First Time Parent? Here is a Practical List of the Clothes a Baby Really Needs

If you are having a baby shower, don't buy any clothes yet. It is very tempting, especially right after you find out if the new little one is a boy or a girl, but at most baby showers you get plenty of clothes. Wait until after the baby shower, take stock of what you got and make a list of what you still need. Plus this way if there is something you got that you don't really like you can return it for something else.

So what does a baby need? Onesies are absolute essentials; you will want probably around 6 onesies. For summer babies, you may end up letting them sleep in their onesies because it is so warm and for babies born during colder weather, onesies help keep them warm.

Sleepers are something I loved as a new mother. I quickly realized that while those cute little outfits are so much fun, they just aren't very practical. Babies have a tendency to mess up their clothing often and sleepers are just much easier to take on and off. Plus they keep feet warm without socks falling off all the time. After a week of trying to figure out ways to keep socks on those tiny little feet I gave up and opted for sleepers most of the time. You will probably want at least five to six sleepers in the 0-3 month size.

Hats, Booties and Mittens are nice accessories, but you really don't need too many. One pair of mittens is fine. If you are wondering why you would want to put mittens on your baby it is because they have a tendency to scratch themselves with their fingernails. The mittens help prevent this. Hats are also good for helping keep your new baby warm (although if they are anything like my son, they will figure out how to take it off by the time they are a month old and will never let you put another hat on them again, so enjoy it while it lasts!). Opt for getting one or two in colors that would match most of your child's outfits. Booties are nice for keeping feet warm, but don't get too many before the baby arrives. I got four pairs at my baby shower and my son never fit any of them he was born with size 2 feet and they were all a size 1. So get one pair in a neutral color and wait until later to get more.

Most people also think of blankets when they think of baby clothing. Again I would advice that you hold off on getting any blankets until after the baby shower. Most of the time you get more than enough blankets at the shower to cover your needs. You will probably want about four receiving blankets and only one or two heavier blankets. One thing that is often not mentioned is a swaddling blanket. Most hospitals use these for your baby just after they are born. They are wonderful and take away the need to figure out how to swaddle a child with a normal blanket. You will need at the most two swaddling blankets, but only get one before the baby is born. Each baby has their own unique personality and while most babies like being swaddled, some just don't. So wait to see if it is helpful for your child before getting a second one.

The final items you will need are diapers, and a lot of them. Most newborns go through between 8-12 diapers in a day. However I would suggest only getting a few boxes before the baby is born. We went through a testing period before we found the diapers that worked best for our son. And because every baby needs a different type of fit. It may take you a few tries before finding the diaper that provides the best leak protection.