How many baby clothes do you need? Are 10 bodysuits enough? Or is it 50? How do you figure out how much baby clothes do I need? What is the optimal number that will make you and your baby happy?
For a pregnant mom, one of the biggest urges and cravings is not food. It is buying baby clothing. Pregnant women go nuts about their upcoming baby. They go and buy millions of baby outfits. They add them to their registry.
The thinking is simple. The more clothing options for quick outfit changes you have, the better. But you also have to understand, babies grow quickly, and your little baby will quickly outgrow clothes.
So, how many clothes does your baby need?
Reader's Roadmap
How To Build Your Baby’s Wardrobe?
Before we get to the exact number and our guide for what type of newborn clothes to buy, let’s talk about some principles. That means there should be some rules in place and principles about how to build your baby’s wardrobe. Here are some things you need to think about.
Think About Laundry
Depending on your access to laundry and how often you do it makes a difference in the amount of clothing you need. With that in mind, if you go to the laundry once per week, multiply the number of clothes you need by two.
At the same time, if you go to the laundry every day, cut the numbers in half.
Think Big Sizes
When it comes to baby size, you should think big. We will talk more about baby clothing sizes later on, but for now, one principle is to think big. Your newborn baby might grow slower or faster. Usually, newborn babies top around eight pounds. If you have a bigger baby, you will need 0-3 months sizes from the start.
On the other hand, if you have a smaller baby, they will fit into newborn sizes for a few weeks. Therefore, we suggest picking just a few newborn clothes and then focusing on the 0-3 months. Those clothes fit babies up to 12 and 13 pounds.
Mix It Up
Do not stick to just one brand. Some brands have roomier clothes that are great for a large baby. Others go on the slim side and work better if you have a long and lean baby. Because you will not know your baby’s body type before birth, mix in clothes from different brands. That is how you get a different fit.
Stay Organized
Organize your baby’s wardrobe by size before you deliver. This way you will know what fits right now and what you have for the next size when your baby comes of age.
You can use closet dividers to organize your clothes better. Here is a tip: rotate out clothing items as soon as your baby outgrows them. This will help you stay on top of the task of managing your baby’s wardrobe.
Baby Clothes Size Guide
Now, as we said before, different clothing brands might vary slightly in terms of sizing. Yet, there is a general rule and chart that will help you understand.
Some babies fit their 0-3 months and 3-6 months brackets easily, while others outgrow them faster or stay in the brackets for longer periods. And it is not just age and weight. You have to factor in length as well. With that in mind, here is a quick baby clothing sizes chart:
- Premature: weight 3-6lbs/height 17 inches
- Tiny: weight 6-7lbs/height 20 inche
- Newborn: weight 7-10lbs/height 22 inches
- 0-3 months: weight 10-14lbs/height 25 inches
- 3-6 months: weight 14-18lbs/height 27 inches
- 6-9 months: weight 18-21lbs/height 29 inches
- 9-12 months: weight 21-24lbs/height 32 inches
Now let’s dive in deeper.
Baby Clothes For 0-3 Months
During this period, your baby doesn’t show much movement. Your little one will sleep for most of the day and eat in between.
During this period, you need baby onesies, soft baby pants or leggings, sleepers, and soft hats and socks if it is wintertime. That is it. So, stock up on onesies and baby sleepers for this period.
Baby Clothes For 3-6 Months
This is the wiggle-worm phase, a period when babies begin to realize they have fingers and toes. They will start moving their little bodies all over the place. You will notice how strong your baby is.
For this period, you need baby onesies, pants, leggings, shorts, a skirt, winter gear, sleepers, and socks. As you can see, it is similar gear to the one for 0-3 months.
Baby Clothes For 6-9 Months
During this period, some babies will start crawling and maybe even walking. It is important to be prepared for that milestone. That list of clothes is similar to previous months, with a few extras.
So, you need baby onesies, jeans to protect their knees while crawling, winter gear, socks, sleepers, and shoes. At this point, your baby might start walking, so you need foot support early on.
Baby Clothes For 9-12 Months
We are closing in on the first year of your baby’s life. Now you start asking how many baby clothes I need. Well, your baby’s actions are similar to when they were younger. That means lots of spills, diapers, messes, and more.
At this point, besides onesies, jeans, pants, soft socks, shoes, and winter gear, you need to add pajamas. You can also add in some things like T-shirts and more. It is a period when you can branch out and try different clothes. Having shirts on hand is a good idea because some babies will outgrow their onesies quickly.
What Type Of Baby Clothes Are Best?
Well, we are now coming in close to the number of clothes you need. But before we get there, let’s talk about the types of clothes you need.
And to understand and explain that, we have to mention a few facts about babies and clothes.
- Your little one might poop or pee on its clothes because nappies leak. So, be ready to change their clothes and do not invest in super expensive clothes
- Babies vomit, and they might spit up a little. Sometimes, the whole food comes out. So again, you might be lucky and a bib will catch it all, but it might end up on the clothes
- Fiddly clothes are not your friend. They might look cute, but buttoning up at the back is not something you want to do at 2 am when you need to change your baby
- Shoes are cute but unnecessary until 6-9 months
- Your friends and family will buy you nice clothes because they cannot resist buying new babies. Most of the dresses and cute cardigans will come from gifts. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t buy pretty outfits. But focus on the more practical aspect of baby clothes.
Exactly How Many Baby Clothes Do You Need?
We are now at the main part, how many baby clothes do I need? It doesn’t matter if you have a baby boy or baby girl, newborn baby clothes are usually the same for the first 6 months. Well, let’s break it down.
10 To 15 Onesies
Onesies are easy. No matter how much you try to fight them, they are just the most practical clothing item. They were created by a pure genius who understands how baby function. Because babies sleep for most of the day, the only two things they do are eating and going to the bathroom. And there is nothing fashionable about that.
Onesies are quite practical because they unsnap for changing diapers and they unsnap in the shoulder area. This will make it easy to pull off your newborn without struggling. Having a decent amount of onesies at hand will save you a lot of effort, stress, and laundry time.
With up to 15 onesies, you might be able to go a full week without doing the laundry.
7 To 10 Baby Pants/Leggings
Soft pants and leggings are great for keeping your baby warm and keeping the baby’s skin from being irritated. They are also easy to remove in case of a blowout coming from the diaper region. Around 10 will give you enough for a good rotation.
7 To 10 Sleepers
Baby sleepers are another practical item you cannot get enough of. Get a few cheaper ones. It is best that you get them from the clearance section.
Yes, your newborn baby will have some nice outfits for photos and family gatherings. But beyond onesies, leggings, and sleepers, you do not need anything else.
Two Hats
Beanie hats are great for the early weeks to keep your baby warm. But no hats when the baby is sleeping. Two is enough, one for your baby to wear, and one for the wash.
Five Pairs Of Socks
You should make sure your baby’s feet are cozy in socks. Here is a pro tip: get them in one color so you do not have to match tiny socks. If you have a baby during the winter, add two extra pairs.
Two Swaddles
Swaddles are not clothes, but babies spend a lot of time in them. Babies love to be swaddled for the first few months. It provides a womblike atmosphere and feeling and prevents their startle reflex from waking them up.
You just put your baby in a diaper and swaddle for nighttime sleep.
What If You Have A Winter Baby?
If you have a winter baby, add two sweaters or sweatshirts, and one pair of mittens. A zip-up hoodie is great for chill air, and it is easy and practical to take it off. And of course, one winter coat or bunting to fight off that cold weather.
Now, babies do not need shoes, but booties are great for extra warmth in the winter.
What If You Have A Summer Baby?
If you are having a summer baby, add one sun hat, a must-have for being outside on warm days. And then two or three lightweight blankets to protect your baby from the sun. A light cotton or muslin blanket is the simplest way to do it.
