This is the time to get your hospital bag ready, your baby's dresser full of clothes, and any of the smaller items you may need. As a soon-to-be mother it can be frustrating trying to decide what you need and how much you need as far as clothing goes. Here is a breakdown for you.
First off, you'll need to look at two different sizes: newborn and 0-3 months. For those first couple of weeks you'll mainly be using newborn onesies (undershirts), nightgowns with elastic or a drawstring around the bottom, hats, and socks. When he is this small you shouldn't need more than four onesies and two or three nightgowns. Newborn outfits are fun to have, but the nightgowns make diaper changing a breeze.
Make sure you have two or three hats and four or five pairs of socks as well. Also, blankets are essential. Receiving blankets are the best to work with cause it's easy to bundle baby in them, but you'll find uses for a nice blanket as well.
After a couple weeks you'll find that your baby simply doesn't fit into the newborn stuff anymore. You'll need to get some 0-3 items before he's born, so you're ready for it when he grows. Because he'll be wearing the onesies for a longer time period, you're going to want more of them. Get at least eight because your baby is guaranteed to repeatedly make messes on them. Four or five footed pajamas are also very nice. They're easy to get baby in and out of which makes diaper changing much easier.
As your baby gets older you won't need the hats quite as much, but a couple in a bigger size will still be nice. The socks your baby wore as a newborn may still fit. If not, get another package in a bigger size. Socks have a tendency to get lost so you're going to want at least eight pairs.
There are a few items you should get that will work for any age. For baby's bath get a baby hooded towel, or even two baby hooded towels, six baby washcloths, and baby soap. You'll be able to use these for at least six months (not the soap, you may run out of that). And last but not least, get six receiving blankets (or more) and six burp cloths. You are guaranteed to need them.
This list is by no means in depth, but it is a good place to start. After baby comes and you get to know his patterns, you'll be able to figure out more of what you'll need, but for the beginning these items will work just fine.
Kat Hafen writes and contributes for many baby and parent online publications including HugaMonkey. Always on a quest for the best baby bath gear, Kat can point out a great hooded towel. For more information regarding hooded towels, visit HugaMonkey.
Tags: family, pregnancy, baby clothes, family planning, hooded towel, hooded towels