Do Carter's sizes run small?

wendalsue · January 2013

I'm getting ready to order take home outfit from Etsy, and unless I order more than one, I need to pick a size. People that I have asked so far have said that Carter's run small, and that the newborn size (which is supposed to fit 5-8 lbs) is really tiny. But I went and looked at some onesies, and the 3 mo ones looked big for a newborn. Our friends had a 9 lb baby and he wore a newborn size home. So, I don't know what to think. My first child was 7lbs 10.5oz and was 19". Since there's no way to know how big this LO will be...I may just order the Etsy outfit in the 3 mo size, and then get another, less expensive outfit in the newborn size to have just in case. That way, if the Etsy outfit is too big for take home, he can still wear it for pics later. You can't return anything to this shop, so I hate to order the NB size and have it be too small from the start!

principessa81 · January 2013

I've always thought that Carter's was pretty true to size, honestly. Tony was a big baby 9lbs 2.6oz and he wore their NB size for about a month.

Trish&Pete07 · January 2013

I always found Carters ran very small. I bought a NB outfit for DD2 and she was 8lbs 10oz and it was too small. DH had to bring another outfit from home for her to wear. My kids are very rolly polly chubby though so maybe that makes a difference. I know some of the Carter's outfits I could not get them on at all because the arms and legs were to skinny.

bumpuser5078523 · January 2013

I would also say small.

JuneBugsMommy · January 2013

DS was 8lbs 4oz and wore Carters NB for at least a month.

Lhyacinth888 · January 2013

I would say Carters seems to run a tiny bit small. I loved having Carters for my son... it is really great for slender babies which my son was. If I were you I would probably go up to the 0 to 3 month size just to be safe since there are no returns. Just an FYI, my son was 7lbs 8oz at birth and wore NB for about a month.

Angela814 · January 2013

I agree that they run true to size or maybe even a bit big. My babies were 9lbs 2oz and 22" and 9lbs 4oz and 21.5". They each wore newborn for about 2 weeks. They outgrew sleepers by length first.

molly1108-2 · January 2013

JuneBugsMommy:
DS was 8lbs 4oz and wore Carters NB for at least a month.

My friend who had a baby at the beginning of December and he was about this size and she just moved him out of NB carter's stuff. He is still in newborn in some other brands. So, yes, Carter's runs small but I think you have some time

Mrs.Leah.Maria · January 2013

I agree that Carter's is pretty true to size. My boys have always been pretty consistent in age to size. One thing to note though, is that their newborn size is supposed to be through 8 lbs.

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skoogirl · January 2013

I never found Carter's to run small. DS was 7lb, 12oz at birth, but lost 10% of that in the first couple days. He wore the newborn for at least a month.

Kate_C · January 2013

I thought they ran large. DS was 7 lbs 1 oz and 21 inches. The NB size fit him for about a month and was huge on him at first because he was such a skinny baby. I think it all depends on how your kid is shaped. Overall I've really liked the Carters clothing for him because it seems like it's a little longer. He mostly lived in the Gap sleeper gown things for the first couple of weeks because they made the very frequent diaper changes really easy.

blueandgray · January 2013

I think they run very true to size. DD was 7lb 9 oz at birth, and was a very slow weight gainer, so she wore Carters NB clothes for at least the first 2 months.

The Gerber onesies (Target sells them) run TINY. I would say definitely don't waste your time on NB sizes in that brand. I also thought Baby Gap ran on the slightly small side. As slow as she gained, their NB stuff only fit like the first couple of weeks.

wendalsue · January 2013

Ok, well it sounds like for most people they run pretty true to size. It also sounds like it depends on the shape of your baby and that they might run a little "skinny" (which my first child was). I think I'll stick with the plan of ordering 3 mo from Etsy to be sure that it fits at some point anyway. Then I'll order a newborn outfit from Carter's so that we have a back up, and it can be returned if it doesn't fit. Thanks for all of your input!!!

kgs0505 · January 2013

I think carters runs true to size. Gerber runs small. Just keep in mind that 3 mos size is equivalent to 03 mos, etc. Unless you have a 9 or 10 lb baby, they will likely be in newborn for a few weeks.

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