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You did it, Mommy! You fought hard and brave, and your little one is finally here! You’re about to embark on a very special journey, filled with a lot of special moments that you’ll only get to live once! We’re sure you are going to be clicking a lot of picture in the process, so – don’t you want your precious angel to be absolutely ready at all times? We are talking about your baby’s wardrobe!
Clothing Essentials for Your Newborn
There are lots of things you’re going to have to buy, now that your baby is here. Appropriate baby gear, feeding supplies, hygiene products, toys, clothes, all make up the newborn shopping checklist. This article will take care of one of your baby’s most basic need – clothes.
Here are the clothing items you will need for your baby’s first year:
1. Onesies & Rompers
Onesies and rompers are the first things that you should buy for your newborn. They keep your baby covered head to toe, wrap her up safely, and protect the delicate skin all over her body from most external factors that can harm her – dust, heat, cold, rain, etc. What’s more, they are the easiest thing to put on and take-off and pose no choking hazard.
2. Sets & Suits
One of the biggest delights of dressing a baby is how everything can be colour-coordinated, or as we like to say, “matching-matching”! So make sure you pick up cute sets and suits for your baby.
Look for colour or pattern coordinated tops and bottoms for your baby boy. For baby girls, you can look for matching pyjamas to team up with her frocks!
3. Tops & T-shirts
While buying these, consider the different weather conditions your baby is going to be exposed to. Accordingly, look for sleeveless, half-sleeved, as well as full-sleeved t-shirts and tops.
Look for some that are winter-friendly and made of warm materials, and some that are summer-friendly.
4. Pyjamas & Leggings
Pyjamas and leggings are the most versatile item of clothing, and you definitely need at least a couple of pairs of these in your baby’s wardrobe. They can go under skirts and frocks for girls, they can double-up as sleepwear, and they are comfortable in all kinds of weather!
5. Skirts & Jeans
Jeans are no longer only a boy-item – it is a piece of clothing that has rendered itself to the unisex section! So feel free to pick up jeans for your baby – irrespective of whether it is a boy or a girl!
As for your precious baby girl, won’t a skirt look cute on her cute little booty? You can either look for a set that comes with a matching t-shirt or top, or you can mix and match with any of the t-shirts and tops you’ve already picked for her.
6. Nightwear
While picking nightwear for your baby, make sure you pick the perfect size to avoid a suffocation and/or choking hazard. The pyjama set should be neither too tight nor too lose and should make the baby feel warm enough to ensure long and undisturbed sleep.
7. Woollens – Sweaters, Sweatshirts & Jackets
Come winter, you’re going to need a whole set of clothes to keep your baby warm! Even if it isn’t winter, nights can get cold enough for you to consider putting a sweater on your baby. So make sure you buy warms sweaters, sweatshirts and jackets.
8. Inner Wear
Innerwear includes vests, petticoats, and undies. You might wonder if a newborn needs undies. However, any paediatrician will tell you to give your baby some diaper-free time, as a precaution against rashes. At such times, it would be best to put on a light cotton panty. Panties also come in handy while trying to potty train your baby. As for vests and petticoats, using one for your baby make it easier to layer up or layer down as per the weather.
9. Caps & Gloves
Caps are required in every weather: to keep the sun away in summer, the rain away in monsoon, and the cold away in winters. As for gloves, they have multiple uses – from preventing your baby from accidentally scratching herself, to preventing thumb-sucking, to keeping her hands warm in winter.
10. Socks
It is not advisable to put shoes on without socks, and so make sure you buy socks for your baby. Sometimes, it might be a good idea to use socks indoors too, especially when it gets cold.
11. Party-Wear
Why should your little one miss out on the fun? Buy a couple of fancy outfits for your baby for any family function or party that is coming up in the near future. However, it is advisable to shop for the occasion, instead of for the wardrobe – if you don’t see any function coming up in the near future, why buy an outfit your baby will very quickly outgrow?
12. Footwear
No outfit is complete without proper footwear! Make sure you look for the correct size that neither crams your baby’s tiny toes nor slips easily off her feet!
Some General Tips for Buying Clothes for Newborns
Shopping for clothes for babies is trickier than that for adults. There are a number of things you need to watch out for. Keep the following tips handy:
- No labels: not only are labels irritating, but they can also rub against and harm your baby’s soft and delicate skin! Look for clothes that have no labels, or make sure you rip the label off using a ripper once you buy the clothes.
- Skin-friendly fabrics: It is best to pick clothes made of natural fibres (cotton, silk, etc.) instead of going for synthetic and coarse fibres that may harm your baby’s skin.
- Irritation-free hemlines: Sometimes it is not the fabric, but the stitching and/or hemlines that can irritate the skin, especially near your baby’s private parts and under the arms. Check the clothes for soft hemlines.
- Low maintenance clothes: You are going to be busy doing a thousand and one things for the baby, and the last thing you want is clothes that are high-maintenance. Look for clothes that can be washed easily and require minimum after-care (in terms of ironing, dry-cleaning, etc.).
- Watch-out for elastic: Buying clothes with elastics (any kind of bottoms, panties, etc.) can be tricky too. So, make sure you check the strength of the elastic – it should sit lightly on your baby’s body, and not dig into her skin or pinch it in any way. Also look for broader elastics as against narrow elastic – narrow ones dig in deeper into the skin.
- Button-down versus close-necked: Even after your baby is born, her skull is still quite soft. Any kind of excessive pressure can actually mould her head! So opt for button-down tops instead of close-necked ones, at least for the first few months.
- Easy on the pocket: Yes, that frock would make your angel look like she descended straight from the heavens into your lap, but if it is going to burn a hole in your pocket, skip it! Remember that your baby is going to keep growing out of things – sometimes, faster than you’re prepared to cope with! – and it makes no sense to invest a fortune in just her clothes!
So there you are! Buying those miniature versions of clothes that you are mostly used to seeing in adult-size is a delightful experience that is bound to take the stress and tension away! So go ahead – loosen up those purse-strings, and get ready to dress your baby!
