What did your babies wear in the first few months?

As I prepare for these little pumpkins I'm trying to get a handle on what I really need clothing-wise.....Mine are due on May 1 (40 weeks),s i'm figuring they'll come sometime in April (I hope they stay in that long).

Obviously it depends on how big they are and how fast they grow, but - what did they wear in the very beginning? Do I need t-shirts and pants for before their umbilical cords come off (when is that usually?).

What did you put them in to sleep? we are planning on using the Miracle Blanket to swaddle - do i just put a light onesie under that?

We live in Washington DC, so it tends to get pretty hot in May/June (and the summer is sweltering) but I have no idea if i can put them in short-sleeved onesies and a light blanket, or what to go out ....

And - presuming they are at least 36 weeks, is it likely that i'll definitely need preemie clothes (they are SO expensive, GRRRRR) for the beginning? If you used them, when did your twins outgrow them?

I know these are a lot of disparate questions: i'm trying to get as much done as possible while I'm still (relatively) mobile.

I appreciate any suggestions!

 

As I prepare for these little pumpkins I'm trying to get a handle on what I really need clothing-wise.....Mine are due on May 1 (40 weeks),s i'm figuring they'll come sometime in April (I hope they stay in that long).

Obviously it depends on how big they are and how fast they grow, but - what did they wear in the very beginning? Do I need t-shirts and pants for before their umbilical cords come off (when is that usually?).

What did you put them in to sleep? we are planning on using the Miracle Blanket to swaddle - do i just put a light onesie under that?

We live in Washington DC, so it tends to get pretty hot in May/June (and the summer is sweltering) but I have no idea if i can put them in short-sleeved onesies and a light blanket, or what to go out ....

And - presuming they are at least 36 weeks, is it likely that i'll definitely need preemie clothes (they are SO expensive, GRRRRR) for the beginning? If you used them, when did your twins outgrow them?

I know these are a lot of disparate questions: i'm trying to get as much done as possible while I'm still (relatively) mobile.

I appreciate any suggestions!

 

We used sleepers all day everyday in the beginning, mine were born in May in the south so it was really hot but we keep our house very cool. During the night, if you keep it warm you could just do a onsie and the miracle blanket or just the miracle blanket by itself. Alot of people buy all kinds of cute outfits in the beginning, its just a waste of money. They grow so fast and you will be so tired you wont want to waste the time to doll them up. Look on ebay for preemie (there are tons right now), just type in preemie LOT...that means you will get more than one thing in it, I find this saves on shipping costs and most the time the preemie stuff is in great condition. As a matter of fact I suggest you look for all your clothes on ebay if you are on a budget. Mine were preemies, ds was a 27 weeker, he was in preemie for the first 5-6 months of life, the girls were 32 weekers, B wore preemie for the first month and a half and M wore hers for probably 2-3 months.

 

Mine were born at 38 weeks and were 6lbs and 7lbs and wore preemie clothes for 1-2 weeks, but could have got by with just newborn clothes. The lived (and 90% still do!) in sleepers (long sleeve with feet). When it got really hot and we were swaddling I did use onsies and occasionally just a diaper.
No pants or shirts here for atleast the first 3 months, just too much work!!

The belly button falls off by one week normally.

Kristi
Molly and Zach 8 months

 

My twins were born in June, we live in FL, but keep it cool in the house. I put them in onesies with a gown over the top for easy diaper changes. I swaddled them in a regular blanket if they were chilly.

 

I agree with pps. The clothing is so darn cute but simply not practical (especially with multiples!). You will find little energy to get them all dressed up on a regular basis (or even once in a while)for those first few months. Our girls were born in April and we pretty much just had them in onsies and the jammies with feet. They make them in a very thin cotton so they shouldn't get too hot. Unfortunately, I had never heard of the miracle blankets so I don't know about those but everyone here swears by them so if I ever have any more kids I'll be sure to get a couple and try them out.

Friends and family will most likely buy you some cute twin outfits because they simply can't help it. Twins are exciting and buying them outfits is really fun. So deffinately don't purchase any of that kind of stuff, it's a total waste. Beyond 3 months (or if you do want to get them some outfits, I strongly suggest the one piece outfits that snap at the bottom. They are sooooooooo convenient and very cute.

Best of luck to you for a long gestation and a happy and healthy delivery!!

 

My girls were born at 37 weeks, 2 days and were just over 6 lbs. each. We didn't have any preemie clothes at all, we put them in all newborn sized clothing. We put them in onesies and sleepers during the day and onesies and gowns at night (and swaddled). I agree with pps about the outfits. We were given many outfits and sometimes I felt like I HAD to put an outfit on if we were going somewhere because someone spent the money on it. I would have preferred sleepers all day for the first couple of months. Good luck to you and your little blessings!

 

Congrats on your little pumpkins!

I am in DC too and my girls were born last July. Believe me when I tell you - stock up on sleepers, preferably the zipper ones, because they will want to be covered. Newborns don't like to be exposed and they will be more comfortable covered and warm. Even if it is sweltering outside, it will be cool inside because of the A/C and the little things will want to be warm so keep them in sleepers, even at night and when swaddled. When you go out I'd still put them in a one piece sleeper to cover their skin and keep a blanket on hand in case it is cold in the store. Even with the cord healing, it is okay to put them in a sleeper. Most are pretty loose at the beginning anyway because newborns are so small, so it won't irritate the cord. The reason I said get the zippered ones is that you'll be changing them about every 3 hours and it's so much easier to just zip or unzip the zipper rather than do all those little snaps. Baby tees and pants are okay but to be honest I think they are a pain to deal with, especially the tees, as they are awkward to put on and off a tiny baby.

It is likely you'll need some preemie clothes. My babies were born at 37.5 weeks and they were 5-13 and 6-14 and they needed preemie clothes for the first few weeks. You can get them really cheap at Walmart (like $2.50 per piece!). There are also really cute things at the Carters and Little Me outlets in Leesburg.

 

I agree with pps about sleepers & what I'm calling undershirts because they snap up the front & at the crotch - I find the onesies that pull over the head to be a pain. All clothes sahould have snaps up the front & at the crotch. Also, don't do them up after laundering - they are hard to unsnap with one hand.

I wouldn't buy too much before they are born & you know how big they will be.

 

Mine fit best into the Gerber Newborn sized onsies. seemed to be smaller than the Carter Newborn sizes. They were 5 lbs. and 5 lbs. 14 oz at birth. They I live in FL and my boys were born in June, so like the pp said, it was warm outside, but we had the AC on inside so I swaddled them in the short sleeved onesies and a regular cotton receiving blanket, and it worked out well.

 

I agree with a pp about the zippered sleepers. You will change diapers SO MUCH in the beginning that the snaps become a total pain. I spent many nights cussing those snaps when I was changing diapers every 2 or 3 hours! Target sells 3 paks of the zippered sleepers. I find that they run smaller than the Carter's sleepers or other brands that are sold by themselves at BRU. When we brought our little guys home we kept them in onesies a lot b/c we had them swaddled all the time.

Good luck on cooking those little ones as long as possible!!

 

quote:
Originally posted by double-or-nothing:
I agree with pps. The clothing is so darn cute but simply not practical (especially with multiples!). You will find little energy to get them all dressed up on a regular basis (or even once in a while)for those first few months. Our girls were born in April and we pretty much just had them in onsies and the jammies with feet. They make them in a very thin cotton so they shouldn't get too hot. Unfortunately, I had never heard of the miracle blankets so I don't know about those but everyone here swears by them so if I ever have any more kids I'll be sure to get a couple and try them out.

Friends and family will most likely buy you some cute twin outfits because they simply can't help it. Twins are exciting and buying them outfits is really fun. So deffinately don't purchase any of that kind of stuff, it's a total waste. Beyond 3 months (or if you do want to get them some outfits, I strongly suggest the one piece outfits that snap at the bottom. They are sooooooooo convenient and very cute.

Best of luck to you for a long gestation and a happy and healthy delivery!!


DITTO except our girls were born in March. They weighed 4 and 5 lbs and came home immedediately. They only wore preemie clothes for a very short time. You WILL NOT have the energy to change them into those fancy outfits at that age. You will be exhausted in general and then there is all the diaper changes and feedings. Don't waste your money.

 

Our girls were born at almost 35 weeks at the end of May. They were both a little over 5 lbs, so they were in preemie clothes for probably the first 3 weeks at least. I live in Nebraska, where we have hot, humid summers. The first few weeks they were in sleepers, onesies, and on really hot days, just their diapers. We only had window air conditioning and ceiling fans, so they didn't need a whole lot to stay warm.

As for the preemie clothes that are so expensive, we have a store in town that sells gently used children's clothing at really reasonable prices, so we bought some stuff there to save some money. I hope this helps!!

 

It was warm here when my little guys were born, so they were in onesies most days. I always put them in outfits when we went out and about. Too hot for sleepers. I barely owned any 0-3 month sleepers.

 

We used mainly onesies, sleepers, and sleep gowns for the first few months. I didn't have a lot of outfits because they got clothes dirty so quickly anyway.

I bought preemie clothes on Ebay in lots and my girls fit in them for 1.5 and 2.5 months. I spent about $40 on enough clothes to last about 4-5 days before I needed to wash again.

If it is warm, onesies and a blanket are fine. You can carry two extra receiving blankets in your diaper bag in case you end up somewhere with really cold air conditioning. You may also want baby socks.

Both of our girls lost their umbilical cords before leaving the hospital at 7 and 9 days old so all the t-shirts I bought were pretty useless.

We often swaddled with a sleeper underneath due to air-conditioning but we were just using a light receiving blanket for the swaddle. With a miracle blanket, a onesie may be just fine.

 

Oh the early days

We did gowns at night and the SwaddleMe or a receiving blanket. During the day, we did Carter's onesies and the Roly pants most days. They make a NB size that is smaller than the 0-3, but DD still had to wear preemie for the first month or so. She was 5 lb 6 oz at birth, but went down to about 5 pounds before gaining again. We bought preemie stuff because I hated seeing her in clothes that hung on her. Don't forget socks! Their little tootsies get cold even if it's warm out. Good luck!

 

If you do need preemie clothes, WalMart carries Carter and other brands at very resonable prices!! Just an FYI.

 

I guess maybe I am crazy. I loved all the cute little outfits people bought us. My girls were born at 38 weeks and were 6lbs 3 oz and 6 lbs 9 ozs and they wore preemie clothes for about a month and a half. I used lots of blankets lseepers a night. We live in Utah and its gets cold here. We keep the heat low at night to conserve energy so the blanket sleepers kept their hand and feet nice and toasty.

 

Thank you all - this is SOOOOO helpful!

I'm definitely not planning on buying cute outfits for the beginning' after lurking here I have a VAGUE sense of how exhausted I'll be. I got a bunch of stuff from my SIL and want to make sure I have enough to keep us covered for the beginning w/out having to do laundry every single minute (because of course the laundry is in the BASEMENT of our house, and the nursery is two floors up!)

Thanks again - I'm so looking forward to joining the First Year board (but not for another 8 weeks or so!)

 

We live near Philly and my girls were born at 34 weeks at the end of April. It was warm for us but not for preemie babies. They wore sleepers all the time. If it was warm enough for AC, it's too cold for babies to be uncovered. Our NICU suggested we try to aim for 72-74 for the first few months. If we took them out, we layered more. Of course that was 1/ month to the DR.

One thing to consider with preemie clothing is that it's not only smaller but shorter. our girls were only 4.4 and 4.14 pounds but they were 20 inches. They only lasted in the Preemie clothes for 2 weeks, while in the NICU. After that it was NB size. The NB swamped them because they were only 5 pounds but they needed that size for length.

HTH and Congrats!

 

mine were born in the summer (Northeast) and they wore onsies pretty much exclusively. I did get some 5 pound onsies (preemie) but what a waste -- they were in them for 2 weeks tops and the newborn would have been a little big, but fine.

once it got colder I started dressing them more. once piece outfits were great in the beginning. Now my boys pretty much wear pull up pants and shirts eclusively cause they are easiest.

good luck on your pregnancy and birth.

Cheers,

Teri D

 

My boys lived in sleep gowns. I loved them so much because it was so easy to change their diapers

 

OH, just to add one more suggestion that I forgot about. The sleep sacks that are just elastic at the bottom were the best things EVER invented for newborns and up to about 4 months or so. Once I started using those, my middle of the night changes were SOOOOOOOOO much easier. Having to snap a bazillion snaps in the middle of the night is maddening. If they just have a onsie and a sleep sack, your life will be that much easier during the middle of the night!!

 

We used premie sized sleepers for most of the summer. My girls were born May 12 at 34 weeks. Walmart carries a good selection of premie sized stuff. We also swaddled with miracle blankets and put onsies on underneath. When it got warmer out we had them in onsies alot. I live in PA so the climate is pretty much the same as yours. I think it was june/july that we started being able to take them out in little onsies and stuff. I was always worried if they were warm enough but it will come to you. We have central air so when they were inside they ended up being swaddled alot too.

 

I'm also the crazy one that HATED those sleep sacks with the elastic on the bottom....my kids slept in sleepers with feet (preemie and NB size) and lived in those for about a month before it started getting really HOT in the Northeast (they were born in May in PA)...spent most of the summer in some really cute outfits - I too liked the outfits whether or not we were going out...

 

Mine were due in May, born late March. They wore sleepers for the most part until it started getting hot, then they wore the little Carter one-piece shortall outfits and onesies at night to bed.

Check Walmart for cheap preemie sized stuff. They always have a lot and that size goes on clearance.

 

Ours were 5 1/2 wks early (40 wks was May 1 of last year for me!), so def. used the preemie clothes. They were both just over 4 lbs at birth, but grew so fast in the beginning. The preemie stuff that I had on hand was just huge on them, so I ran out to BRU and got the absolute smallest things I could find!...Don't do that...I think they got to wear each outfit once! I couldn't get over the fact that they were still supposed to be in a nice cozy womb, and I felt so quilty every time I wrestled their tiny little bodies into clothes. We just kept them in gowns and pj type outfits. The frilly stuff just looks cruel! Best of luck to you! BTW - at 34 1/2 weeks they were tiny, but otherwise perfect! Stephanie

 

Oh, at night we used long-sleeve footed pjs and swaddled. It gets extremely hot here in the summer also, but my DH keeps the house so cold that we dress for winter all year long inside the house!!! Stephanie

 

Mine were born in November, and wore almost nothing but sleepers (and a Miracle Blanket) for the first 3 months. I couldn't figure out why anyone would bother dressing their newborns in cute little outfits, dresses, etc. -- but maybe it is different with singletons.

As far as size, we did OK with newborn (8-12 lbs) sleepers. They were huge at first, but only for the first 4 weeks or so. (Mine were 37w, about 6 lbs each.) Someone did buy us matching preemie sleepers as a gift, which we really appreciated (the girls wore them at Christmas), but they outgrew them by 6 weeks, so I'm glad we didn't spend money on them.

As a PP said, even when I had the energy to put "real clothes" on them, I mostly used one-piece outfits (rompers).