Saturday 6 October 2012

Dressing Baby 101

There are so many cute baby clothes out there - actually, "so many" is an understatement. I have to admit that I was one of those first-time parents that bought several cute (but functional) outfits for my son when he was just a baby. In fact, one of his first outfits was a Santa Claus outfit - he was born in mid-December so when he was just two weeks old, he was in his first costume. Plus you will have friends and family who will add to the "style pile" with their contributions. In reality, they don't wear these cute outfits too often. I am not discouraging any parent from buying them but just to keep in mind the amount of use each outfit will get over time.

In my humble opinion, there are three basic considerations for baby clothing. Very simply, the first consideration is that your baby will spend most of his or her time lying down so keep the back of the clothing free of anything that might make your baby uncomfortable. Secondly, especially as a single parent with only two sets of hands, I rarely bought or used clothing that required the baby's head to go through a hole, large or small. Although it was not brain surgery, you can imagine trying to put on a t-shirt or closed-front onesie over a baby's head and then slot their arms through the arm holes. It obviously can be accomplished with two people or while the baby is lying on his or her back with some effort. Some babies also do not like having their head and arms squished through an opening - perhaps memories of birth? :)

Finally, linked to my second point, think about location, location, location... of the buttons, snaps, zippers, etc. Of course, you want easy access to the diaper but it is also easier to dress your baby while they are lying down so anything that has a full opening (length of the garment) at the front similar to the photos is ideal. You open up the piece of clothing, place baby on top, slide in two little arms, and then snap everything up.

As mentioned, I'm not suggesting that you avoid buying the clothing with the cute sayings, trendy logos, or cool/adorable look. Just keep in mind that for your baby's daily wear, keeping these tips in mind will make things easier for you and your baby!

Thank you for letting me share this part of my world with you!

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