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Dressing Your Newborn
Author: Heather Slee
When you come home from the hospital with your first bundle of joy, odds are that you are completely afraid of breaking him or her. So, when you are faced with having to pull those little arms through sleeves and soft spots through neck holes, you want to make sure it's as easy and simple as possible. Also, if you're like I was, you are constantly worried about keeping your baby at a comfortable temperature. Here are some tips for dressing your newborns that will put you at ease.
The fabrics you choose will depend mostly on where you live and the time of year it is when your little one makes his or her appearance. For example, I was blessed with my little girl at the end of December in Minnesota. We chose mostly one-piece outfits (with footsies and sometimes built-in mittens) made from cozy terry cloth, fleece, or a heavy cotton. For warmer weather, stick with soft, breathable cotton. It's comfortable, is unlikely to irritate your baby's sensitive skin, and it won't overheat your baby.
Of course, once in a while you may want to dress your baby up in something a bit more stylish for a holiday or special occasion. Feel free to try out little sweaters, lace, velvet, and other textures. But for everyday wear, stick to simple, natural fabrics without strings and buttons (which can be hazardous to babies who like to put things in their mouths).
As far as types of clothing, there are a few basics when you are looking at one-pieces, bodysuits, onesies, and the like. First, we have the zipper. Zippers are great; they are fast and easy. You don't have to fumble around with snaps at 3:00 a.m. if you have a zipper. One thing to keep in mind if you are trying clothing with zippers is that the zipper should be covered. Sometimes there's even a flap of fabric at the top that you can snap closed to protect your baby from the zipper handle. Zipper one-pieces are also handy because you lay the baby down on them and then zip up, as opposed to slipping clothing over the head, which can be a little nerve-wracking for new parents!
Snaps are also an option. Some outfits snap all the way up, like the zipper, and these are great for the parents who prefer not to do the over-the-head maneuver. It's easy to just lie the baby down on top of the outfit to snap her or him up, and it's easy to remove as well. Snaps are even a little easier for diaper changes because you don't have to almost completely undress your infant to get to the diaper.
Other snap outfits only snap at the bottom for easy diaper changes. These are nice, too, but make sure the neck hole is large enough so you don't have to pull very much to get it over your baby's head. There are neck holes that have snaps and some that have extra room around the shoulders; be sure to look for these features.
And, of course, as said above, there will be times when you go for cuteness over ease. This is totally fine! Just be sure that the clothing is free from lots of dangly items, such as ribbons and buttons. If the special-occasion outfit does come with these decorative items, be sure to keep a close eye on your baby or remove them. Happy shopping!
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