Newborn Clothing Essentials

OK when my first child – a girl came along I was desperate to buy those teeny tiny cute clothes in every colour, I’m sure i needed two outfits per day, and shopping for it, well that was on another level, i think as soon as the word girl was banded I couldn’t get enough pink things in my bag!! The biggest problem was that I had all the massive department stores on my doorstep, Mama’s & Papa’s, Mothercare, JoJo Mama Bebe, John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Next eek need i go on?  Ok so I was lucky or unlucky as far as my husband thought, the bank balance did take a hit!!

 

The reality was I wanted it all, it was my first baby after all and although I did try desperately to be restrained, and told my husband many times I was being restrained the reality hit once Abigail came.  These teeny tiny people GROW FAST, so fast that sometimes I would get something new out for her to wear only to find it was to small already!  So 12 months and 2 weeks later baby number 2 arrived a boy, and boy did I have a different approach to baby shopping this time round!  So I thought I would share my experiences, you never know it may help!!!

Let’s tackle sizing first, it’s most definitely one of the tricky areas as you don’t always know how big baby will be,  I suggest get a bit of everything so a few essentials in Newborn and and the majority in 0-3 months.  If you know your baby is coming really early then you won’t need to worry about tiny baby.  

Let’s also remember that there will always be a willing relative or friend that will happily pop to the shops for you and pick up some essentials in exchange for a cuddle.  Also most presents will also come in the form of clothes, so you really will have plenty.

Thing about practicality, trust me these newborns are wriggly little things and you will want them to be as comfortable as possible.  Trousers, dungarees, dresses all look super cute on the hangers but with umbilical cord clips and you wanting baby to sleep as often as possible so you can get as much rest as you can, comfort wins out.  You can always have add something special once they have arrived. Let’s be honest we all want to go out and test drive the new pram!

 

Vests

Vests are a must have purchase, they should be a staple, in the winter they provide the ability to layer comfy clothes and in the summer if its warm they can just wear a simple vest to kick about in. 

So vests will be used LOTS, if a nappy leaks (it can happen) the vest will get messy, and babies dribbling whilst feeding leaves vests damp so i suggest getting 1 pack of Newborn size, there is normally 5 in a pack and then 10 x 0-3 months vests.  Most mums will use 2-3 a day.  There are also several styles, long and short sleeved and the season will dictate what you choose, if it’s winter get some of each, but during the Summer the short sleeved will be enough.

In terms of basics, you can’t beat a plain white vest, the supermarkets are a fantastic resource for these, Asda & Tesco offer some fab prices, but equally you may want some colourful or patterned vests, I loved the range from Next they had some gorgeous designs.

 

I am in love with this M&S Pure Cotton range long sleeve design. They have the most gorgeous colours and could easily be worn under a dungaree dress. M&S also have similar designs for Boys, they really are now thinking outside of the box with vests. 

Check out the John Lewis vests also they do a range of girly pink ones with Dinosaurs on EPIC.  There basic range are fantastic also and wash incredibly well.

 

 

Sleepsuits

Who ever invented sleepsuits needs a BIG high five, they are the best thing ever for babies whatever age, they are incredibly comfy, easy to put on and off and come in every colour, pattern and the most gorgeous range from Mothercare in a Little Bear theme.  Although I have to say there is nothing cuter than a new baby in a pure white sleepsuit.

Start with 6 -7 in the Newborn size and then 9-10 in 0-3 months. The bonus is the quick access for nappy changes.

Next were my go to when it came to sleepsuits. I always found them to be a bit thicker than most and they kept their colour after hundreds of washes.

John Lewis has some lovely prints their baby Joules sleep suits are stunning.

 

 

Hat

Babies lose so much heat through their little heads so a little soft hat is essential, most retailers sell soft jersey hats that are made in the same material as a sleepsuit.  Grab yourself a couple at least.

John Lewis have some really cute Baby Joules hats that have a little knot in the top.

And Mothercare have some lovely sets with booties.

 

NB-Devin Hesketh – 151216 45-Edit

Socks

Oh my is there anything cuter then teeny tiny socks and those little toes need to be kept toasty, most packs came with 5 pairs in a pack so one pack in Newborn size and 2 packs in 0-3 months should be plenty.

 

Scratch Mittens

Newborns have incredibly sharp little nails so do get a couple of pairs of scratch mittens.

 

Cardigan

A simple cardigan is really essential, you will need at least 2 of them regardless of the season, make sure it’s soft and go for a soft wool, jersey or cotton.

M&S have some gorgeous knitted cardigans at the moment.

I suggest you only buy these in 0-3 months as you can always turn up the sleeves if its a bit to big.

Next have a range of really cute hooded cardigans in soft cotton that is ideal for newborns. 

But if you really want the softest ever baby cardigan, check out Bodens Cashmere offering, just gorgeous.

 

Pramsuit

As with the cardigans buy in 0-3 months as you can always roll the sleeves up and get more wear out of it. I always preferred a soft Jersey version, and loved the fact that if baby was wiggling around in the pram, there wouldn’t be an little gaps to let in the cold air. 

John Lewis have a lovely range, there have all sorts of styles and colours and i would be surprised if you couldn’t find one. 

 

Something Special For Going Home

Most people love to choose a special outfit to take baby home, maybe choose one in Newborn and one in 0-3 months as you never quite know how big baby will be. I would still suggest you go with sleep suits as especially as this is babies first time dressed so you want them to be comfy and cosy, but you can always splash out on something really special.

Boden have a lovely range of Sleepsuits that are simple but really cute, and I love the Hello Baby gift set. 

If you really want to splash out on your new baby then check out Smallable.com they have lot’s of designer brands available from Petit Bateau to Stella McCartney.

There we go, just my thoughts on for those first few weeks, take the time to then get out and about with your baby and enjoy all those complements and push the pram around with pride and enjoy the shopping.

Let me know if you have any recommendations that you would like to share?