When you bring home your adorable looks-spookily-like-an-old-man-or-like-a-walnut-it-all-depends-on-the-light bundle of joy you are going to need to clothe him or her. Newborns don't have body temperature regulation nailed and they need all the help they can get.
I had all these so-cute-I-could-die-or-at-least-throw-up-a-little-in-my-mouth outfits lined up. A few short hours after I brought my newborn home I hated her entire wardrobe with the passion of a thousand fiery sons. Two things contributed to this:
1. My baby loathed diaper changes. Really hated them. I mean, there is stuff I dislike. Really dislike. Papaya seeds, celery, body odour, smarmy salesmen. But even if someone was insane enough to offer me a celery stick at 2 in the morning, I would be unlikely to lie on my back, kick out my legs, turn red in the face and yell bloody murder. My baby had no such qualms. She was very, very good at hating her diaper changes. Better than I've ever been at hating something. This made me really not look forward to changing her diaper and anything that added even an extra second to the process was greatly resented.
2. I had zero baby skills. So I was not smooth. I was not quick. It took me a while to get her hands into sleeves. I got her head stuck in neck holes that were wide enough for a baby elephant to prance through. I had no skills. Instead, I had thumbs. About eight hundred of them. So, I did not need layers. I did not need frills and cuteness. I needed simple.
Also, I loved skin to skin time with her. It is great both for bonding and for breastfeeding.
What you want to do is keep it as simple as possible. So, what worked for me? Long-sleeved kimono style tops, and, optionally, pants. The kimono style tops are great because they don't have to go over the head and I could pop the kimono open for skin to skin contact during a feed or while rocking her to sleep.
You will also need hats. You'll need socks too. Lots of them. Because they will fall not just her feet but off the face of the earth. And mittens. Because babies grow evil talons for nails at a spooky rate and she will scratch her face if you don't put her in mittens. My Houdini was very good at getting mittens off, but socks on her hands flummoxed her.
I had all these so-cute-I-could-die-or-at-least-throw-up-a-little-in-my-mouth outfits lined up. A few short hours after I brought my newborn home I hated her entire wardrobe with the passion of a thousand fiery sons. Two things contributed to this:
1. My baby loathed diaper changes. Really hated them. I mean, there is stuff I dislike. Really dislike. Papaya seeds, celery, body odour, smarmy salesmen. But even if someone was insane enough to offer me a celery stick at 2 in the morning, I would be unlikely to lie on my back, kick out my legs, turn red in the face and yell bloody murder. My baby had no such qualms. She was very, very good at hating her diaper changes. Better than I've ever been at hating something. This made me really not look forward to changing her diaper and anything that added even an extra second to the process was greatly resented.
2. I had zero baby skills. So I was not smooth. I was not quick. It took me a while to get her hands into sleeves. I got her head stuck in neck holes that were wide enough for a baby elephant to prance through. I had no skills. Instead, I had thumbs. About eight hundred of them. So, I did not need layers. I did not need frills and cuteness. I needed simple.
Also, I loved skin to skin time with her. It is great both for bonding and for breastfeeding.
What you want to do is keep it as simple as possible. So, what worked for me? Long-sleeved kimono style tops, and, optionally, pants. The kimono style tops are great because they don't have to go over the head and I could pop the kimono open for skin to skin contact during a feed or while rocking her to sleep.
You will also need hats. You'll need socks too. Lots of them. Because they will fall not just her feet but off the face of the earth. And mittens. Because babies grow evil talons for nails at a spooky rate and she will scratch her face if you don't put her in mittens. My Houdini was very good at getting mittens off, but socks on her hands flummoxed her.