A Parent's Guide to Essential Baby Clothes for Newborns

In a few months, you and your significant other will be welcoming in a brand-new addition to your home. Congratulations! Before the little one arrives, you’re going to need to pick up a few must-haves, like diapers, wipes, bottles, and clothes. 

You don’t have any way of knowing what the size of your little one will be, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t pick them up a few bodysuits and PJs. 

These are only a few essential baby clothes that they’ll need. You also can’t go without muslins, bibs, and of course, a few adorable day outfits. Keep reading to learn more. 

Bodysuits

Bodysuits are the most versatile thing in your baby clothes arsenal. The shoulders stretch so you won’t have to worry about them fitting over your little one’s head. 

Many parents use them as a base layer for a child’s everyday clothes because babies tend to get chilly. If you notice that your baby is getting too warm, all you have to do is remove the bodysuit. 

They also have an emergency hatch for when it’s time to change the baby. Unclasp the bottom to clean the little one up. 

They come with both short and long sleeves to suit any climate that you live in, and you can get them for a great price. A pack of 6 will only cost you about 20 bucks. Not bad, considering how fast your newborn is going to grow out of them. 

Comfy PJs 

Babies spend a good portion of their day asleep. This means they’re going to be using their PJs more often than any other newborn clothes in their wardrobe. 

Baby’s tend to have sensitive skin. To stop it from getting irritated, opt for 100% cotton fabric. Babies won’t need socks and shoes until they’re a little older, so we recommend getting footie PJs to keep their little toes warm at night. 

A baby’s nails can be sharp. Buy them PJs with mittens attached to prevent them from scratching themselves on accident. 

You can get baby PJs with snaps or zippers. Zippers are the more convenient choice out of the two. Either way, most PJs are designed to make changing your little one’s diaper simple. 

If you’re worried about your baby getting too overheated on a hot summer evening, you can buy them a few gowns to wear instead of the traditional. It will keep the baby cool, and all you have to do to change them is lift up the gown. 

Hats

For the first few months after you have the baby, you’re going to be leaving the house often to go to doctor appointments. If you can’t get someone to watch the baby, you’ll also have to take them to the grocery store with you, and there’s also leaving the hospital. 

During all these outings, you’re going to want something to protect the child’s head. Without a beenie, the sun can shine down on them and cause some serious damage. Hats will also keep their little head warm during the winter. 

Day Wear

There are times when you may want to take your new arrival to a relative’s house. Maybe you want to bring them to a birthday party or some other event. You’re going to want to put them in the best clothes for newborns. 

There’s nothing wrong with this, but you should dress them in layers so they don’t get cold. Use the bodysuit as a base layer. Again, if the baby gets warm, you can always take the bottom layer off. 

Try to get something comfortable and stretchy. You want the baby to look adorable, but you also want them to be cozy enough to snooze in the car. 

Bibs

When your baby spits up, it’s messy, but it’s not a big deal. You can toss their clothes in the wash and change them into something else. 

If you want the convenience of not having to do laundry as often, we would recommend picking up a pack of bibs. You’ll still have to change the drool bib after an accident, but it’s a lot less annoying than having to wash an entire outfit. 

Swaddle Blanket 

Before a nurse hands over your baby, there’s a good chance that they swaddle them first. Swaddling is the act of tightly wrapping your baby in a blanket. 

It creates a similar environment to the womb. For many babies, it lulls them right to sleep. Some babies don’t like it at all.

If you can’t seem to get the technique right or your little one is too squirmy for you to wrap them, you can buy a swaddle sack. All you have to do is place them in the swaddle and zip it up. 

Muslins

If you’re planning to breastfeed, you’ll want to add a few muslins to your essential baby clothes checklist. It’s a piece of cloth that you can use to wipe milk and spit up away from the baby’s mouth. 

Many parents also throw a muslin cloth over their shoulder when they burp the baby. This way, if the little one throws up, it gets on the cloth and not the poor burper’s clothes. 

Essential Baby Clothes to Add to Your Shopping List 

If you’re expecting a little bundle of joy soon, you should get a jump on picking up the essential baby clothes along with the rest of the supplies that you need. 

You may not know what your newborn’s size is yet, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t go shopping. If you want to learn what else you’ll need for your baby, visit our blog.