Newborn Essential Clothing
Newborns are very tiny and gentle. Because of this, they don’t need much clothing. However, babies tend to get cold or overly hot easily. For this reason, as a parent and primary caretaker of your child, you have to purchase some newborn essential clothing.
Another important factor to consider is how much newborn clothing you need. Babies must be changed every few hours, which doesn’t apply only to changing diapers. They frequently spill liquid laughs on their cute baby outfits that require washing.
Although having many clothing pieces for your baby is good, you might get easily overwhelmed and indecisive. Due to this, try to focus on the essentials a newborn needs to keep them comfortable and maintain their normal body temperature at all times.
Source: shutterstock.com / Photo Contributor: Angelica Parisi
What is Newborn Essential Clothing?
Different parents may have different perceptions of newborn essential clothing. However, one thing is certain: garments for a baby boy and newborn baby girl should be practical. Taking care of a newborn is already challenging, and that is why you need functional clothing.
What is meant by newborn essential clothing is usually pieces that can easily be taken on and off. This comes in handy when it is time to change your baby’s diaper. Usually, one-piece clothing items are the most frequently used for newborns because they come with snaps and zippers.
The best thing about baby clothes is that they can be practical and cute simultaneously. It doesn’t mean you must sacrifice the appearance of newborn clothing for functionality. Also, you might need to purchase comfy accessories during the baby’s first six weeks.
Once your baby is settled into their new environment, taking them on short walks in their stroller is good. For this purpose, you will need additional clothing to keep your newborn warm and protected. No matter how pleasant the weather is outside, babies need clothing layers.
That being said, we made a list containing basic newborn essential clothing you must have. These clothing items can keep your baby as comfortable as possible and provide the necessary warmth they need.
Bodysuits
A layer of clothing that is usually worn under the baby’s outfit is a bodysuit. These are one-piece clothing items with buttons at the bottom for easy fastening. Bodysuits are very similar to onesies because both types of baby clothing pieces are sold in bundles.
Pajamas
Comfortable pajamas are an essential clothing item for newborns. Although they can sleep only in their onesies, sleepsuits or pajamas usually have a more snug fit. Dressing your baby in cute and comfortable pajamas is a chance to snap adorable pictures during naps in their crib.
Source: shutterstock.com / Photo Contributor: nazarovsergey
Hats
Hats protect your baby from harsh weather conditions, such as extremely cold temperatures or beaming rays of sunshine. Whether your baby is born in winter or during the summer, this clothing accessory is simply a necessity for newborns.
Socks
Another accessory that will keep your baby warm is socks. While some parents choose booties or footies, newborns usually stay home during their first few weeks. That is why a pair of comfortable and soft socks are the best option for your little one.
Mittens
Just like their feet, babies’ hands can also get very cold. That is why additional newborn essential clothing accessories include mittens. Apart from keeping them warm, wearing mittens will prevent newborns from scratching their faces with their nails.
Going-out clothes
At some point in time, you will gather the courage to expose your baby to the outside world. After a couple of weeks, taking your newborn on short strolls around the city is appropriate. For this reason, you will also need going-out clothes for your baby.
These outfits include pants, sweaters, long-sleeve shirts, jumpsuits, rompers, and jackets. Remember to dress your newborn in several layers of clothing for an outdoor setting.
Additional Newborn Necessities
In addition to the newborn essential clothing, some necessities can also come in handy for parents. Avoiding mess and leakage while the baby is eating can save you from cleaning up after them and doing laundry constantly.
It is good to have these items because you never know when you will need them. Instead of panicking and wasting time figuring out how to make your life easier, purchase these necessities before your baby is born.
The items listed below are not costly, and they are very easy to find. They can come in various shapes and sizes to fit your personal needs. Not only will they help to keep your baby comfortable, but they will also aid in developing simpler parenting techniques.
Source: shutterstock.com / Photo Contributor: FabrikaSimf
Swaddles
Even though swaddles don’t fit the clothing category, babies spend most of their time in them. Babies enjoy being swaddled during the first three to six months of their development because it makes them feel safe and comfortable.
Swaddles almost remind newborns of the time they were inside their mother’s wombs. Some swaddles are multi-functional and can be used throughout the day or night. Newborns can comfortably sleep by only wearing diapers if they are covered with a swaddle.
An additional benefit of swaddles for newborns is the control of reflexes they provide. If a baby is sleeping in a swaddle, their instant reactions won’t wake them up because they will be unable to move their arms and legs.
Burping cloths
An item that is more of a necessity for parents rather than babies is a burping cloth. This type of cloth is also called a bib. They can come in various colors, prints, and materials. The reason for using burping cloths for newborns is to prevent stains from getting on their clothing.
Using bibs regularly will save parents the trouble of having to change their baby numerous times a day. Also, a burping cloth will eliminate the possibility of the parent getting their clothes stained with food and spewing.
Spillage happens very often regardless of whether you are using a baby formula or breastfeeding your child. Some parents also use cloth diapers as bibs, a great alternative that can be purchased cheaper and used for many purposes.
Source: shutterstock.com / Photo Contributor: Borna_Mirahmadian
Muslins
Another item that can be used instead of bibs is a muslin. This is also a type of cloth that is cut in a square shape and used while the baby is being fed. Muslins can also be used to easily wipe away any excess milk and disgorge around your newborn’s mouth.
To ensure you never run out of muslins, purchase them in packs of five. Also, it is convenient for moms to keep a muslin in their everyday purses and changing bags.
In addition, having multiple muslins in the nursery room can become useful when you least expect it.
How Many Newborn Clothing Pieces Do You Need?
Parents must ensure that their newborns always have clean clothes to wear. However, that doesn’t always mean you need to buy many clothing pieces for your baby. Instead, what you should do first is to divide the newborn essential clothing into categories.
Once you have categorized the baby clothes, it’s time to determine how many pieces you need from each category. Although it is always better to have more options, your baby doesn’t need that much clothing, only a couple of essentials. Especially during the beginning stages of their development, they spend most of their time inside.
For this reason, as a parent, you have to focus on what they are wearing for sleep and during the day by ensuring all their clothing items are soft and comfortable on their skin.
Sleepwear
Sleeping sacks, footies, and fluffy sleepers are some clothing items used during a newborn’s nighttime routine. No matter which options you choose for your baby, make sure to have at least three to four items from the sleepwear category.
Suppose you decide that pajamas are the best option for your newborn during its first three months; having six pairs is best. If you don’t have time to do laundry, you will always have a fresh pair of pajamas for your little one.
Source: shutterstock.com / Photo Contributor: Ksenia Sandulyak
Daywear
The daywear clothing options for a newborn are endless. You can keep your baby in a swaddle or dress them in a onesie and a bodysuit. Regardless of your choice, one to three clothing pieces for your newborn to wear daily are not enough.
This is because, during the daytime, you might need to change them more than once. An ideal number of one-piece newborn clothing would be five. However, you can also aim to purchase seven onesies or bodysuits, one for each day of the week.
Accessories
When it comes to owning many clothing accessories for your newborn, you have to keep one thing in mind. Since accessories for small babies are usually very tiny, they can easily get lost around your house.
Due to this, a reasonable amount of sock pairs for a newborn baby is 10. They are sold in packs of three or five for a cost-effective price. In addition to socks, you can also get one or two pairs of footies and booties to provide variety.
Two to three hats or baby bonnets are enough for a newborn. Your baby shouldn’t sleep with headbands or hats because they can easily fall off and cause overheating. Baby hats are only used when you go outside with your newborn.
Different sizes
One of the most important things to know about your newborn baby is that they outgrow sizes in short periods. Likely, you won’t need those tiny onesies you bought after your baby reaches the age of three months. Instead, an excessive amount of baby clothes will result in closet cluttering.
Babies grow quickly
Have you noticed that newborns look completely different at six months? Their bodies are quickly developing without the parents even noticing. Because of this, a smart strategy you can use is to buy baby clothes in different sizes so that you instantly don’t run out of options.
Source: shutterstock.com / Photo Contributor: ImagicianOne
What about laundry?
Having more clothing means doing more laundry. A good solution for this time-consuming problem is deciding how often you will do weekly laundry. If you plan on doing laundry daily, you will need only a minimum of newborn clothing pieces.
Buy drawer organizers
To prevent your baby’s socks, hats, and mittens from getting lost, you can keep them organized in drawers. There are special drawer organizers with multiple compartments that you can purchase to keep everything tidy.
Conclusion
Parents know the best ways of properly taking care of their newborn babies. That’s why this article doesn’t present facts. Instead, we have discussed common suggestions among parents on what newborn essential clothing is and how many baby garments are necessary.
Sam Milam, author
Sam Milam is a freelance writer, photographer, and yoga teacher. She is passionate about educating herself and others about attachment parenting, social justice, and living an authentic, empowered life. When she isn't working, she can be found exploring the Pacific Northwest with her two kids. Sam is a regular contributor for Washington Post, POPSUGAR, USA Today, Parent Map, and Gronk Nation.
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