New Baby Clothing Necessities

A new baby's initial wardrobe, also known as a layette, is something every parent thinks about. What will my new baby really need? A new baby needs less than you may think. Babies grow amazingly fast, so all those adorable tiny outfits will soon be outgrown. With that said, there are a few essentials.

Remember for the first ten days, the umbilical cord stump will still be attached. So you'll want clothing that is looser around the middle, like gowns and t-shirts. You'll also be changing a lot of diapers the first few weeks, so you'll want quick access.

It's also nice to have a few cute outfits. You'll want at least one for the picture in the hospital. If you plan to have people over to visit the baby in the first few weeks, you'll also want a few outfits for then. You probably will be too tired to go anywhere for a little while!

It's always good to have some nongender specific outfits. If you haven't found out the gender of the baby through an ultrasound, green and yellow sleepers are always a good choice. Even if you did find out, mistakes are occasionally made! Have a few neutral outfits just in case.

Once the baby is a little bigger, you can start moving away from the t-shirts. Onesies are good for under the clothes, especially during the winter. Little sleeper pajamas with feet are also very cute! I always tried to stay away from socks, as my little ones never kept them on.

The most important item you need is diapers! You'll need to decide whether you want to use disposable or cloth. They make very nice cloth diapers with velcro tabs now, but they are more expensive initially. However, you do save money over the two years your child will use them.

Once your baby is a little bit bigger, you can dress them in sleepers and onesies. These were my favorite baby clothes. They're inexpensive, easy to wash, and easy to change. Plus, there's no socks to lose!  We had seven of these.