Choose fabrics and colours that will survive the washing machine and tumble drier, dry
quickly and require little or no ironing. (You'll need to wash your baby’s clothing
in non-biological products and use hypo-allergenic fabric conditioners.)
Choose ultra soft fabrics; nothing itchy or scratchy.
Examine seams for rough edges that might rub on the skin
Remember to take all the packaging labels out, including
the hard plastic security tag-ends that get stuck in the folds. You might need to cut out
the manufacturer and care labels, if they are hard or scratchy.
You’re likely to need to change your baby’s
clothes frequently and you’ll also need quick and easy access for nappy changing.
Look for necklines with plenty of give; poppers are essential around the legs for easy
nappy changing.
Always buy big, your baby will catch up in no time. Also,
if someone gives you an exquisite outfit as a gift, use it. If you put it away ‘for
best’, when you finally get it out, your baby is bound to have outgrown it.
There is no standard way of sizing baby’s clothing;
you’ll find it sold by age, weight and length. Make a note of your baby’s
measurements in centimeters and keep them handy when you go shopping.
If your newborn baby is premature or low birth weight, look
out for clothing specially made for the size - some of the high street stores sell them
starting as small as 1.4kg (3lb). There are also specialist mail order companies* selling
tiny sizes.
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