When you walk through the baby clothes hanging on the racks at the store, you’ll be amazed at how small those teeny items are and coo-ing at the cuteness of it all!
Baby clothes vary in price, and not all of the items are needed or are useful. There are several things to consider when looking at purchasing your babes first wardrobe of clothing.
Consider clothing that:
- is made of natural fibres, such as cotton, merino, wool, bamboo. Save polyester for special occasions.
- snaps under the nappy. Having one layer of a stretch-and-grow that does up under the nappy will avoid exposing your baby’s tummy and back every time you pick her up. Use a stretch-and-grow as your base layer and then put two-pieces etc over that.
- opens at the front for easy access. Snaps or a zip will allow for easy nappy changing – you don’t want to have to peel of the outfit each time you need access to the nappy!
- has buttons or snaps at the neck, or is a kimono/envelope/wrap style top. Babies proportionally have large heads, so you want something that is easy to get on and off. On the other hand, you don’t want the clothes gaping at the neck letting out all of baby’s heat!!
- has fold-over sleeves, to keep hands warm and faces safe from scratching and sharp nails.
Wash all new baby clothes. If you are concerned about chemical residue from the manufacturing process, soak in a solution of baking soda and water for a day.
Take care when washing your baby’s clothes, as any sensitivity to washing powders will not only be upsetting, but a lot of work. It can take many washes to remove traces of irritable laundry powder in clothing. Instead, wash in eco-powders or lux flakes.
To use lux flakes, dissolve in a cup of boiling water before adding to the washing machine.
The general rule of dressing baby is to add one more layer than what you’re wearing, although summer can be a little trickier! Feeling baby’s tummy or back of his neck is a good indicator of his temperature. Remember that babies cannot regulate their body temperature so they need you to do this for them.
Bibs can be useful, but again there are some that aren’t useful! Ones that tie-up can be a pain, while snaps and Velcro are most useful.
Baby sizing can vary between brands. Generally, there is:
- Prem
- Newborn
- 000 is 0 to 3 months
- 00 is 3 to 6 months
- 0 is 6 to 9 months
- 1 is size 1 (age 12 months)
- 2 is size 2 (age 24 months)
Layettes (the amount of clothing you will need) varies – check out ourlayette list here, and talk to your friends about how much they needed.
