By Michelle Bery
Having a baby is, by far, the most monumental event in your life. And when it’s your first baby, every feeling – anticipation, excitement, joy, fear – is exacerbated beyond anything you could have imagined. And, in anticipation of this very small person, comes the purchase of very many large things – car seat, bassinet, crib, changing table, etc.; and many small things as well – from diapers and bottles to bibs and pacifiers. For new parents, knowing what’s important to have on hand – and what can wait – is a learning curve. And nothing can be more overwhelming than baby clothing.
The danger of baby clothing lies in its alluring quality. Put simply – it’s so cute you want to buy it all; those tiny shoes, frilly dresses, and miniature suit jackets seem just too darling to pass up and they suck you in like a magnet. But the truth is – especially in the very early days – you don’t need a lot of fancy baby clothes to make it through the day. In fact, when it comes to choosing baby clothing for newborns, simple is better.
Newborn babies require very few styles of baby clothing in those early days at home. Don’t bother with ornate clothing with complicated fastening devices. The truth is the baby’s legs will be bent for some time – having spent all that time in the womb leaves them curled up; which means that getting any sort of intricately designed pants onto a newborn is next to impossible. Additionally, because the baby’s umbilical cord is still attached, anything that rubs against their belly can be irritating. Stick with “baby bags” that feature drawstring bottoms, one piece sleepers, onesies, and receiving blankets. With a newborn, you can never have enough of any of these three articles of clothing. Keep material soft and comfortable. This may be the only time you use the Newborn sizes that you may have purchased. Keep purchases of this size baby clothing - along with sizes 0-3 months baby clothing – to a minimum. Babies grow so very fast during this time that you’ll often be stuck with outfits you never had the chance to use.
Instead, you may want to focus the bulk of your baby clothing purchases on sizes 3-6 months and 6-9 months. Here, you can focus on clothing that baby can move around in with comfort and flexibility. Jumpers and one piece sleepers are great in this capacity and offer room to grow.
The wonderful thing about shopping for baby clothing is that you rarely have to sacrifice form for function. There are many beautiful clothing lines on the market today that successfully blend comfort, safety, and style.
For easy to understand, in depth information about baby clothing visit our ezGuide 2 Baby Clothing.