To make more sales, retailers often purchase very cute and adorable baby clothes in the tiniest of sizes, packaging them into lovely congratulation sets in the bid to market them. They do this because they are aware that many people will be tempted to buy adorable newborn clothes.
However, your baby will not wear newborn sizes for very long. If your newborn weighs less than 8 lbs at birth, you can wear him newborn sizes for a couple of weeks. For a baby that weighs more than 8 lbs at birth, the period of wearing newborn clothes will be less than three weeks.
It is better to purchase the size 0-3 months, which comes after newborn sizes. However, depending on the baby’s growth rate, the baby can get a wearing period of up to 8-10 weeks.
Parents can as well buy several baby outfits in size after the 0-3 months, which is 3-6 months. This way, babies can get a longer wear period out of them. If they are still quite big, you can roll up the sleeves and pants till they fit perfectly.
It is advisable for new parents and gift-givers to avoid purchasing newborn clothes for moms-to-be. These sizes of clothes are usually too tiny for most babies. Considering that babies do not wear tiny cloth sizes for a very long time, parents and loved ones should better stick to buying baby cloth sizes of 0-6 months.
Newborn Cloth Sizing
Cloth Sizing for a newborn is largely dependent on the baby’s weight at birth. However, most parents are not aware of this.
Buying newborn clothes can be very fun and interesting, but when you encounter various options, it can get quite confusing.
The trick is never to buy too many clothing items in one particular size because babies grow rapidly, in their first year, especially.
People also gift out baby clothes. However, they are usually in the smallest sizes, and they won’t fit for long.
Buying just the number of clothing you need will mean that you must always be ready to wash, and fortunately, you can wash most baby clothes severally through the washing machine and avoid waste in the process.
Average Growth of Newborns
Though the range of growth is different in each infant, they follow a quite predictable path. Here are some guidelines to measure infant growth in their first year:
From birth till around six months, a baby might, on average, grow between 1/2 inch-1 inch monthly and gain 5-7 pounds weekly. By the age of five months, your baby would have doubled his birth weight. You can keep track using the best baby scale.
Between the ages of 6 -12 months, a baby’s height may grow by 3/8 inch monthly and about 3-5 pounds weekly. By the age of one year, the baby’s weight will be triple his birth weight.
How Long Can They Wear Newborn Clothing?
The baby’s weight and size should be the guiding factor for purchasing clothes instead of their age.
When shopping for newborn clothes, it is best to always select clothes a size up so your baby can wear them for long. For instance, babies of six months can wear clothes of babies between 9-12 months,
Generally, when expecting moms want to purchase newborn clothes, it is best to buy clothes meant for babies between 0-3 because newborns don’t usually wear clothes for long. They can easily outgrow their cloth sizes.
Bottom Line
Parents need to understand that the sizes of baby clothes vary depending on the brand. So, parents should always check the label or the packaging before buying. This way, you can determine what will fit your baby more. Another great tip is to leave the labels on the clothes until you wear them for your baby.
This way, you can return the items if they don’t fit properly. Also consider a few other key things that you’ll need to shop for – a pillow for flat head syndrome, a crib or bassinet, diaper bag and even cloth diapers if you’re going down that route.
