What do babies wear??

[keelie_b]

Someone did post this before so sorry to repeat but i couldnt find it.

I was packing babies hospital bag a few days bag and saw coming home outfit on my list. Now what exactly would this consist of?
would it be a vest with a full length sleeves and legs bodysuit on top followed by his snowsuit?
It there anything else?

What about round the house if its warm would he just be in a vest or just in a bodysuit or both? what about for sleeping(using a growbag) just a bodysuit or vest as well?

And would he have socks on underneath the bodysuit (ones with feet in)??
Im beginning to panic that i suddenly dont know the first thing about lookig after a baby.
Any advice would be great please and if you can think of anything that i've missed i'd really appreciate it xx

 

[charlie84]

Calleigh came home from the hospital in a vest, sleepsuit and a coat and hat with a blanket covering her legs.

She spent the majority of her early weeks in sleepsuits as they are so much easier for nappy changes than baby clothes but its all personal preference.

She wore a vest and sleepsuit in the house. Didnt put any socks on underneath.

She wore the same to bed under her sleeping bag (blankets in the early days)

I think the general rule for dressing baby is for them to have one more extra layer than you so if your in a top and jumper, baby would be in a vest, top and jumper/cardi

 

[Chrissy1]

Poppy didn't have a coming home outfit because she was a homebirth but I had got a sleepsuit with matching jacket etc for her to come home in and some vests and a hat and gloves. The midwife dressed her just after she was born and put all these on here and then wrapped her in two blankets too..... I think she was trying to cook her!

Most of the time since then she always wears a vest either under her clothes or sleepsuits.

For the day she tends to wear either a dress with tights and bootie's or trousers and a top of some sort with socks and booties, always with a vest underneath though. If it's got long sleeves or a long sleeve top underneath a dress I don't put her a cardigan on but if it's got short sleeves then I put her a cardigan on to keep her arms warm. Bearing in mind that if she gets too warm she screams the house down so I try to keep her on the cooler side and warm her with a blanket if I think she might be cold

For the nights I have her in a vest with a sleepsuit over the top and if it's cold I put socks under the sleepsuit to keep her feet warm and then she sleeps in a sleeping bag with just one blanket on her.

This is something I worried about before I had Poppy and I bought loads of stuff because I didn't really have a clue what babies wore. Don't worry too much about it because after a day of listening to her cry and eventually realising that just taking a couple of layers off calms her down you soon get used to knowing how many layers they'll like to be comfortable. I know it's a cliche but it does come naturally!

Only advice I can give is to get a load of vest and sleepsuits of all differnt sizes because Poppy is 5 weeks old now and she's already grown out of some of the sizes and is just about to move up a size again. Also notice that the same size in different shops can be totally different so if possible try to get them so that they grow with baby. You really can't have enough vest and sleepsuits in my opinion

 

[Sherlock]

General rule of thumb for the first month is whatever you are wearing plus one extra layer. Newborns cannot control their body temp like us so need that extra layer. Check baby warmth by putting a couple of fingers on their chest under their vest. Babies always tend to have colder hands and feet so don't go by that.

Usually in the day (if house is decent temp and not overly hot or cold) then I'd go with a vest or short sleeved bodysuit and a sleepsuit (I think this is what you are calling a bodysuit with feet ) during the day. If chilly then a cardi over the top. I'm not one for outfits the first couple of months tbh as its a hassle changing clothes and pulling baby in and out of outfits. A sleepsuit and vest is so easy to change and also do nappy changes in. Also saves loads of laundry.

If wearing clothes then go with a short sleeved vest/bodysuit, top, bottoms, socks and a cardi if neededBlanket as needed. If going out then of course, coat and blanket and a hat.

Nighttime (if bedroom is around the recommended 18C) and you are using a 2.5 tog sleeping bag then go with a shortsleeved bodysuit (or vest) and a sleepsuit.

I'm a bit confused as to what you are calling the clothes You say about a vest and a bodysuit and tbh they are more or less the same thing only a short sleeved bodysuit has short sleeves, a vest none, no legs on either. Long sleeved body suit of course, long sleeves. A sleepsuit (which I think you are calling a bodysuit with feet) has feet. A romper suit is usually footless.

 

[Redshoes]

Vests, Gro's, tights/socks, cardigans, snowsuits.. that's all mine have worn, I don't do little outfits, but if someone buys them one then they'll wear it a few times as its such a lovely gift, otherwise I find it easier, and kinder, just having them rolling around in a gro. Ophelia's always had cold hands and feet so I like to put tights under her gro's and then socks over her gro, and fold over cuffs, keeps her snug. Isaac was a summer baby and so spent a lot of time in short sleeved, short legged gro's, I would invest in layers rather than outfits, easier to take off, put on, and also grobags for bed, and some hats. Very best wishes

 

[keelie_b]

Thanks everyone for your advice. I know i sound really stupid and was worried about posting this to be honest in case i'd sound like i would be a bad mum but i want to get it right so i know i wont be
I wouldnt be suprised though if your all thinking "bejesus this girls having a baby and doesnt know what a vest is)
But i want to get it riight so let me check:

Vest - no legs in, buttons between legs, little tiny sleeves that would cover shoulders but nothing else?
Sleepsuit/Bodysuit - all in one including feet, full sleeves but hands would be open? (god im not good at wording this)
And then i just thought you have long sleeved vests, or open foot sleepsuits?

So help please whats the diffenece in them all. Im pretty sure i know what the baby wil wear now but i think im calling them the wrong things.
Hope you dont judge me, i dont know but i want to

 

[charlie84]

You will be a great mum

What you have written makes sense to me hun

 

[pilkers]

But i want to get it riight so let me check:

Vest - no legs in, buttons between legs, little tiny sleeves that would cover shoulders but nothing else?
Sleepsuit/Bodysuit - all in one including feet, full sleeves but hands would be open? (god im not good at wording this)
And then i just thought you have long sleeved vests, or open foot sleepsuits?

So help please whats the diffenece in them all. Im pretty sure i know what the baby wil wear now but i think im calling them the wrong things.
Hope you dont judge me, i dont know but i want to

Don't worry...you're gonna be a great mum!

Vest - this is usually a sleeveless bodysuit with popper fastenings underneath.
Short sleeved body suit - this is exactly like a vest but has short sleeves like a t-shirt
Long sleeved body suit - again like a vest but with long sleeves
Sleepsuit - full suit with poppers from the feet upwards...these have feet in them.
Romper suit - this is a full suit like the sleepsuit but doesn't have feet in.

 

[Suzie and Faith]

Don't worry I remember posting the exact same thing and people ended up posting pictures of what each thing was!

You'll find that bodysuits and vests are practically the same, some places will word them differently because they have a few CMs more sleeve - or not!

sleepsuits have long arms and legs with feet

rompers have long legs but no feet

But YOU WILL BE FINE i didn't have a clue but somehow i learnt and it was easier in many ways. I just made it up as I went along!!

And a tip - when buying the different types of suits they will normally have a piccy on the packet so you can see what it is you're getting.

When Faith was a newbie she would be dressed in:

At night: vest/bodysuit, sleepsuit and an appropriate tog gro bag
Day: vest, leggings/trousers, t-shirt/top and socks.

She was a June baby so it wasn't cold then. If it were now then I'd add a cardy to the list for day time

xxxx

 

[keelie_b]

Thank you i really appreciate your advice and support.
Think i get it now. now with the nursery at 18degrees would baby need to wear a hat on a night time? (due xmas eve to safe to say its freeeeezing out)
I know they loose thier heat through thier head so am i best off just poppin one on him for the first few weeks anyway or is this not needed?

xx

 

[Magic Monkey]

Thank you i really appreciate your advice and support.
Think i get it now. now with the nursery at 18degrees would baby need to wear a hat on a night time? (due xmas eve to safe to say its freeeeezing out)
I know they loose thier heat through thier head so am i best off just poppin one on him for the first few weeks anyway or is this not needed?

xx

Hats are fine during the day, but babies should never ever wear a hat to sleep, as Sherlock says they can't regulate their body heat - this goes both ways, in that they can't stop themselves overheating either, so the heat needs to be able to escape from their head. It is better for babies to be a bit cool, than too hot IMO as too hot can lead to all sorts of things (fitting etc)

If you are worried about what they wear at night with a sleeping bag have a look in the Mothercare catalogue as it tell you what to put them in for different temps and different tog sleeping bags - I found this really useful in the early days.

Also, have you bought the really small sleeping bags, as most sleeping bags are not suitable for babies under a certain weight (10 lbs I think)

And, bear in mind that some babies are warmer than others just like us! Ella was a really warm baby and so she wore a lot less clothes than other babies as she would just get too hot if I followed the guidance.

 

[Sherlock]

Thank you i really appreciate your advice and support.
Think i get it now. now with the nursery at 18degrees would baby need to wear a hat on a night time? (due xmas eve to safe to say its freeeeezing out)
I know they loose thier heat through thier head so am i best off just poppin one on him for the first few weeks anyway or is this not needed?

xx

Ditto Magic Monkey. Hat is not needed indoors and defo not at night when sleeping. 18C and vesty, sleepsuit and sleeping bag will be fine. Baby needs to be able to lose excess heat via the head. Hats really only need to be worn outside tbh.

And yes, check your sleeping bag is suitable from birth. We got ones that could be used for babies from 7.5lb so our LO went in them from birth. But others are from 10lb so cannot be used from birth (LO could shuffle down inside it being too small for it).

Grobags are iirc from 7lb ish as are some Mothercare ones. Check the packaging/label in them to be sure.

And sorry if I confused you about the names for clothing. Just I didn't want to say yes, bodysuit and have you think I meant sleepsuit when I was meaning short sleeved bodysuit or some such. The other ladies have explained it well.

Personally I never bothered with vests but only use short sleeved bodysuits and some long sleeved ones.

 

[keelie_b]

Thank you, really appreciated. Oh and thanks for the advice about the sleeping bag. Looks like il be having a c-section now next Friday at 36+6 so its likely that he will be quite small. Think mine starts at about 10lb so i wil get a smaller one. I'll get one starting at 7.5lbs but what if he's just too small for a sleeping bag? would i just have to use blankets? if he's only about 5lb dont really want to buy a tiny baby sleeping bag that will only last a few weeks and then need a new one? Or is that just what il have to do?

Thanks again, sorry i have a LOT of questions

 

[charlie84]

Sleeping bags you will find only start around the 7.5lb so if baby is under that weight you will have to use blankets.

Good Luck for Friday Hun

 

[JoAnn&Aimee]

Aimee's coming home outfits consisted of a short sleeved body suit, a sleepsuit with built in mitts, a cardigan, a hat and snowsuit. None of it fitted despite being newborn. She was a quite a big baby as the doctor declared when she delivered her ('geez, that is a big one!!' ).

For the first couple of weeks I dressed Aimee in body suits and sleep suits.

I put Aimee in a sleeping bag when she was a week old (she weighed 8lbs 9oz then) and it was perfect. She is forever kicking off her blankets so sleeping bags are brilliant. If your wee bubba is going to be less than 7lbs I would avoid the sleep bag, blankets are best. They can't wriggle out of them at that size. Although the first night I got home I woke up at 6am to find Aimee had somehow managed to kick her blanket over her face. It gave me the fright of my life as you can't hear her breathing while she is sleeping. I had to pick her up to check she was alright which ended in her crying as I woke her up! So just make sure the blankets are tucked in, that was my mistake!

 

[Magic Monkey]

Yeah, if the baby small you will need to use sheets and blankets instead of a sleeping bag. Just remember that if you do this, baby needs to be feet to foot (its feet against the bottom of the cot/basket) and the sheets and blankets need to be tucked in all around the mattress.

Again I think that the Mothercare catalogue has a guide for what sheets and blankets are needed for different temps in the room.

Good luck for tmrw xx