When shopping for baby clothing there is one thing, in particular, that you need to keep in mind; babies are messy. As a result, you will have to change them quite often so you need to make sure that the clothes you buy for them are simple, easy to open for diaper changes, and above all, comfortable. You want to make sure the baby clothing that you get have no tags or seams that can irritate the baby.
When you are making the purchase, turn the clothes inside out and feel for any rough seams or edges. Tight elastic around the legs and sleeves must also be avoided as it may cut the baby’s circulation and leave red marks on the skin, which is very sensitive.
Avoid anything that the baby can accidentally get into its mouth. Sequins look very cute on little girl’s clothing, but in the event one falls off, it is only a matter of time until it ends up in the child’s mouth.
It can be very difficult to determine the right size at first. Although clothing comes for newborns, many babies outgrow them in no time. Babies with bigger birth weights often skip the newborn clothes and go straight into three or six-month sizes.
How much of what baby clothing that you should buy has a lot to do with how frequently you plan on doing the laundry. There is a rather rough rule of thumb on how many of what clothes to have for a newborn baby.
* One-piece outfit: One-piece outfits are ideal as they can double as pyjamas. Babies nap frequently, but when they are awake, they toss and turn. Five or six are recommended.
* Shirts: When you purchase little T-shirts, make sure the neck allows plenty of room so it can be slid over the child’s head easily. You can also buy shirts with snaps or one-piece types that snap at the crotch. Four or five are recommended.
* Pull-on pants or leggings: Look for pants with a stretchy waistband but don’t buy them too tight. Separate garments are handy to have as you can just change one piece of clothing when it gets dirty. Six or seven are recommended.
* Jacket or sweater: Babies prefer clothes that do not have to be pulled over their head, buy a jacket or sweater that buttons up the front. One is sufficient.
* Sleepers: Avoid any sleepers that have a complicated arrangement of snaps. Five or six are the recommendation.
* Socks and booties: You can never have enough socks for indoors and booties for outdoors.
* Wearable blankets: These are fleece sacks that zip over the child’s sleeper, replacing traditional blankets, which are not recommended. This item depends on the climate where you live but two or three is enough.
When dressing your baby, it is usually much easier to get their arms, legs and head into the clothes if you dress them on a table or flat on the floor.
