Newborn summer baby due - what do I need pls?!?!? Post Reply

[Pod]

Hi there,

I have everything from cot to car seats and travel system to baby gym, but I have not bought any clothes. I have a hand me down bundle of 0-3/6mths from my sister in law, but have no newborn things.

Please can you advise on what I might need to get and the amounts pease, as I realise baby will outgrow newborn quickly so don't want to over buy, at the same time I am confused about what to buy as it will be July, so will she need feet in her baby grows? Do I need to get capped sleeve vests, or singlet style? Will she need a hat to keep head warm? Do I buy long sleeve vests?

Also how do I know what size to buy - tiny baby or newborn for that first week out of hospital? Also we are doing cloth nappies so presume clothes will be more snug over a muslin nappy and wrap? I am only very small but hubby 6ft4 !?!?!

Gosh sorry for the ramble - but it's my first and I would love some guidance on this - also am keen to buy organic cotton - but not many high street stores do it and the online stores with organic clothing are all in garish colours?!?!

Any ideas and help/advice please? thank you x

[Pc1008]

It depends on the size of your baby as the newborn size is tiny. I would suggest you wait, as you have 0 to3 month stuff that will get you through the first few days and then if needed, your hubby can pop out and buy newborn size. My daughter outgrew these within the first few weeks so would not buy too much in the smallest size. The labels give a weight guidance so wait till she is born and then you will know what the best size is..

Re clothing, this is still the uk so I would suggest you have some baby grows with feet which she can sleep in at night. If you buy a sleeping bag then look at the tog as that tells you how many layers the baby needs underneath. The general rule of thumb I was taught is its five layers in 18 degrees but this includes any bedding andifnuou double over a cotton blanket for example that is 2 layers

I would suggest 6 to 8 baby suits with no sleeves or short sleeves and no legs. If its hot these should be fine, if a bit cooler you can pop a full leg and sleeve bodysuit over. New baby circulation is not great so it's important to keep them warm. I would have 6 to 8 long sleeve long leg body suits too . One to to cotton hats should be fine. I also found cotton cellular blankets great, John lewis do a good range.


Try bebeco for organic cotton..... My personal view is baby clothes are washed and worn a lot in the ear,y days so things that wear and you don't mind getting trashed with vom or poo is important. Can't comment on nappies as we use disposable.

My overall advice would be get enough basics to get you through week 1 and 2 and then go can go out and get anything else you need. Good luck

[Hattie]

Hi Pod

If you'd like to drop me a personal email I will be happy to have a chat with you. I can also email over a list of some of the basics that you will need (and also steer you away from some of the more costly gimmicky stuff that will simply be a waste space).

[Hattie]

Hi Pod

Another thought - if you haven't already signed up elsewhere, the New Baby Company do an excellent Antenatal Course and you will be given all the information about what you will need for your new arrival.

Contact Vicki Scott at New Baby Company: www.newbabycompany.com

[Pod]

Hi Pc1008,

thank you for your detailed reply, really appreciate it, I am a little bit of a control freak and like to be organised - there is no way I could relax and wait to see how big baby is to buy something - let alone send my husband out to get something god knows what he would come back with - and by the time he had dithered over everything in the shop the baby would have gained 3lbs

I am thinking of getting a newborn all in one outfit with hat for baby to wear home from hospital I might get it in two sizes, so if small fits then the bigger one will be fine for later, plus can send hubby out to buy more of the same to save him making the choice! Or order online and in the meantime like you say - make the most of the 0-3mth stuff.

Good tip on the cellular blankets that's something we don't have yet! x

[Pod]

Hi Hattie,

thank your for your responses, I have joined Wimbledon NCT and classes start in May, so I guess they will also give tips etc it's just I am working and running a business so am keen to get most things organised as soon as possible, also not sure I want to be hitting the shops when big and uncomfortable hence my eagerness to get everything now.

If you can advise on a lactation consultant that would be super - tks x

[nvmof3]

My advice is you need LOTS. You can get through 6 or 7 outfits a day when they are little as the poo goes everywhere! Especially while you are still getting the hang of nappy changing. I know you are keen on organic etc. but if you want to keep costs down, go to asda/tesco/john lewis and buy multi packs of white vests (cap sleeves) and white babygros with feet. You should aim to have 10 of each in the newborn size. That will get you through the newborn stage. I had big babies (8 - 9.5lbs) and they were in newborn size for the first 2-3 weeks - the "tiny baby" stuff is for premature babies or unusually small ones. You should also have a big pile (at least 6) of muslin squares as that is what you will be mopping up sick with. A hat is also important for trips out (just a light cotton one for the summer) and a couple of cellular blankets and lots of elasticated cot sheets (around 4). You might also want scratch mits if the babygros you buy don't have turn over sleeves. If you are planning on swaddling (I did and I think it helped them sleep better as they felt v cosy like in the womb) then you need 2-3 flat brushed cotton cot sheets, or those special swaddling wraps. Wash everything before the baby comes with non-bio washing liquid and iron so they are soft. Store them in plastic bags until the baby comes so they don't get dusty.
Good luck!!

[Pod]

Thank you nvmof3 - this is exactly what I was thinking - especially using cloth nappies and getting the fit right (leaks etc) = even more changes!
I hear you on the bulk buy front and am happy to do that ongoing - I guess it's just the thought of giving the new baby skin the best material first up and straight out of hospital and then once she is home and a few days have passed am sure I will be more than happy to put anything on her with the number of changes day to day!

yes like you suggest I want everything washed ironed and ready to go, not popping out to shops last minute etc - so thank you for your thoughts. just ordered Cellular blanketsx2 and my Mum has crocheted a beautiful pram blanket too!

I also plan to buy gazillions of muslin squares as we will also use these as the first nappies with a wrap over it. I remember from my years as a nanny the number of muslins I always had at arms reach and tucked in every pocket and bag!

Thank you so much - really helpful advice! x

[Deearnas]

Hi feel free to email me too i can give you some advice on best buys etc etc. Also if your looking for a lactation consultant i can help you

[Deearnas]

Oh before i forget-- should you experience any problems with breastfeeding ( sore nipples etc etc although you shouldnt if baby is correctly latched on) apart from your own breastmilk rubbed in- which is the best cure going . This little pot of wonder http://www.earthmamaangelbaby.com/natur ... utter.html is what us breastfeeding advisors call as a miracle in pot-- it is also known as first aid in a pot it has multiple uses and is superb on any spot, guys shaving rashes you name it.

[Langstoniamum]

My son was born in June and for me the most important was for him to be as comfortable as possible. He lived in soft jersey and in particular all in ones (with feet!) most of the time. What I changed was the type of undervest he would wear. Sometimes long sleeve, sometimes short sleeves, sometimes (rarely), none. He's nearly 2 and I still have never put a footless pyjama on him. When it's hot, he just doesn't wear a pj. For undervests - on my mum's advice and she was so right - I never used the "enveloppe" type until he was about 6 months old, only the ones that wrapped and closed on the side. He was so fragile and tiny, it would hurt me to pass his head through a hole. Same for pjs, only the ones that closed down the front (be wary of the ones that close down the leg as that's not comfy either).
I only bought organic stuff for him and I found plain white undervests and pjs at The Organic Baby Company (online only). I found they were quite thick though. Green Baby does a white organic range which is quite nice. Interestingly, Petit Bateau only use Oekotex quality cotton which, although not being branded as organic, is pretty much the same. M&S also have "safe" quality cotton vests and pjs.
Another thing I did find extremely useful were footed jersey trousers with a soft (non elastic) waistband. My mum got these at a supermarket in France and they were just fantastic. When it was hot, I'd put him in a short sleeve vest and trousers. He was very happy with those. One thing I would avoid at all cost (and which you see very often, God knows why?) are t-shirts as in not a body, just a t-shirt. They ride up and must be the most uncomfortable thing for them to wear. Only when they start potty training would I recommend these.
Re-sizes, it's very difficult to tell as both my husband and I are around 6ft tall and yet our son was the exact average. He was too small for the newborn sizes we'd bought (UK brands size very big) and we had to get some tiny baby sizes at the last minute, after he was born. What I would recommend is to just have the clothes you've been handed down ready and maybe get a couple of packs of tiny baby from the shop. Only open and wash these after he's born if you do need them (you'll be doing many laundries anyway every day especially if you use muslin nappies). If it turns out she's bigger and doesn't need the tiny baby, you can just return them back to the shop unused.
Re-quantities, I wouldn't buy too much tiny baby/newborn as they grow out of them in a matter of days/weeks (he only wore the tiny baby size for 2 weeks) + again, you'll be doing so many laundries... The way I calculated was enough stock to last you 2 days. Depending on how sicky the baby is, this can go from 3 to 6 all in ones per day and about 1.5 times that for undervests (George was very sicky and had explosive poos so needed a lot of changes!). Seeing it would be summer, I would concentrate on short sleeves but also get a few long sleeves too. For trousers, I would get about 4 pairs of newborn size.
Also, remember to get some socks!! I prefer the longer ones - about 2 pairs per day. Here, I know they're not organic, but Next do fantastic ones.
I hope this helps!

[Langstoniamum]

Forgot to say, def. get loads of organic jersey fitted cot sheets. Again, got these in France - am French - but I've seen them around, at John Lewis I think.
We changed these about 5 times a day.
Re-sleeping, George never took to swaddling and sleeping bags (he only started using these when he was about 10 months old). My best investment here - and I know it's a bit of a luxury but truly per usage, it must've been the cheapest purchase, was a cashmere blanket. We used this ALL THE TIME. To come back from the hospital (even though it's July, it's still the UK), every time we went out, and he slept with it during his whole first year. As we had a gift voucher, we got it from Harrods (it was very good value and AMAZING quality) but I would also recommend Olivier Baby (online).
Anyway, still rambling, I hope this helps too.

[Pod]

WOW! Thank you for taking the time Langstoniamum to reply in such detail - my parents live in France - near Avignon and I know my Mum is dying to buy some baby things - where would you recommend in France to get the things you mention please?
I am glad you mention the organic cotton thing - as I am really keen to get some, and also great idea about buying some tint baby incase - but not opening incase can be returned! Superb advice! x

Also thank you to Deernas - will be in touch re lactation consultant tks

[Langstoniamum]

No problem, Pod!
I got the organic jersey cot fitted sheets from Carrefour (they come in packs of 2 - 1 colour + 1 white but colours are nice). I'd say get 3 or 4 packs, you use them for so long. I only ever use jersey fitted sheets (for our bed as well) as they're so soft and you just pop them in the dryer without need to iron.
Also from Carrefour, I got a few organic undervests - I found them to be finer cotton than the ones I found in the UK, which are sometimes a bit too thick and cardboard-like.
The footed trousers were from Auchan. We loved that they had very soft waists like yoga pants - no elastic so no tight feeling on the baby's belly. They also came in packs of 2.
Just to add, another thing I got and which I found most useful was an organic baby sling (mine was the Sleepy Wrap, which is now called Boba). Absolutely fab - we didn't use the buggy til George was about 4 months old. Got it organic also as they suck on it permanently. Again, he's nearly 2 and I sometimes pop him in there sometimes for short walks when a buggy is too cumbersome and we have to go fast.
I hope it all goes well for you!

[Pod]

Thank you Lang'!
Mum and Dad have a huge Carrefour near them, so Mum will love going on the search! I have an organic Moby Wrap - that sounds similar to your sling, I have tried it out on my niece who is 6months and she loved it! Once again thank you so much! X