number of onesies & newborn clothing items

[CloudBee]

What's a good target number for onesies, newborn legging type pants, etc.? What else do I need for newborn clothing? A couple simple cotton hats, socks? I think we'll stick with items that can be worn around the clock for the newborn stage. So onesies, jersey/cotton pants, and sleepers. Suggestions?

Will I hate myself if I don't buy any of the shirts that button or tie down the front to use in the first few weeks?

My shower will probably be about 4-8 weeks before my due date, and I don't want to hold off that long to start buying newborn stuff. (I know many people say wait and see, but I just hate shopping for items when I realize I neeeed them, vs. buying along the way as I find what I like.) You usually get tiny clothes at your shower, right? More so than larger sizes?

I've already started to buy sale items in larger sizes, but nothing in newborn sizes yet.

Then there's daycare. He'll start going around probably 4 months old. Possibly 3.5 months. I think I will aim to dress him in lounge type clothing for daycare, so no khakis/jeans when he's out of the newborn stage, bulky sweaters or tops, etc. Is that smart? Stick to comfy knits?

[zarapipe]

I would say at least 3 onesies and 3 sleepers in newborn just to have in case.
Idk if my numbers are out of line, but we had a lot of clothes given to us so we had more than enough. I would say a good number of 0-3 would be 8 onesies, 6 sleepers, 6 pants. I hated those little button shirts so I never used them. I take it your LO will be born in March? DD lived in onesies and was swaddled for the most of her 1st month.

Yes yes yes to comfortable clothes at daycare. DD usually still wears leggings to school and she is 2.5. I figure I would not want to run around and nap in jeans if I didn't have to.

[Saudade]

I hated regular onesies and I hated pants. I kept DS in kimono-style onesies and/or sleepers. I got so much shit for it when I'd go out. So many people would say "Why is he in pjs?" but I didn't care. It was easy. I also didn't have to buy any clothes until DS was like 6 months old, so you might want to hold off. I knwo that is what everyone says, but it's seriously true.

Socks were good for hands, useless for feet.

Hats never stayed on his huge head and he *hated* them. He still does and my mom keeps making him more. She's made him 8 so far.

I honestly am lazy with his clothes because I want something easy for me. It's only been in the last few weeks when he has gotten super mobile that I've started putting "real" clothes on him. He lived in sleepers or kimono/regular onesies until 7 months. Kimono until 2 months, sleepers exclusively until 4 months, regular onesies/sleepers until 6.5-7 months.

ETA: In retrospect I would not have washed all the clothes beforehand because we had sooooooo many pieces that we could have returned because we never used them. I would keep tags on next time.

[kittycatlove]

We did mostly sleepers the first couple of weeks. I think we had about 10. If we went out to visit he would wear onesies and cotton comfy pants.

Definitely comfy clothes for daycare. DS is 19 months and I still put him in more comfortable moveable clothes.

[Brie]

We never used the kimono shirts.

I know you are planning on CDing, so I recommend Carter's onesies. They are nice and long to cover the fluffy butt! A lot of other brands are too short.

I also recommend sleepers with zippers and fold over mittens. I hate dealing with tiny snaps in the middle of the night.

As far as numbers, I'd say at least 5 sleepers and onesies.

[dcrunnergirl]

For the first few weeks of their life, it was really hot out, so they just wore onesies. I probably had 30 of them for both kids.

After that, when it got cool out and then they started daycare (so 2 months-7m), we did footed sleep n plays almost exclusively. I loved them. So easy. I probably had at least 15 for each kid, if not more. My kids spit up a lot, so each baby could easily go through 3 outfits in a day.

After 7m, we started putting real clothes on them most days. Onesies/shirts with pants and jeans and then shorts/dresses once it got warm out at 9m.

[Brie]

Nov 15, 2012 10:54:36 GMT -5 @msstarry said:

The snap / zipper on sleepers thing is interesting. I GREATLY prefer zippers but DH likes snaps (only marginally better). For the life of me I can't fathom why he would prefer snaps but apparently some people do.

Your DH is weird. Team Zipper!

[CloudBee]

This is really helpful, thanks. I'll probably aim to get the following over the next couple of months in advance of my shower:

-5 onesies (combo of long sleeved and short sleeved as baby is due in late March)
-3 pairs of leggings (I keep seeing footed leggings/pants, so maybe those)
-1 newborn size hat (outdoor hat, not a jersey cap as I will get that from the hospital)
-maybe one pack of socks, knowing they can be used on hands if not feet
-3 sleepers

I typically prefer solids, so matching should be easy with blocked colors.

Jenny1980 made a good point about daycare clothes in a random post a few days ago, and that got me thinking. I'm so happy that she mentioned it. Now that I've had my Janie & Jack shopping fix, I will focus on cozy vs. preppy, haha.

Thanks again!

[hocus]

I used onesies and footed sleepers most of the time. My kids were never bothered by them and it didn't seem to impact the cord stump. I suggest 10 daytime things and 4-6 PJ type things. Baby socks generally suck so pants with closed bottoms are easier if you can find them. I had maybe 2 hats for my summer baby.

I wouldn't get any clothing prior to your shower. THere will always be clothing available. You might drown in clothing. IF you do feel the need to purchase it wait until you're 3 weeks from your shower you can return stuff (most places do returns for 30 days I think).

As for daycare -- comfortable is fine. Most daycare workers just want it to be easy on/off. My almost 3 year old still wears easy on/off pants now because more preschools suggest that.

[nabum]

I would wait until your shower(s) and see what you receive. We received a TON of newborn and 0-3 outfits for our son. He was 5.15 at birth but grew quickly and was out of 0-3 by 3 months.

That said, my favorite newborn outfits were Sleep & Plays. Even better when they were zippered.

[cep1976]

I really like sleeper gowns for when they are little. So much easier during diaper changes than doing and undoing all those snaps, especially when you are sleep deprived. Most of them fold over at the hands too, so they have built in mittens. Like this: www.jcpenney.com/dotcom/baby/sizes/baby-boy-0-24-months/carters-2-pk-sleeper-gowns-newborn/prod.jump?ppId=pp500860637&sisearchengine=182&siproduct=GooglePLA&cm_mmc=ShoppingFeed-_-GooglePLA-_-Baby-_-pp500860637&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=pp500860637

[liveintheville]

Nov 15, 2012 10:56:05 GMT -5 Brie said:

Nov 15, 2012 10:54:36 GMT -5 @msstarry said:

The snap / zipper on sleepers thing is interesting. I GREATLY prefer zippers but DH likes snaps (only marginally better). For the life of me I can't fathom why he would prefer snaps but apparently some people do.

Your DH is weird. Team Zipper!

Ha! I prefer snaps
I didn't like having to undress them so much just to change a diaper. Especially when they were swaddled. We used swaddlemes so we'd just undo the bottom of the swaddle and then unsnap the bottom of the sleeper for diaper changes. That way the arms stayed swaddled and they didn't wake up as much and we didn't have to disturb them as much during a change.

Edited to correct which swaddle

[zeewifeandmama]

Nov 15, 2012 10:56:05 GMT -5 Brie said:

Nov 15, 2012 10:54:36 GMT -5 @msstarry said:

The snap / zipper on sleepers thing is interesting. I GREATLY prefer zippers but DH likes snaps (only marginally better). For the life of me I can't fathom why he would prefer snaps but apparently some people do.

Your DH is weird. Team Zipper!

Haha unless your kids have huge thighs like mine....snaps are preferred because you are less likely to snap some skin then accidentally zip some if its dark/ you are in a hurry.

[jackpackage]

Nov 15, 2012 11:28:49 GMT -5 cep1976 said:

I really like sleeper gowns for when they are little. So much easier during diaper changes than doing and undoing all those snaps, especially when you are sleep deprived. Most of them fold over at the hands too, so they have built in mittens. Like this: www.jcpenney.com/dotcom/baby/sizes/baby-boy-0-24-months/carters-2-pk-sleeper-gowns-newborn/prod.jump?ppId=pp500860637&sisearchengine=182&siproduct=GooglePLA&cm_mmc=ShoppingFeed-_-GooglePLA-_-Baby-_-pp500860637&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=pp500860637

I was going to suggest gowns too. FWIW, I bought a few of the Carters and the elastic was so tight I ended up throwing them out (and ds was 7 lbs, so not too big). We used these.
www.littleme.com/categories/boys/essentials/gowns/

[evynsmama]

We had to go out and buy the l/s side button shirts with the hand covers built in because DD couldn't keep her mittens on while she slept and her nails were so long when she was born and grew so fast and she kept scratching her face. I also wish I would have had halo sleepsacks from the get go because she was such a wiggly sleeper. And snap or zipper sleep & plays she was in a lot, I didn't really mind putting onesies over her head

For daycare she mostly went in sleepers or comfy shirts & pants until she was 6 months or so, she has a cubby but even to this day I always just send her extra clothes with her everyday, when she first started I would send 2 extra sleepers everyday and lots of bibs because she was so drooly

[Deleted]

I liked zippered sleepers generally and a couple of gowns (yes, even for a boy) for overnight. He barely used his newborn onesies or clothes.

[gibbinator]

Awww, I love pants! He looks absolutely adorable in jeans!

You won't need a lot of newborn size since they outgrow that really quickly and they'll mostly fit the 0-3 month clothes from the start.

I personaly like having lots of pajamas - like 7-10 pair for each stage , simply because they're easy, convenient and comfy.

Otherwise, 2-3 sweaters, 8-10 onesies, 4-5 pants, 4-5 socks

[drloretta]

Baby Bargains has a list of the minimal numbers of stuff you'd need.

I hated the shirts in the nb stage. They always rode up, and onesies never bothered her cord stump.

And some of it will depend on the child. DD was in nb stuff until she was 3 months old, so we had a lot of stuff for her.

She lived in onesies, sleepers, and sleep sacks/gowns

[dcrunnergirl]

Also, b/c my kids spit up a lot and drooled a lot, they needed to be wearing a bib pretty much every waking moment until about 6 months. I loved these packets of solid color bibs for boys (I also had the girl packs) b/c I could always find one that coordinated with their outfits. It really bugged me when their bibs didn't match. Crazy, I know, but changing a bib is so much easier than changing a whole outfit when they spit up all over themselves.

www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12124253

www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11552436

[jenny1223]

I also recommend the gowns (love!) and zippered sleepers. I did really like the kimono style shirts for the umbilical cord stump and it made it really easy for skin to skin contact while breastfeeding in the early weeks.

[pugz]

I'm weird and only put sleepers on baby at night, during the day it's onesie/pants, dress/leggings, shirt/pants, etc. Footed pants are really nice if you can find them.

We have had about 5 sleepers for each size, and then way more onesies than needed since we were gifted so many. When I had to go out and buy newborn size I think I got about 5-7 (some short sleeve, some long). I agree that Carters brand fits well over cloth diapers. Gerber runs small.

[hrp22]

My baby was pretty much naked unless someone was coming over or we went out. I wanted to get as much skin to skin as possible since we struggled with latching. Nobody got me NB sized clothes so I did have to go buy some onesies once he was born. I got one pack, and it was enough since I didn't dress him much and was off work so laundry was no big deal.

It would have been nice to have a couple pairs of pants, another pack of onesies and a sun hat (it was still warm outside and so we went outside a lot)

[MadamePresident]

Nov 15, 2012 10:56:05 GMT -5 Brie said:

Nov 15, 2012 10:54:36 GMT -5 @msstarry said:

The snap / zipper on sleepers thing is interesting. I GREATLY prefer zippers but DH likes snaps (only marginally better). For the life of me I can't fathom why he would prefer snaps but apparently some people do.

Your DH is weird. Team Zipper!

I like snaps. Zippers are stiff and awkward at times. Plus its a lot harder to do a quick diaper check.

[hski2349]

My problem was DD only fit in newborn stuff for a couple of weeks, so I did not get much use out them. I got more use out of the 0-3 month stuff.

Just something to consider depending on how big your little one is.

[badtzmaru22]

Honestly I would wait until after your shower. There's nothing that says you can't make a list or fill up an online cart, but I would let it go for now. From our showers and people sending gifts after DD was born, we had 4-5 newborn outfits, more than 60 0-3 outfits, and even more than that 3-6 month stuff. She wore a different outfit everyday, and only started repeating outfits because she went through more than one per day sometimes. I just put everything in stacks in her drawers, sorted by sleepers, long sleeve onesies and short sleeve onesies. Socks and babylegs and pants/leggings that didn't go with a specific outfit in another drawer.

It was really insane/overwhelmingly generous. (we did get tons of other gifts besides clothes as well). She is in 6-9 mo size and I actually got to buy her a couple pairs of pants and two warmer outfits with fleece because she needed some warmer stuff. for daycare now I just put her in something comfy. She looks cute in everything, but gets dirtier at daycare, so I don't dress her up anymore.

[CloudBee]

Nov 15, 2012 14:34:01 GMT -5 hski2349 said:

My problem was DD only fit in newborn stuff for a couple of weeks, so I did not get much use out them. I got more use out of the 0-3 month stuff.

Just something to consider depending on how big your little one is.

Ha, I thought 0-3 was newborn...

[badtzmaru22]

According to Carter's: preemie: up to 5lb
Nb: 5-8lb
3m: 8-12.5lb
6m: 12.5-16.5
9m: 16.5-20.5
12m: 20.5-24.5

They also have height suggestions. DD is in the 50th percentile height and weight, and has been just about right on with her age, maybe even a bit on the slow side transitioning from 6 to 9 because it was summer and pants being too short was not an issue. She could almost be in 12mo pants now, 9mo everything else.

[Redpoppy]

DH really like the Gerber kimono tops the first few weeks. It was his first time with a newborn and he found it much easier dealing with super floppy newborn neck than putting a onesie over the head. He even asked me to get a few more. He just needed to get some confidence and it helped. He was a summer baby so didn't wear sleepers for a while.

[arch01]

We only used sleepers for the first 3 months unless we were going out. We had about 8 in each size, DS fit in NB for awhile even though he was 8lbs5oz and 23.75" long. I got everything from a consignment sale, so it was cheap enough that if it didn't fit/we didn't like it for whatever reason, it was no big deal.

We preferred the snaps at night because we didn't have to undo the swaddle all the way. I still prefer snaps because we keep the house cool (63 during the winter most of the time) and I don't have to undress him half way to get to his diaper.

We only used onesies and knit pants (with the exception of 1 button down nice shirt and 1 pair of jeans) for going out. We hated shirts because they would inevitably ride up on his little baby gut.

Robeez socks are awesome. It's the only brand that he didn't kick off.

I guess I'm in the minority, I don't care about sending him in knit "comfy" clothes for DC. He goes in whatever we pull out of the drawers/closet, which 75% of the time now is jeans and a onesie.

Hats were/still are a joke. They stay on for about 4 seconds before he frantically rips them off.

[whitemerlot]

My babies both had their umbilical cords until they were 3 weeks old. I never used pants because they would bump the cord stump and cause bleeding. We used the one piece sleep and play outfits.

I also wanted to chime in and say that the Carter's onesies are awesome. I actually really like the quality of the items at Carter's in general. There are always coupon codes for 20% off on $40 and if you live close to the Carter's store, you should watch to see what their doorbusters are. I have gotten some really great deals there. We did not use jeans or khaki style pants for our son or daughter until after age 1.

For sizes, I really only needed newborn clothes for 2 weeks and then my kids both wore 0-3. My kids were both average sized. I'm team snap vs zippers because I like to poke my finger in for diaper checks.

For swaddles, my son needed the Halo Sleep Sacks with Swaddle and my daughter did way better with the Woombie.

I love these for sleep once they give longer stretches and are out of the swaddle, because they are so cozy and you could buy ahead since they are 0-9 month sized.
www.carters.com/carters/Microfleece-Sleep-Bag/V_127-764,default,pd.html?cgid=carters-baby-boy-pajamas