Essential baby clothes
Leave the cute outfits to the shower guests – these
are the things you need.
Having a baby is a time of combined joy and stress for most people.
Nothing compares to the joy that a mother feels when she’s holding
her new baby for those first few days after
bringing the little tyke home or that of the proud father showing off
pictures of the infant to his friends and family. Unfortunately there
is also nothing quite like the stress in worrying that everything is
going to be all right and that the family is properly prepared for their
joyous new addition.
New parents often fall into the trap of being unprepared when it comes
to suitable clothing for their baby. In the months and weeks prior to
the mother’s due date the couple will be preparing for baby’s
arrival by setting up the baby’s room, buying necessary items
like a crib, playpen, changing table, walker, and, of course baby clothes.
The problem introduces itself when the parents (and this usually comes
from Mom’s
side) focus too much on purchasing the “cutsie” baby outfits
and ignoring the basic essentials that babies will need.
Cotton bodysuits, absorbent baby blankets, bibs, and baby booties are
items that a new parent can never have enough of. Babies are messy simply
by their nature. For all the cuteness and adorability that they possess
they are essentially little drooling, slobbering, spewing, waste producing
machines for about the first year or so of their lives. As such, their
clothes get messy quickly and often. So often that a parent may find
herself changing her baby’s clothing almost as often as she changes
baby’s diaper – sometimes more.
The best plan is to stock up on the practical “onesies”
suits, baby tees, and mess-cleaning cotton blankets so that you always
have plenty on hand. Buy plenty, but not so many that you’ll quickly
be stuck with a pile of baby items that no longer fit the baby. A good
rule of thumb is to have at least five clean outfits at any time. Pack
extra when taking baby on an outing, and always make sure that you have
plenty of clean backups. This may require a good deal of additional
laundry duty, but that is just one of those fringe benefits that come
along with a little bundle of joy.
The cute and adorable baby outfits are fine for taking baby to church
or to visit grandma’s house, or for taking family photos, but
keep in mind that the odds dictate that as soon as you fasten that last
cute little button or tie the final adorable pink bow, the baby is going
to spit up all over that precious little outfit. While planning and
preparing for the arrival of your newest family member, forego a few
cute outfits so you can stock up on more of the practical essentials.
The guests at the baby shower can provide the cute stuff while you ensure
that you are truly prepared.