Newborn clothing question for BTDT mamas

[swtpesq]

So, I've sorted through the adorable, entirely impractical outfits our friends and family have so generously given us in order to figure out what we still need to buy, which is...everything. :

We currently do not have in our possession even one plain cotton onesie or t-shirt or sleep sack!

So, I'm wondering what you experienced mamas would recommend that we invest in for just the first 6 weeks or so. For example, do brand new babies sleep in long sleeve onesies and a "wearable blanket"/sleep sack, or is it better to have them in a short sleeve onesie with socks, a hat, and then swaddle them for sleeping? When do they move into footed pajamas? Are kimono-style t's and onesies a must until the cord stump heals? What will the little bugger wear during the day when she's brand new (keeping in mind we're in Southern California and it rarely gets below 60 during the day)?

I thought I knew this stuff until I actually sat down and tried to plan it all out!

TIA!

[Smalls181]

I think that the absolute best thing that you can do for yourself is have those sleep sacks with the open bottoms on hand for the first 6 weeks. The kind that dont zip up or tie up. It makes the midnight diaper changes so much easier, which means more sleep for you!

If you find that its not quite warm enough for that, socks and baby legs are great as well. You just probably arent going to want to be messing with snaps and zippers at night!

[gamecaco4]

I know a favorite of mine for the first couple of months was the sleep gowns. I think thats what Smalls181 was talking about, too. I loved them and just bought 8 of them on eBay last week.

For outings or daytime wear, we just did one piece sleepers most of the time. Occasionally, I would dress ds in an "outfit", but that was rarely. I know we did it for his newborn and one month pics, but I cant remember another time he was dressed in an outfit.

I live in Michigan and have only had a Feb. baby and this one will be a Jan/Feb baby so I dont know much about a newborn and 60+ degree weather...only 30 or colder.

[jilly]

Hmmm . . . I've been trying to remember what we did. When I rummaged through our newborn stuff, it was mostly onesies and zip-up sleepers. ds was very squirmy and didn't like being constrained any more than necessary, so the sleep sack things just didnt' work for us. Basically he just wore onesies with socks and then we swaddled him in receiving blankets when he needed to calm down. We were co-sleeping and I'm a bit of a furnace and he wouldn't sleep unless he was right next to me, so at night he wore the same -- onesie and socks. Then for going out we added a zip-up stretchy sleeper and a blanket and hat if it was chilly (it was Sept in coastal BC, so probably similar to your winter -- not super cold, but damp and sometimes windy). That worked well for us, but I've heard great things about the little sleep gown things from other people.

ETA: Get some onsies, which you will use later, and some sleep sack things, and then use what works. Whatever you get, get at least 6 or 7 or more because you will go through many a day -- newborns are incredibly messy creatures.

[Shenandoah]

I also like the sleep sacks. No snaps, buttons, zippers, etc in the middle of the night. If baby will be sleeping with you then you don't need extra layers because your body heat will be enough. Caps are nice depending on the weather. You might want a couple. I'm not a fan of onesies until they are mobile. I much prefer the little t-shirts. They don't get caught on the umbilical stump and don't have to be resnapped with every diaper change.

Something else to consider is the size baby you are expecting. If you don't know, find out how big you and your dh were at birth. This will give you a general range of how big your baby might be. That along with whatever your care provider is projecting will be close enough. If you are expecting a small baby you will want newborn size items and possibly preemie things. I expect to have a baby under 7 pounds. That means the only things that will truely fit for the first month or so will be preemie. I know what the tags on the clothes say, that the newborn stuff will fit. I also know my experience. Just something to consider.

[storychick]

I dressed my kiddos in "outfits" during the day a lot, mostly because we got them as presents. It was fun. But they are definitely not essential, and it was easier with DD because she was a summer baby and so I didn't need to cover her up after.

I love those sleep sacks too. Those middle-of-the-night diaper changes dont need to be made longer by snaps. The stretchy sleepers are nice for day and night, too. I never did layers, because both my kids ran hot (heck, it was hot enough too that DD was just in a diaper half the time). The legged sleepers are nicer in the car seat, too.

I bought nothing new in 0-3 sizes this time, though, because I have had 2 8-lb babies already and they were both out of them in a matter of weeks. I never used the kimono style onesies, both my previous kids' umbilical cords fell off in a matter of days so it wasnt an issue. We werent going out then really anyway so we just snuggled up and the sack sleepers werent irritating. But I never really used onesies much, except the thicker ones like t-shirts.

Whatever you buy, buy cheap for the first sizes, because they grow out of them so quickly. I got a lot on consignment with my second and that was great, because the clothes are often barely worn and are so plentiful you can get them for a few bucks apiece at most.

[Teakafrog]

Sleep sacks or gowns. Boy or girl, doesn't matter. That way you don't have to struggle with zippers and snaps during diaper changes, especially at night. That's all we wore for the first few months at night, during the day was onesies and blankets.

[ILoveMySofie]

onesies and tops with the kimono fit are a lifesaver in the beginning. They make it so much easier and less stressful to dress baby, as you arent pulling anything over their head.
I love the kimonos by Petit Bateau and also the ones by Mon Reve.

these are some of my favorite staples (check out the rest of the site as they also carry Zutano which many mamas like for bright, unisex colors)..I am into white cotton myself...

http://snapdragonsbaby.com/petit_bat..._home_set.html

http://snapdragonsbaby.com/mon_reve_..._snap_tee.html

http://snapdragonsbaby.com/petit_bat...ng_sleeve.html

Oh and keep in mind Petit Bateau runs small.

[roadfamily6now]

okay, you asked for it.
I hate T-shirts on babies

Stock up on onesies and pajama type outfits.
Sleep sacks suck, anything with out legs ride up all the time and you will be constantly pulling them back down.

also make sure the buttons are in front. I once had an outfit with the buttons on the back. Not only was it more difficult to put on but I would not imagine that buttons on you back felt very good while you lay on your back most hours of the day.

If your baby is bigger then 8 lbs, newborn sizes wont fit more then a couple of weeks if at all. So dont buy much in actual new born size.


Best wishes

[hellyaellen]

another vote for sleep sacks. i like the ones that also snap to form legs.

t shirts are so much easier at changing time than onsies are.

those heavy sleep blankets are good for the cold but inconvinient when using a car seat.

[BlissP]

I loved the gowns. LOVED THEM. Made for extremely easy diaper changes, and I never had a problem with them riding up. I only wish they made them bigger, they are only in the very newborn size.

[*~Danielle~*]

We used a lot of those zip up the leg sleepers, the sleep sacks (they do ride up and babies legs get uncovered ) and some snap sleepers. Onsies tend to wick at the legs if they are at all touching the dipe (cloth diapers that is).

[ibusymomto5]

I like the gowns for the first couple of weeks or so, especially at night. Once they get to the point of riding up constantly, or if baby likes spending much time at all in the swing or bouncy seat I tend to shy away from them. They're kind of a pain if you're wanting to strap baby in anything that has leg straps.. you have to bunch the gown up inbetween the legs then. I also like comfy one piece sleepers that snap or zip up the front. Some of them are so cute! I try to go for the ones that are nice enough looking for going out, but are also soft and comfy enough to wear around the clock. No big ruffles or fussy collars, just good quality 100% cotton prints. I don't use a whole lot of onesies in the winter time unless it is so cold that we need to add one underneath a sleeper for layering. For a summer baby I used a ton of onesies though.

[bleumoose]

Another vote for the newborn gowns. I loved those at night while they fit. I don't remember them riding up much except as DS was outgrowing them. I'll probably put socks on the baby with the gowns this time around, since it'll be much colder at night (DS was a spring baby).

The rest of the time we mostly wore the sleep n play snap-up one piece outfits on him. as it got warmer we'd also have him in just a onesie with socks during the day.

I second what the PP said about not going crazy with the 0-3 sizes. If baby is small and will be wearing that size longer, you can always go shopping after the baby comes. In fact, I really enjoyed being able to go out with DS in tow and shop for him, knowing it was for him and not just the baby in my belly

[earcher]

I had some of all of the above. I like the gowns. I like onsies (the lighter weight ones), I like sleepers. In Southern cal. i would say skip the long sleeved ones and do short and then layer and swaddle JMO. My DD was born in May and it was cool and we never used long sleeved stuff. One thing i didn't like was collers on sleepers. the look cute and all but they encouraged my DD to root and after nursing her down it would agitate her face and wake her again. i found myself tucking them under to get rid of the coller - then I started only buying ones without collars. The gowns were great at the begining - but are no fun when you are going out or like someone else said strapping them into something. i was not a fan of the Asain style wrap onsies. i found them harder to button on a squirming baby.

[skueppers]

We used footed sleeper-type outfits pretty much exclusively, and plan to do the same this time. We mostly used one every 24 hours -- there didn't seem to be much of a point in changing our daughter's clothes more often than once a day.

We liked the ones with snaps better than the ones with zippers, because the ones with snaps open more easily down both legs. But some people hate those because you have to be more careful figuring out which snaps go where when you put it back together.

At night, we swaddled her, generally in a lightweight receiving blanket.

[swtpesq]

Thanks so much ladies!!!

[Amari's Mama]

DD lived in onsies (late July baby in Ohio - highs in 80s/90s) and socks the first few months. She was 6lb 7oz when born and her 0-3 stuff didn't fit well for a month or two.

After the first couple weeks, she was too good at wiggling the gowns up to her armpits and wiggling her diapers downwards at night (even swaddled) - so we switched to footed sleepers then.

[Benji'sMom]

For my January DS, the absolute best thing was the footsie pajamas that zip or snap up the front. I like the zippered ones better because the snaps are hard to line up, especially when the baby is crying and you're getting all flustered trying to hurry up and finish with the darn outfit so the baby will stop crying. But with the zippered ones you might have more trouble changing the diaper because the crotch doesn't unsnap. But I still like the zippered ones better. But that's pretty much all we used. No socks to get lost, and they make close-fitting thermal underwear style and looser fitting styles, so you can layer them if you need extra warmth. So I'd say get all-in-one sleepers in different styles.

Personally I found actual sleep sacks to be too big for newborns and get too close to the face because they were so over-sized.

[GoodMomma]

We live in upstate NY, so for the first 6+ weeks our son mainly wore footed PJs with a onesie underneath. We didn't take him out much because it's cold here during Jan. and Feb. When we did take him out we made sure to bundle him up good. But since you live in southern CA, you really don't have to worry about it as much as we did, lol.... lucky you!