What Clothes do you Need for a Newborn?

Newborn baby sizes start at 0 but, depending on their birth weight, some little ones will fit into sizes of up to 3 months from day one, whereas smaller babies or premature babies are barely going to fill a size 0. They will also grow out of their clothes very quickly, so only buy what you need. Opt to buy a small number of newborn size 0 and 0–3 size clothing and once the baby is born you can gauge which size is best.

Your baby will go through a lot of outfit changes every day, so the easier you can make their getting-dressed routine, the better. Look out for baby clothing that comes with easy-on-and-off features, such as poppers, envelope necklines and full-length zippers.

"When gifting newborn clothes, consider 3–6 month sizing as parents are likely to have smaller sizes already."

When your baby is young, there will be a lot of snoozing and daytime naps, so comfort should be taken into consideration. Choose natural, breathable fabrics that are lightweight and soft against delicate baby skin, such as organic cotton, linen and wool. 

From day dot, you'll be doing a lot of feeding and, as a result, you may find you have to change baby more often than you thought. Always have a baby bib to hand for these moments and choose clothes that are easy to wash. Muslin cloths are also a great baby-feeding accessory — you can use them to clean away any milk or vomit whilst feeding. They can also be used during winding and placed over the shoulder to protect your clothing from any potential mess.

"Have at least seven muslins in your baby inventory (one for every day of the week) so you always have one to hand."

It’s best to have multiple layers for your new arrival. This way you can adjust your baby's outfits, depending on the temperature and time of year, to maintain both warmth and coolness. You can layer bodyvests under babygrows to keep them warm in the winter or layer a pair of bloomer shorts with a body vest to keep them cool in the summer.