Complete baby checklist - the first year!

Amie++++++ · October 2015

Hi girls.
I'm a bit of a worry wart and always want to make sure I am prepared for a situation to the best of my ability.

In the case of being pregnant I would feel 100x more at ease if I had a complete spreadsheet of inventory and stuff I require for bubs.

The internet has some great ideas for nurseries and such but I'm not finding anything for clothing qty, bib qty, muslin wrap qty, ect.

The one I did find suggested 6 onesies. But in my head that is no where near enough for the first three months.

Can we please get a list going!
For example.
0000- x 10 body suits
000- x 8 body suits
Or
6x singles in 0000
3x singles in 000

feel free to throw in handy items that aren't clothing related!

ceds07 · October 2015

I would actually caution against this. While it is nice to be prepared with some stuff in bigger sizes you really have no idea what size your baby will be wearing each season. My DD was HUGE and has always worn a couple of sizes bigger than what I assume is average for her age. If I had tried to plan out a year I would have been so, so out of luck with mid-sized stuff. if you absolutely 'need' to get things to feel prepared then one pack (3-4 count) of white onsies in each size and a couple of the terry footed sleepers (carters) are good basics to start with.

MrsLeanMeanClean · October 2015

ceds07 said:

I would actually caution against this. While it is nice to be prepared with some stuff in bigger sizes you really have no idea what size your baby will be wearing each season. My DD was HUGE and has always worn a couple of sizes bigger than what I assume is average for her age. If I had tried to plan out a year I would have been so, so out of luck with mid-sized stuff. if you absolutely 'need' to get things to feel prepared then one pack (3-4 count) of white onsies in each size and a couple of the terry footed sleepers (carters) are good basics to start with.

I was 8lb11oz and DH was 10lb4oz (pray for me please)... I have bough several items from the clearance sales in various sizes but only a couple of newborn pieces. Depending on how big LO is I will get what I need newborn sent to me or send DH out... better than having a bunch of things I cant use.

One thing I have found really helpful is I created an online library of what I bought by taking pictures of them and placing them into folders on dropbox by size etc. So when I find something cute I can see if its better to buy in 0-3 or 3-6 depending on what I have already.

kellygrace2 · October 2015

Sizes you were at birth doesn't necessarily mean your LO will follow suit. With DD we bought as we needed. Less clutter that way in storing larger clothes and every child and brand is different. My DD can wear anywhere from 12 month to 2T in sizes at 20 months old - she's long and lean. If we had bought ahead we would have wasted a lot. That and you don't know what will work best for you in terms of out and about clothes.

EmeraldSea · October 2015

I also agree having a set amount is risky for two reasons: one - sizing is unpredictable. My lo was in 0 to 3 mos until about 5 mos. I needed more in that size. Two - you don't know what's going to work for you. Aden and Anais Muslims were great for us (one pack was enough) but right around 2.5 mos we needed swaddlers with Velcro. We still used the other Muslims for other things.

My recommendation is to use Amazon prime. You have two day delivery so when you realize you need more, just place an order.

ceds07 · October 2015

Amen to Amazon Prime. LIFESAVER for those first couple of months. Of course I would order stuff at like 3 in the morning and then be completely surprised when it showed up 2 days later but for the normal orders it works great too haha.

skruhmin · October 2015

DS1 was 6.15 at birth and was in NB clothes for 1-2 months. DS2 was 9.1 at birth and was in NB clothes for a week. You never know how big your kid is going to be. Stock up on at least a week's worth of NB clothes - chances are you'd be fine even skipping that. Just stock up on cheap white Gerber onesies if that would help you out - they sell them in 5-packs. My babies really live in those onesies and PJs the first few weeks.

Try to relax. Amazon prime is your friend.

ceds07 · October 2015

@mrsleanmeanclean DD was 'only' 8lbs 11 oz and I think we skipped newborn entirely. Or she was in it for like a week, if that. I Going straight to 3 months is not a bad option.

amaniupendo · October 2015

It varies so much from family to family what you "need." I wouldn't worry too much--Amazon prime and stores are always open!

Parker16772 · October 2015

I would try not to worry too much. Like everyone said you can always go out and get what you need or order it and have it there pretty quickly! I have bought a few newborn sleepers to add to the clothes we already have for DS but I haven't really bought much other than that and don't plan to. DS was never wearing the appropriate size (according the his age) so I a lot of what I got at my shower were the wrong seasons by the time he fit into it. I would just forcus on what you need for the baby at birth and then go from there.

LilLump2 · October 2015

DD2 was 8lbs 13oz. I think I had like maaaaaybe 3-4 NB outfits. But you don't know for sure when they will move to 0-3, or 3-6, or what the weather will be like. I'd get a few outfits you really like in 0-3, and 2-3 packs of onesies in NB and 0-3. Once LO is here, and you know what size for sure, you can add to your wardrobe @ Amazon or Khols, or whatnot.

maelic · October 2015

I would like to reiterate that all brands have different sizing, so a 0-3 from Carter's is not the same as a 0-3 from the Gap. Carter's runs small, Tea Collection trends small, Hanna Andersson runs big, Gap organics runs big, and Gap seems to vary depending on their mood or the alignment of the stars.

My 18 month old daughter is still wearing anything from size 12 mo to 2/3T depending on the brand.

ClaireBear90 · October 2015

So here's the thing: I can give you a "list" of what I have for my babies and deem necessary, but everyone is different. Some people only want to do laundry once a week, others don't mind doing it more often. Some people love onesies, some people don't. You will quickly figure out what works best for you and your baby, but it takes some trial and error.

My babies are born into a cold climate. I put them in sleepers exclusively for the first few months of their lives. It eliminates the need for frustratingly tiny and easily lost socks that never stay on. It makes it easier to change their constant diapers without having to take off pants, unsnap onesies, etc. They look adorably babyish in them. Sure, I have some long sleeve onesies and pants that people have given to me, but if I have to buy a new outfit you'd better believe it's going to be a sleeper! Then in the summer, they live in onesies. Heck, sometimes they don't even wear the onesie, just a cloth diaper! And I might put a girl in a dress because I do love dresses. The diapers decrease as they get older, so I do put them in pants/shirts or pants/onesies when the cool weather rolls around again. This is my third late winter baby, I just repeat what has worked for me before with each new baby.

Quantity: I'd say 10-12 outfits in whatever size your baby needs at birth is a good number to start with. That way you have plenty of outfits for spit up, diaper leaks, etc. without having to do laundry all the time. Do you have family or friends who can run out and pick things up for you after the baby is born? If so, there's no need to worry. People LOVE shopping for baby stuff and will be happy to help if you find yourself short on something!

irenewslee · October 2015

I actually skipped all the NB clothes and went straight for 3mo. All the NB clothes were borrowed from my friends and mostly PJs. I also got a few pieces from the baby shower but that was it. We barely went out the first month anyway. I don't think it's a big problem when kids are in slightly baggier clothes. DD is now 16 months and sometimes wear 2T clothes. Yeah... a little longer and what not but baggier is better than tighter from my perspective.

As far as diapers go, you will get plenty from the hospital (you can ask also for more and they are usually quite generous). We asked if they could give us some extra and the nurse packed our bag with diapers, wipes and formula. I also got some from the baby shower so we didn't buy anything until after we left the hospital. And yes, sign up for Amazon mom for prime shipping. It's free for the first 3 months if you don't have prime already.

There are also lots of suggestions online. I would say a lot of stuff is quite redundant and not really necessary. We tried to keep ours to a minimal as we are limited on space. But yes, baby shopping is fun! I spent a lot of time on the baby registries and doing research on which brand to get (like stroller, diaper bag, nipple cream, breast pump, baby carrier, etc.) Those are all good to start thinking about!

maddynnugget · October 2015

Quantities and sizing can get tricky not only because you don't know how they'll grow but it can be tricky to figure out how their individual build will work with different brands. When I had DD I found she was right on with her age matching up to size if she wore Carters brand clothes, which seemed to be made for long, lanky kids. When my parents sent me things in the Walmart house brand George, I needed them to send it a size up as those clothes were cut wider in the torso and not as long. Neither hubby nor I are long torsoed so it wasn't necessarily something I could have anticipated.

kellygrace2 · October 2015

@maddynnugget Same for us! I find George brand she swims in for width and they're never long enough.

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Complete baby checklist - the first year!

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