Baby Registry: Clothing

Many people might tell you not to register for clothing.  For one, people are going to give you baby clothing as gifts regardless of what you register for because it is fun to buy cute baby clothes. 

Another reason is that you don’t know how big your baby will be when he/she is born.  Maybe your kid won’t ever even be in newborn clothes.  Also, you don’t know how fast your baby will grow.  If you buy too many clothes in advance the seasons might end up being all wrong.

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All of these are great reasons to not add clothing to your baby registry but I would argue having at least the basics on hand before the baby is born is a good idea. 

Trust me, shopping for baby clothes the week after your child is born is not something you will want to be doing (even with two-day shipping!).  Here are my suggestions for what you should register for in the clothing category;

Sleepsack(s)

I absolutely love this sleepsack.  Our daughter still sleeps in it every single night and she is two months old.  The sleepsack keeps her warm plus you can choose to swaddle one or both of her arms down at her sides, or not all. There are lots of options with this one.

If your baby will be born in the warmer months I would suggest these swaddles.  I definitely prefer them over the large swaddle blankets for night sleeping because they make swaddling super easy and quick.

Footed Sleepers

You will want some footie pajamas in the newborn size and maybe the 0-3 month size to be on the safe side.  I would suggest getting 4-5 so you don’t have to do laundry as often. 

My preference is the zipper pajamas instead of the ones that have snaps.  Trying to match up snaps in the middle of the night while sleep deprived can be more challenging than you would think.

Onesies

A few of my friends just kept their babies in footed sleepers all the time but I like to dress my baby for the day in an outfit.  Whether that signals anything to the baby I don’t know, but dressing in the morning sure helps me distinguish night from the day as a stay-at-home mom.

Diapers blow out, spit-up happens, you will want a number of onesies to change the baby in and out of.  Depending on the time of year you may want more short-sleeve than long-sleeve or visa versa.  I really like these side-snap long-sleeve onesies because they don’t have to be taken off over the head.

*Hint – shirts at the newborn stage are a pain because they constantly roll up the back.  Opt for onesies instead.

Pants

To complete the outfit, register for a few pants.  If you are buying the onesies and pants separately try to keep track of the colors you are getting.  You don’t want to end up with mismatched outfits and pieces that don’t work with multiple onesies.

Hats

You’ll want two or three hats for a newborn as so much of their body heat escapes through their head.  My kids never wore hats much because we all have very small heads and the hats just never stay on. 

But when it is summer I highly recommend this sunhat as it can be adjusted around the circumference of the head.

Socks

You need baby socks unless you are going to keep your kid in footed sleepers all the time or you register for footed pants. I can never have enough baby socks but the nice thing is you don’t have to wash them often because they don’t get dirty.  I would recommend registering for six pairs.

It also wouldn’t hurt to add a pair or two of booties to your baby registry. The booties actually stay on compared to many socks!

Baby Mittens

Your baby’s nails will be very sharp right after birth and you don’t want him/her scratching their poor face.  I would put three pairs of baby mittens on the registry unless you are getting onesies with mitten cuffs.

Winter Bunting

If you are having a winter baby you’ll want to register for a winter bunting.  For the times you want to brave the cold with your new baby (getting a Christmas tree, going to a holiday parade etc.) you need to keep your new bundle warm.

Drool Bibs

Long before teething your baby will be drooling. Without drool bibs your baby’s clothes will be soaked all day long.  I suggest getting at least four because often you will need one a day.

*Hint – Shoes, YOU DON’T NEED THEM!  Your baby can’t walk, shoes at this age are totally pointless.