Help I am freaking out about baby clothes

GoatSnakeMouse

So it occurs to me that I know nothing about what babies wear, and I'm freaking out a little. Namely:

-- Do summer babies only wear onesies? Do they need pants?
-- What about sun protection? Do they need sun hats? Or something to cover their little arms and legs?
-- What do summer babies sleep in in houses with AC? Just a onesie? Footed jammies? Can you put a blanket on them or is that a no no? Wearable blankets?

HELP ME.

lest12

GoatSnakeMouse said:

So it occurs to me that I know nothing about what babies wear, and I'm freaking out a little. Namely:

DS was a June baby so I'll try to help

-- Do summer babies only wear onesies? Do they need pants? It depends/is your own preference.  Around the house, a onesie might be fine, but I always liked DS to have one a little more... so I did a lot of one-piece outfits like this: https://www.carters.com/carters-baby-boy-one-pieces/VC_118G331.html?cgid=carters-baby-boy-one-pieces&dwvar_VC__118G331_size=12M&dwvar_VC__118G331_color=Red#navID=left&start=40&cgid=carters-baby-boy-one-pieces
-- What about sun protection? Do they need sun hats? Or something to cover their little arms and legs? No sunscreen for 6 months, so yes, sun protection.  Sun hats would work.  My son never wore them.  I mostly tried to keep him out of direct sunlight or would cover him/the stroller with a light muslin blanket if we were out.
-- What do summer babies sleep in in houses with AC? Just a onesie? Footed jammies? Can you put a blanket on them or is that a no no? Wearable blankets? I would not use a blanket for night time sleep!  It's not safe and I believe not recommended for the first year.  Some other options are swaddling, swaddle blankets, wearable blankets, footed jammies, depending on what your baby likes to sleep in best. 

HELP ME.  You will be OK!

LadySamLady

Check out Lucie's List!! She has some great suggestions.

https://www.lucieslist.com/baby-registry-basics/clothing/

kbrands7

I agree with @lest12.

Most babies will get chilled in AC, so a onsie with pants works well or a onepiece romper wit either thinner material long pants or shorts. Having a muslin blanket/swaddle on hand for sun protection/warming up in cold AC is helpful. If I was wearing DS, he only wore a onsie-- otherwise he'd get too hot in the summer.

We used cotton footed pjs for sleeping, or cotton open feet if the AC was off.

araecasey

We stuck to cotton in the summer, and I tended to dress DD in dresses or outfits with shorts during the day and cotton footed sleepers at night. If we were blasting the AC and the house was on the chilly side at night, I'd put her in a cotton wearable blanket or swaddle her in a muslin blanket. If you're comfortable in shorts/T shirt, it's likely little one is too. 

As for going outside, a hat is must-have in my opinion. I didn't worry about sun exposure--a little bit of sun everyday is so good for our health and is especially beneficial for jaundiced and breastfed babies. I just made sure if we were going to be outside for a long time (zoo trips, long walks, etc) that we were in the shade the majority of the time. We didn't spend more than 10-15 minutes in direct sunlight. And at the 6 month mark, I picked Badger Balm sunblock for her. It works like a dream, and I feel better about its ingredients than most other sunblocks.

mmemartinez

Yes to the hat for certain. We usually put him in a onesie with pants or shorts. Muslin swaddles were used the most to keep him snuggled but not too warm while sleeping, both for naps and nighttime. With the AC on he could be in long sleeve footie outfits no problem, cotton only. 

gemini2005

I had two summer babies and since our house is pretty chilly (due to AC) I kept the kids in sleepers, rompers, and long-sleeved onsies with pants and socks.  When we would go outside, I dressed them in short-sleeves but always had a light blanket or something in case they got cold or the sun was blaring.  We always kept a hat on the baby no matter what.  
We used gowns or t-shirts and muslin swaddle blankets for naps and nighttime sleep for convenience.  I loved the wearable blankets for when they outgrow the swaddle around 3-4 months.  

ayeshaohara

Glad to see I'm not the only one who has NO idea what to dress the baby in! Just going to make it up as I go along!!

mcb2016

I think baby clothes are confusing. We have been so blessed with a lot of baby clothes. But the sizing gets me. I am not sure I know the difference between 0-3 and 3 months. Some look very similar in size. Twice I've gone through the bin of newborn to 3 months and am at a loss on how to sort them.

GoatSnakeMouse

mcb2016 said:

I think baby clothes are confusing. We have been so blessed with a lot of baby clothes. But the sizing gets me. I am not sure I know the difference between 0-3 and 3 months. Some look very similar in size. Twice I've gone through the bin of newborn to 3 months and am at a loss on how to sort them.

Yes! I kind of wish they were just by weight. Seems easier.

2.red.heads

I always brought extra things when we went to stores/restaurants since their AC is SO cold (socks to put on, a blanket for their legs...).  It's tricky when your car is 95 degrees and the store is freezing. 

bookelf221

mcb2016 said:

I think baby clothes are confusing. We have been so blessed with a lot of baby clothes. But the sizing gets me. I am not sure I know the difference between 0-3 and 3 months. Some look very similar in size. Twice I've gone through the bin of newborn to 3 months and am at a loss on how to sort them.

SAME! And it seems to depend on brand (though I guess the same could be said for adult clothing). Like some 3 month onesies are long and skinny and some are short and wider (for lack of a better word). 

gemini2005

bookelf221 said:

mcb2016 said:

I think baby clothes are confusing. We have been so blessed with a lot of baby clothes. But the sizing gets me. I am not sure I know the difference between 0-3 and 3 months. Some look very similar in size. Twice I've gone through the bin of newborn to 3 months and am at a loss on how to sort them.

SAME! And it seems to depend on brand (though I guess the same could be said for adult clothing). Like some 3 month onesies are long and skinny and some are short and wider (for lack of a better word). 

I recently found out (after having two kids...) that size 3 months means 0-3 months.  I had always assumed that when you got a Carter's 6 month sleeper that it would fit the kid at 6 months but it means 3-6 months. This time I organized the clothes accordingly!  

JoMunson

I feel like this question fits here cuz we're talking a lot about temperature:
I love being cold (even before I was pregnant). My ideal temp is about 65-67. Ill throw on a light sweater or socks but being a bit cold is where I like to be.
DH's ideal temp is more like 70 and he even will get nightmares if he's too cold at night. We have FOUR blankets on the bed (I of course sleep on top of them all with a light quilt). 
Does the baby tend towards one parents temp or do they have their own? I have a variety of clothes for LO (from long sleeve to breezie and some pants and baby jeans) but I'm a little worried I'll dress him for one of us and not know he's cold/hot.
can you tell I'm a FTM?

kbrands7

@JoMunson yes and no. DS tends to run a little hot and sweaty like I do, but it's not 100% because when they're little, they also lose body hear faster than an adult when it's cold. I found it easiest to dress him in layers and to feel his upper back to assess his body temperature as well as listening and looking for cues that he may be uncomfortable. 

araecasey

@JoMunson Baby will definitely let you know if he or she is unhappy with your outfit(s) of choice. These are all things you'll just feel out naturally when baby arrives.

JoMunson

Thanks guys!

bananna4

The general dressing rule for a newborn is whatever you're comfortably wearing plus one (thin) layer.  I'm a STM and mostly stocking up on cotton onesies/leggings and one piece footless outfits for this baby for the first couple of months.  I also plan on using the muslin swaddle blankets to cover up the baby in AC or in direct sunlight as needed.  I agree with others on the sizing being somewhat inconsistent between brands for baby clothing - for example, I found Carter's clothes to be longer and narrower than Gap baby clothes.  In general, size 0-3 is the same as 3 though!

Lusitano8

gemini2005 said:

bookelf221 said:

mcb2016 said:

I think baby clothes are confusing. We have been so blessed with a lot of baby clothes. But the sizing gets me. I am not sure I know the difference between 0-3 and 3 months. Some look very similar in size. Twice I've gone through the bin of newborn to 3 months and am at a loss on how to sort them.

SAME! And it seems to depend on brand (though I guess the same could be said for adult clothing). Like some 3 month onesies are long and skinny and some are short and wider (for lack of a better word). 

I recently found out (after having two kids...) that size 3 months means 0-3 months.  I had always assumed that when you got a Carter's 6 month sleeper that it would fit the kid at 6 months but it means 3-6 months. This time I organized the clothes accordingly!  

This is mind blowing to me. I also thought that 6 meant it wouldn't fit till he hits 6 months. I think I have some reorganizing to do... I guess I'm in for some trial and error to see what fits when since we have a lot of various brands. I have mostly carters and I've heard that they run small. And gap/old navy runs big. Is that generally true?

bananna4

In my experience, Gap runs wide but short (for onesies or one piece outfits).  My DS is tall and skinny, so GAP clothes did not work well for him.  He would grow out of his Gap clothes a full month sooner than his Carter's clothes in the same size.  The fit really depends on your baby's body type in my opinion!

laurenmdrn16

JoMunson said:

I feel like this question fits here cuz we're talking a lot about temperature:
I love being cold (even before I was pregnant). My ideal temp is about 65-67. Ill throw on a light sweater or socks but being a bit cold is where I like to be.
DH's ideal temp is more like 70 and he even will get nightmares if he's too cold at night. We have FOUR blankets on the bed (I of course sleep on top of them all with a light quilt). 
Does the baby tend towards one parents temp or do they have their own? I have a variety of clothes for LO (from long sleeve to breezie and some pants and baby jeans) but I'm a little worried I'll dress him for one of us and not know he's cold/hot.
can you tell I'm a FTM?

I tend to be cold while MH is a radiator. I could tell that my son would be the same as MH from the get-go and I was totally right! He was born in September so I was always putting him in layers because he would heat up so fast and then cool down quickly too. I was shocked looking back at pictures of him when I saw that sometimes he was in a short sleeve in November! But, I always had a little sweater or blanket to swaddle him in and I did do a lot of baby wearing so that helped even us out temperature wise.

artteacher19

How can you tell if they are too hot or too cold? Just by touch? And what temp do you like to keep their room at? I'm so clueless

araecasey

@artteacher19 Too hot, baby will be sweaty and may be flushed and cranky. Too cold, my DD sleeps restlessly and gets cranky. 

camillaandcarson

artteacher19 said:

How can you tell if they are too hot or too cold?

It has been said that SIDS can be caused by overheating so we were always very cautious, especially summer in the infant car seat with all that padding. 

JessicaB0627

laurenmdrn16 said:

JoMunson said:

I feel like this question fits here cuz we're talking a lot about temperature:
I love being cold (even before I was pregnant). My ideal temp is about 65-67. Ill throw on a light sweater or socks but being a bit cold is where I like to be.
DH's ideal temp is more like 70 and he even will get nightmares if he's too cold at night. We have FOUR blankets on the bed (I of course sleep on top of them all with a light quilt). 
Does the baby tend towards one parents temp or do they have their own? I have a variety of clothes for LO (from long sleeve to breezie and some pants and baby jeans) but I'm a little worried I'll dress him for one of us and not know he's cold/hot.
can you tell I'm a FTM?

I tend to be cold while MH is a radiator. I could tell that my son would be the same as MH from the get-go and I was totally right! He was born in September so I was always putting him in layers because he would heat up so fast and then cool down quickly too. I was shocked looking back at pictures of him when I saw that sometimes he was in a short sleeve in November! But, I always had a little sweater or blanket to swaddle him in and I did do a lot of baby wearing so that helped even us out temperature wise.

DD is my little heater. Even as an infant I had to keep in mind that she got hot really easily. So extra layers rarely worked for us. If I'm a little chilly then DD is likely comfortable. I think how you dress your baby is going to be largely dependent on your baby and you should be able to figure out if they're hot or cold pretty easily by touch and how they're acting! 

Chappy_jr

Don't feel bad, OP, I'm a STM and had a momentary freak out last week about what to dress this baby in since my first was born during a snow storm!  Like others have mentioned, I settled on onesies with pants, some sleep-and-plays (footed pajamas), and more sundress like clothes for going out.  But I plan on using a muslin blanket and sun-hat when we're out, too.  The muslin blanket is just so useful for sun-protection, nursing cover, spit-up wipe, etc.  You'll figure it out!  

The sizing is crazy and it doesn't stop being crazy as they get bigger. My DS is a slim kid and I like to dress him in more fitted clothes so at 3 years old, he wears a range of 2T to 4T.  I had to buy him some new PJs last week because he outgrew his 3T pajamas from Children's Place but his 2T pajamas from Carter's still fit fine!  

ayeshaohara

Be careful using the muslin swaddles/blankets for sun protection ladies. They have no UV barrier or sun protection at all and due to the loose weave the sun can penetrate them VERY easily. I've had friends who've babes have already had sunburn because they thought they were protected. Please get proper UV rated stroller shades or use tight weave blankets and covers to protect your LOs skin!

Lusitano8

Resurrecting this as I too am freaking out! Maybe this is only for the moms in the southwest...

It gets into the 100's for us during the summer. We usually keep the AC around 78 and this already gives us a huge electric bill. I've read that the ideal temp for babies is 68-72. Do we bite the bullet and set it this low? Our room is on the 2nd floor so it's always a few degrees warmer upstairs. 

I have aiden+anis swaddles, they seam like a lot of fabric wrapped around newborn, do we wrap him and dress him in a short sleeve onsie? Or just a diaper? 

I've read that overheating can lead to SIDS so I'm having a FTM freak out. Help!

dsmith211

Lusitano8 said:

Resurrecting this as I too am freaking out! Maybe this is only for the moms in the southwest...

It gets into the 100's for us during the summer. We usually keep the AC around 78 and this already gives us a huge electric bill. I've read that the ideal temp for babies is 68-72. Do we bite the bullet and set it this low? Our room is on the 2nd floor so it's always a few degrees warmer upstairs. 

I have aiden+anis swaddles, they seam like a lot of fabric wrapped around newborn, do we wrap him and dress him in a short sleeve onsie? Or just a diaper? 

I've read that overheating can lead to SIDS so I'm having a FTM freak out. Help!

We do the same at our house and it gets pretty warm outside for us in the summer, so I was kind of wondering this as well. I don't want LO to overheat just bc I want to save some money on the electric bill...

Lusitano8

dsmith211 said:

Lusitano8 said:

Resurrecting this as I too am freaking out! Maybe this is only for the moms in the southwest...

It gets into the 100's for us during the summer. We usually keep the AC around 78 and this already gives us a huge electric bill. I've read that the ideal temp for babies is 68-72. Do we bite the bullet and set it this low? Our room is on the 2nd floor so it's always a few degrees warmer upstairs. 

I have aiden+anis swaddles, they seam like a lot of fabric wrapped around newborn, do we wrap him and dress him in a short sleeve onsie? Or just a diaper? 

I've read that overheating can lead to SIDS so I'm having a FTM freak out. Help!

We do the same at our house and it gets pretty warm outside for us in the summer, so I was kind of wondering this as well. I don't want LO to overheat just bc I want to save some money on the electric bill...

for sure! I've asked a few mom friends and they kept their house at 75 with a June baby and said it was fine, but I'm worried that's still too hot!

lizChesnut

I would defintly double check with dr. But babies are pretty adaptable. Just keep an eye on them as long as they don't seem overheated or in any distress they should adapt to where they live. But defintly if baby is having issues adapting I'd lower it too

artteacher19

What about fans? I usually have a standing fan going in our bedroom to help with air circulation. I really hate stuffy air, and sometimes the AC just doesn't circulate well on our 2nd floor. Is ok to have that moving air near LOs pack n play, where he'll be sleeping those first weeks? I've got a thermometer that I've been monitoring his bedroom temp with for the last few months, and we've been able to keep the temp in his crib to 68-71 no problem thus far.

Delitachan

Thank you for this thread! i'm also super nervous about the summer dressing since I'm a FTM. We are currently in an apt but about to close on a home so I don't even know what's an ideal temperature for baby. My husband gets colder than I do, but we have the AC at the apt at 75. Of course it's nice and cool, but then again, that's an apt. 
I'm so worried!

bookelf221

artteacher19 said:

What about fans? I usually have a standing fan going in our bedroom to help with air circulation. I really hate stuffy air, and sometimes the AC just doesn't circulate well on our 2nd floor. Is ok to have that moving air near LOs pack n play, where he'll be sleeping those first weeks? I've got a thermometer that I've been monitoring his bedroom temp with for the last few months, and we've been able to keep the temp in his crib to 68-71 no problem thus far.

I read something that moving air is one of the things that professionals believes helps prevent SIDS so I would imagine it's ok. 

balamama

bookelf221 said:

artteacher19 said:

What about fans? I usually have a standing fan going in our bedroom to help with air circulation. I really hate stuffy air, and sometimes the AC just doesn't circulate well on our 2nd floor. Is ok to have that moving air near LOs pack n play, where he'll be sleeping those first weeks? I've got a thermometer that I've been monitoring his bedroom temp with for the last few months, and we've been able to keep the temp in his crib to 68-71 no problem thus far.

I read something that moving air is one of the things that professionals believes helps prevent SIDS so I would imagine it's ok. 

I read this too and plan to keep a fan going in LO's room. Not blowing directly on him but near him to circulate the air.

Bellodomani

Ok, this is sort of a thread hijack, so apologies. But while we're freaking out about clothes- I have a weird problem that I also had with my first baby. I know everybody tends to wash and prep all their clothing in advance so it's all ready to go. I have this strange paranoia about doing that- every time I think I should do it I think, what if they got her sex wrong? Or what if she's huge and doesn't fit a bunch of this stuff? Or what if she dies and I can't face having to deal with all this baby clothing neatly folded in drawers, like somehow it would be better in its current state of being strewn in gift bags all over our guest room. Does anyone else have this issue? I had a very rough time with postpartum anxiety/ OCD with my son, and my thinking about the clothes issue isn't quite to the level of intrusive thoughts, but it definitely is a hang up for me. 

swflJD

Lusitano8 said:

dsmith211 said:

Lusitano8 said:

Resurrecting this as I too am freaking out! Maybe this is only for the moms in the southwest...

It gets into the 100's for us during the summer. We usually keep the AC around 78 and this already gives us a huge electric bill. I've read that the ideal temp for babies is 68-72. Do we bite the bullet and set it this low? Our room is on the 2nd floor so it's always a few degrees warmer upstairs. 

I have aiden+anis swaddles, they seam like a lot of fabric wrapped around newborn, do we wrap him and dress him in a short sleeve onsie? Or just a diaper? 

I've read that overheating can lead to SIDS so I'm having a FTM freak out. Help!

We do the same at our house and it gets pretty warm outside for us in the summer, so I was kind of wondering this as well. I don't want LO to overheat just bc I want to save some money on the electric bill...

for sure! I've asked a few mom friends and they kept their house at 75 with a June baby and said it was fine, but I'm worried that's still too hot!

I'm a little worried about summer temperatures with a baby, too.  I live in Florida, so our summers are really hot, and we need to replace our air conditioning unit.  We have these huge windows in the front and sliders in the back (east and west facing), so we get a lot of morning and afternoon sun.  Our unit is so inefficient that by the middle of the day, it can get into the upper 70s inside, even with the air on full blast.  It usually isn't a big deal because we're never home during the hottest part of the day.  We've been putting off buying a new unit because of all the other renovation projects we've been doing, but we may end up having to bite the bullet and replace it sooner rather than later.  Or at least get a window unit for the nursery until we do replace it.  

bookelf221

Bellodomani said:

Ok, this is sort of a thread hijack, so apologies. But while we're freaking out about clothes- I have a weird problem that I also had with my first baby. I know everybody tends to wash and prep all their clothing in advance so it's all ready to go. I have this strange paranoia about doing that- every time I think I should do it I think, what if they got her sex wrong? Or what if she's huge and doesn't fit a bunch of this stuff? Or what if she dies and I can't face having to deal with all this baby clothing neatly folded in drawers, like somehow it would be better in its current state of being strewn in gift bags all over our guest room. Does anyone else have this issue? I had a very rough time with postpartum anxiety/ OCD with my son, and my thinking about the clothes issue isn't quite to the level of intrusive thoughts, but it definitely is a hang up for me. 

I've had the thought about what if they got her sex wrong- in which case we'll save the clothes for baby # 2 in case that one is a girl. I haven't really had any issues with anxiety over the others. I'm hoping they didn't get it wrong- I have an ultrasound tomorrow so we'll see! 

Myzticsunshine

I'm sure the babies will be just fine in 75 degree temps. Honestly, people tend to forget that there was no such thing as AC ( or heat as convenient as we have it) for thousands of years, and temperature has never been a big issue. It's probably better to get them used to a temperature that's close to that of their over all environment. They won't get so hott and finnicky every time you take them out because they've been pampered to tolerate such a specific temperature. 

Then again, I'm a total believer in all that is letting children adapt and grow, rather than sheltering and such. It just makes sense to me. 

Anyway, ya I'd say save the $ and just keep 'Em in onesies and things. You'd have to keep the babes in seriously hott (above 80 F for sure) and badly ventilated areas for anything to go wrong with baby. 

st3lla

Bellodomani said:

Ok, this is sort of a thread hijack, so apologies. But while we're freaking out about clothes- I have a weird problem that I also had with my first baby. I know everybody tends to wash and prep all their clothing in advance so it's all ready to go. I have this strange paranoia about doing that- every time I think I should do it I think, what if they got her sex wrong? Or what if she's huge and doesn't fit a bunch of this stuff? Or what if she dies and I can't face having to deal with all this baby clothing neatly folded in drawers, like somehow it would be better in its current state of being strewn in gift bags all over our guest room. Does anyone else have this issue? I had a very rough time with postpartum anxiety/ OCD with my son, and my thinking about the clothes issue isn't quite to the level of intrusive thoughts, but it definitely is a hang up for me. 

Maybe you could compromise and only wash some of the clothes? Those that are gender-neutral (ish), second hand, un-returnable, etc. I decided not to wash some of the clothes we received as gifts that I know are returnable because either I don't love them or they aren't great for one sex (we are team green). I washed everything else so have clothes for the first week or two at least in both sizes (newborn and 0-3). This lets me feel that I'm pretty well organized by also that I'm not being wasteful keeping things we might not use. I know we'll be busy when the baby arrives but doing a load or two of extra laundry within the first couple of weeks doesn't seem too onerous (I say that now without any kids). Just a suggestion. 

folamij

Bellodomani said:

Ok, this is sort of a thread hijack, so apologies. But while we're freaking out about clothes- I have a weird problem that I also had with my first baby. I know everybody tends to wash and prep all their clothing in advance so it's all ready to go. I have this strange paranoia about doing that- every time I think I should do it I think, what if they got her sex wrong? Or what if she's huge and doesn't fit a bunch of this stuff? Or what if she dies and I can't face having to deal with all this baby clothing neatly folded in drawers, like somehow it would be better in its current state of being strewn in gift bags all over our guest room. Does anyone else have this issue? I had a very rough time with postpartum anxiety/ OCD with my son, and my thinking about the clothes issue isn't quite to the level of intrusive thoughts, but it definitely is a hang up for me. 

I was afraid baby would be big and I'd be left with newborn clothes she never got to wear. I personally only bought 0-3 mo for this reason. After genetic testing AND several ultrasounds, if this baby isn't a girl I guess I'm royally screwed. I can't however let my mind go to something bad happening to her; my anxiety surely would get the best of me!