I loved shopping when I was pregnant. I was so excited to buy cute little outfits for my little bean. It was my favorite pastime. Once I hit 24 weeks, I began making long lists for the baby, things I needed and things I loved to have for the newborn.

Buying Clothes for your Newborn

Here are a few tips for shopping for your baby specially if you are a first time mom:

1. Make a list of the number of items you will need for your newborn. If you have a baby shower, it is wise to wait till it’s over so that you can return whatever you don’t need. It’s better to buy clothing in 0-3 months sizing rather than NB sizing. Once my baby hit the 9 month mark, I began using tees and shorts, shortalls with polos and other 2 piece outfits. Until then, I preferred one-piece clothing. This was my list for my little boy who was born during summer:
   * Body Suits/Onesies – 6
   * Side Snap Suits – 3
   * Outfit for Church – 1
   * Baptism Outfit – 1
   * Socks – 4 to 6 pairs
   * Cotton Sleepers/Pyjamas (zipper and not press buttons) – 6
   * Romper – 2
   * Cotton Coveralls (footless) – 2
   * Matching Shirt & Pant Outfits – 2 (We rarely used these during the first 2 months)
   * Cotton Blankets – 3 or 4
   * Swaddling Blanket – 1
   * Bibs and Burp Clothes – Atleast 6
2. Stay away from Jeans and other heavier material for newborn babies. Cotton is your best friend during summer.
3. I never used hats with my newborn. The hospital gave us 2 which we used for the first week.
4. My mom also bought couple of sleeveless cotton tanks but we didn’t use it much. I preferred body suits to tanks.
5. Shortalls keep falling off the shoulder but they definitely look cute on a newborn.
6. Pants and shorts can be snug on a newborn’s waist. I waited for 3 months before trying those on my baby boy.
7. Keep in mind that your newborn may not prefer being swaddled. It’s wise to buy just 1 swaddle initially. We used the Halo Swaddle until 8 months.
8. I loved the Clearance section at Kohls. I would often find body suits for $1-$2 and other adorable outfits for less than $5. Whenever, I had a 30% Discount Coupon, I would visit Kohls and buy clothes in sizes ranging from 0-24 months. Also, their website has lot more stuff than you will find in the store. We bought the baby’s crib, bath tub and plenty of other useful stuff online from Kohls.com.
9. I also bought clothing from Amazon.com for great prices. I found the Gerber and Disney clothing to be reasonable priced on Amazon.
10. I had a price range (budget) and would often stick to it while shopping. Again, I didn’t want to splurge on baby clothes. I know many people are comfortable with hand-me-downs. This is what I approximately spent on each piece of clothing:
    * Body Suits/Onesies – $1-$3
    * Outfit for Church – $7-$10
    * Cotton Sleepers/Pyjamas – $5-$7
    * Romper – $3-$5
    * Cotton Coveralls (footless) – $3-$5
    * Matching Shirt & Pant Outfits – $2-$6
    * Shorts – $3-$4
    * Tees – $2-$3
    * Pants – $4-$6
11. Dressing for winter can be little more tricky with a newborn. Since my baby was born in summer, we didn’t buy winter clothes in the 0-6 month range. Also, keep in mind that you need to buy clothing one size bigger for winter. Here is what I used during winter with my baby boy:
    * Zippered Fleece Sleepers/Pyjamas – 4
    * Fleece Bunting – 1
    * Fleece Pants – 3
    * Thermal Tees – 3
    * Full Sleeve Bodysuits – 3
    * Fleece Pullover Hoodies without Zippers – 3
    * Fleece Jacket – 1
    * Thicker Blanket – 1
    * Sweater Vest – 1
12. I made the mistake of buying a few Fleece Jumpsuits/Coveralls with snaps for my baby boy. Somehow, they were a pain with all the press buttons and the crotch area would be ridiculously snug. Better to stick on with Fleece Sleepers with Zippers.