Baby Supplies: A Guide to Baby Clothing

Baby clothes are so cute. They are so small with cute animals and phrases on them. They come in a multitude of types and sizes. How do you sort through all your options when it comes to buying baby clothing?

First thing that most new parents don't realize is the difference in sizing. Size newborn clothes generally only go up to 8-9 lbs. This means if you have an 8 lb baby they aren't going to be in newborn clothes long (if at all). Make sure that when you purchase clothing for your baby to get sizes 0-3 and 3 months. A better indicator is under the size there generally will be a weight range. There are many different options when it comes to the actual clothing types. There are onesies, sleepers, shirts, pants, gowns and sleep sacks to name a few.

Onesies are full body jumpsuits that snap under the crotch area. They can be short or long sleeved. Usually you will pair them with a set of pants and socks.

Sleepers are full length baby clothes that button all the way down the front and legs. They can come in fleece and terry cloth and are an excellent idea for keeping baby warm in the wintertime.

A sleep sack is essentially a blanket baby outfit. The new recommendation to prevent SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) is to make sure there is nothing in the crib with baby. This means you shouldn't put a blanket over them to keep them warm. Sleep sacks keep baby warm by providing a blanket type effect but without the risk of suffocation from the blanket over the head.

Don't forget to pick up socks, mittens, hats and bibs. Baby hats are very important in the beginning to keeping your infant warm. Socks are necessary to keep feet warm if they are not in a sleeper. Mittens are optional however is a good idea to keep baby from scratching themselves. Bibs are good to prevent baby neck funk. You will go through several outfits a day. This is particularly true if your child has acid reflux or spits up heavily. Bibs will help keep outfit changes to a minimum. Your baby will become an expert at taking mittens and socks off. Its best to make sure socks are big enough to go up the calf a little bit. This will help keep them on.