The tiny angel will be arriving home soon; do you have all you require to properly look for the infant?
You are aware that you will require footie pajamas and onesies, in addition to baby towels and bibs; nevertheless, how many of each will be sufficient?
Because I've been through this process five times (please hold your applause and shock sighs), I like to think of myself as a bit of an expert when it comes to bringing a newborn home to a well-prepared family.
In my perspective, the majority of estimations regarding "what you need for babies" are incorrect by a little bit.
Because I have experience bringing a baby home both with and without a convenient washing machine, I am qualified to provide the following suggestions for what a well-equipped infant should have at home when he is discharged from the hospital.
#1 Layette
The standard guideline of four to six undershirts is actually too much for most people.
You'll discover that you use them a lot less than I did when my first child was born, which was before the invention of onesies.
Skip the tank tops and head right for the lap-shoulder t-shirts, regardless of how adorable the little midge might appear in a tank top much like daddy's.
They are simple to put on, and if you get them in a size or two larger than you normally would, they will be long enough to tuck into bottoms or sweatpants.
The value of sleeping garments is often overlooked.
They are breathable, loose-fitting, and pleasant for baby to wear in the summertime, making them an ideal second layer to wear over onesies.
Get at least six or eight nightgowns if you're going to be bringing a newborn home during the summer. In the heat, they provide a level of comfort that is unmatched by stretchies.
There is no such thing as having too many onesies. Whether you use them as the base layer in winter outfitting or as the sole thing baby wears during the warm summer months, you will go through several of them every day.
If you have a washer at home, you can get by with 6-8. In that case, you should pick up even more. An even dozen isn’t actually too many at all.
A word of advice from an experienced mother: be sure to utilize them during the summer. Because cotton wicks moisture away from the skin and absorbs moisture at the same time, your child will stay cooler in them than they would in just a diaper by itself.
Stretchies are the second most useful infant product that has ever been invented. During the summer, you should stick to wearing 100% natural textiles such as stretch cotton or cotton terry.
In order to avoid skin irritation during the winter, fuzzy pajamas should be worn ON TOP of a pair of onesies rather than directly on the skin.
The first six to eight months of a baby's life should only require six to eight stretchies.
Purchase at least one and maybe two sweaters or sweatshirts in order to keep your infant warm during the winter months or on evenings that are somewhat colder in the spring or summer.
It should not be necessary to have more than four to six pairs of each type of sock and bootie. Cotton ones that stretch will be significantly more pleasant for the infant than nylon ones.
One adorable getup that you can take me home in plus a few more like that for everyday wear.
#2 Supplies
It is essential to have at least half a dozen baby washcloths. They are far less prone to cause irritation to a baby's skin than conventional washcloths for adults since they are much thinner.
However, your results may differ from mine because I never used more than three or four hooded towels at a time.
After a bath, they come in quite helpful for covering a baby from head to toe in order to keep them warm, especially when the house is a bit chilly.
Bibs are another one of those things that simply cannot be owned in sufficient quantities. It is acceptable to tuck drool bibs under the chin of an infant in order to prevent drool and spit-up from ruining clothes.
Even though you won't want the larger bibs for feeding for a time, you should still go ahead and buy up one or two of them just in case.
The use of receiving blankets for a variety of purposes makes them excellent you-name-its.
They are the ideal size for swaddling an infant beneath a crib blanket, slinging over your shoulder when you need to burp the tyke, or using as a privacy screen while you feed your child.
You'll use them in place of towels, to throw on the ground or on a changing station before setting the baby down, and to spread out over the stroller or infant seat when the baby is exposed to direct sunlight.
In other words, you'll use them for pretty much everything. Six to twelve are not an unreasonable number at all.
It's not as if the infant would outgrow them anytime soon; even when they were toddlers, my older children still used them as bath towels.
You should still buy up a dozen cloth diapers even if you plan to use disposable diapers.
They are, without a doubt, the most superior burp rags that have ever been produced.
If you have opted to use disposable diapers, you will need two packets of diapers, one in size newborn and the other in size one.