uying baby clothes for your new little one might seem like an easy task--until you get into the store and see the incredible range of clothing there is! Baby clothes are a big business and that means you have more options than you can shake a stick at. So, which clothes do you go with? Which ones does your newborn really need? Let's sort all this out so you can buy the right layette and get on with enjoying your baby.
Newborns don't need much clothing, really. They aren't able to crawl around and get dirty yet, so most of the time you will only be dealing with spit up and leaky diapers. Baby clothes that are soft and comfortable are your first priority and after that, you can worry about durability. Babies grow so quickly that they usually only wear their cute little outfits for a month or two before they are on to the next size!
Keeping this in mind, you will want to buy slightly larger baby clothes than your infant needs so he can grow into them. The sizes given on baby clothes are often misleading; there are plenty of outfits that say 12 months and fit a two year old, while some that are supposed to be for six months are already too small for your newborn! The best way to be sure of the fit is to hold the outfit up to the baby's back and stretch the legs down to see if the length is correct.
Most baby clothing is pretty soft and comfy, but you can double check by running your hand inside the sleepers and jumpers and see if you feel any hard seams or other uncomfortable bits. You also should check to see if the clothing is flame retardant. Although this is the law in many countries, occasionally items come in that are not up to the standards and since this is a safety issue, you should make sure that the clothing you buy is not flammable.
With newborns, you need mostly sleepwear and onesies. Onesies are those little one piece jumpsuits without legs that button in the crotch. They are ideal for hot days when you would rather leave your infant with nothing on. They also serve under regular pajamas to keep the baby extra warm on cold nights. These are possibly the most useful baby clothes in existence, so make sure you get at least six or seven.
Sleepers will also be very handy in these first few months, as will bibs, to keep spit up from dirtying every outfit the baby has in a couple of hours! With just these baby clothes items, you can easily keep your infant clothed for his first quarter year or more.
Although there are a multitude of adorable dresses and coveralls for newborns, you really only need a couple of these for special occasions. They are usually very difficult to put on a newborn and aren't really necessary.
Buying baby clothes can be a bit intimidating, but if you remember that old saying "less is more" you will be on the right track. There is plenty of time to buy cute outfits for your child once he slows down the growth and can actually wear an outfit for more than a few weeks! For now, go with the minimum and enjoy the easiness of it all.
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