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Choosing baby clothes
For the first few months of your baby’s life, she will probably spend
most of her time in stretchsuits and vests: they’re practical, comfy,
easy to care for and lightweight to pack into your changing bag, as well
as being accessible for nappy changes. It’s a good idea to have at least
six changes of clothes in your baby’s wardrobe so that you always have
a couple of clean outfits at the ready whilst the others are in the wash
Many stretchsuits and vests come in packs of two or three, and this can
be quite an economical way of buying. Don’t go overboard, though: in the
early stages your baby is likely to grow out of each size in a matter
of weeks rather than months!
Depending on the season, you can find long- or short-sleeved garments,
and you may want to supplement these first outfits with a cardigan, gloves,
socks and a hat. You’ll probably find that you need to change your baby’s
outfit several times in a day: if she possets (spits back some of her
milk), dribbles excessively or has a leaky nappy, she’ll need a fresh
set of clothes, and it’s always a good idea to keep some stretchsuits
exclusively for nightwear so you both get into the routine of ‘changing
for bed’.
During really hot weather, your baby will probably be happiest in a short-sleeved,
short-legged vest. A good tip is to buy these in multi-packs of different
colours which look every bit as attractive as the more expensive summer
stretchsuits. When the hot weather is over, you can still use them as
ordinary vests underneath other outfits.
A pack of plastic-backed, towelling bibs is an absolute necessity for
dribbly or possety babies, as you can change and wash the bib each time
it gets really wet, rather than changing your baby’s whole outfit each
time.
Dress for comfort
Clothes made from natural fabrics or with a high percentage of cotton
in the mix are most suitable for newborn or sensitive skins, as these
are less likely to irritate the skin and they allow air to circulate,
cutting down on sweat build-up and overheating.
Increasingly designers and manufacturers are meeting the demand for clothes
made from organic fabrics: children’s clothes specialist Vertbaudet, for
instance, has a range which is made from hypoallergenic organic cotton,
grown without fertilisers or pesticides and coloured only with natural
dyes which are harmless to a baby’s sensitive skin. To view the range,
visit www.vertbaudet.co.uk.
Other places to browse include
www.thekidswindow.co.uk; www.earthlets.co.uk
and www.soorganic.com,
which has a very competitively priced range.
Comfort spot checks
- Whichever fabrics you choose, make sure that you don’t choose clothes
which are either scratchy, itchy or tickly. - Feel the inside of the clothing and the stitching, especially where
it may irritate you baby most: around the neck, in the armpits and at
the toes. - Check that labels are stitched in comfortably and that fasteners don’t
dig in. - For comfort as well as speed of dressing, look for garments with Velcro
or press-stud fastenings rather than zips, buttons or hooks and eyes.
Stretchsuits with press studs that go all the way down the inside of
the legs to the feet offer the quickest and easiest access for nappy
changes.
Vests with an ‘envelope’ style neck are easy to put on and take off
because they stretch well to go over your baby’s head, as well as fitting
snugly.
Clever mums will…
- Choose sleepsuits without enclosed feet as they will last a baby longer.
- Buy ’0-3 months’ size clothing rather than ‘newborn’ for their new
babies, as these can be folded back at the cuffs and will last longer. - Buy only ‘easy care’ clothes or those that can be tumbled dried.
- Keep a pack of disposable bibs in their changing bags.
Premature baby clothes
If your baby arrives prematurely, you may find that even newborn clothes
are too big for him. You can buy clothes in ‘prem’ sizes, some of which
start from as tiny as ’1-2lb’, although unless he is very premature, you
may be better off buying ’3-5lb’ from the start. Look for natural fibres
and soft, seam-free clothing wherever possible as premature babies’ skin
is even more sensitive than that of a full-term newborn.
Check these website for premature baby clothes
Read more…
- Keeping her cosy
- Sunny days
- Water babies
- Special clothes for sensitive skin
- Adorable luxury buys
- Caring for your baby’s clothes
- Stain removal guide
