratch mitts
elasticated bootees so socks don't fall off
gap or trumpette socks (the only ones which don't fall off)
snow suits
large handbag for nappies, clothes, small toys etc (and don't forget the obligatory carrier bag for all the wet bibs and clothes you will collect)
vegetable steamer (but we had one already)
ear thermometer (i have the nurofen one that plays music)
comb if your baby has masses of hair like mine (i just use an ordinary one for 15p as opposed to some stupidly priced baby one. wouldn't bother with a brush as babies hair is generally too fine)
cotton wool (if for bottom wiping get the pleats cos the balls are rubbish)
reusable wipes (we use a mixture of cut up fleece and old flannels)
bath thermometer
bar of baby soap
baby shampoo
ds went straight into big bath so this was useful for keeping his head out of the water.

things i didn't bother with:

any other baby toiletries other than those mentioned above
matching nursery furniture and wallpaper. just buy ordinary chest of drawers, wardrobe, bedside table etc, paint the walls in whatever colour you fancy and buy accessories to make it look nice for a baby, then change accessories as child grows up - does anyone like decorating? much easier this way!!
pram/moses basket sheets - just use normal ones. pillow cases make good pram sheets by putting the mattress inside them.
anything that is meant to stick on to a high chair
tomy aromatherapy soother which was a gift that went back. did give me the idea of spraying lavender around the room before bed though.
blender - do baby led weaning
baby cutlery - as above (especially the ones that change colour when food is the right temp. a friend had them and they changed colour even when the food was barely luke warm)
steriliser - just wash the bottles in hot soapy water and air dry.
bottle warmer - used microwave
changing mat liner - just use a towel
proper nappy bucket - bought a cheapo bin with a swing lid - does the job.
wipe warmers - use reusable wipes anyway but wtf??
sun parasol
changing table
baby bath
bath support
moses basket
cat net
sun blinds for car
electric swing
dream show thingy (kept ds awake)
baby walker, baby nest, exersaucer, door bouncer, bouncy chair, bumbo (pushalong one lasts longer as mentioned before)
play pen
bed guards, stair gates, fire guards (ds pulled a friend's one on top of him), socket covers, doorstoppers (just keep door shut in the first place)
baby toiletry box
top and tail bowl - just use normal bowls
hooded towels - just used normal ones.
baby scissors/clippers (i just nibbled them myself)
dummies
change bag - just had a few normal big bags that i could pick and choose with a fold away change mat. i got the free huggies bag from boots and used the change mat out of that.
buying a standard sized cot - mine wriggled so much it wasn't big enough after a few months!

just realised how long this is .... whoops!

oh and those pre-done swaddle blankets are rubbish. i had one as a present and it kept coming undone!!

at nappyaddict's list.

it looks a lot written out but there's not really many things on there that most people don't eventually end up getting. things like the crib, video monitor, dream mover, sleep positioner, thermometers are obviously quite frivolous but most people i know have all the other stuff.

I would get the sleeveless or short sleeved vests rather than long sleeved. It is awkward to get a newborns arms down sleeves and is far easier to put a vest on if it doesn't have sleeves.

I'd only open and wash one pack of the newborn vests and sleepsuits and buy the second pack a couple of weeks before you are due. DD was out of newborn size by the time she was 5 days old as she was really long, although average weight (7lb 11oz). We never used most of our newborn clothes and I couldn't take them back to exchange for 0-3mo as had opened the packs and washed them.

You'll probably want a lightweight all in one pram suit for outdoors but I'd get 0-3mo rather than nb, it will be a couple of weeks before you are doing many trips out anyway.

Enjoy every moment, it is hard work but wonderful.

when ds was about a month old i discovered this. it meant i could make his bottles up freshly when we were out and could stop lugging around coolbags and icepacks.

also i have found a medicine dispenser a godsend recently.

when getting car seat toys don't bother with the arch type ones. they just get in the way when trying to get the baby in and out. instead get ones that fit to the back of the seat or the spiral ones that wrap around the handle.