How to dress your newborn

Posted by coco babybox on August 14, 2020

You have probably been setting up your oncoming baby’s wardrobe ever since you found out about the good news. That cute little pink frock which would just look perfect or that tiny little hat for your baby boy, however, once the baby arrives, it’s a different ball game altogether. Along with worrying about the right way to burp your baby after feeding and understanding the correct way to cradle your baby’s head, as a new mom, are you also worried about how you should dress your newborn? Well, there’s no reason to worry anymore!

If you are a new mom and are looking for tips on how to dress a newborn, here’s an informative blog for you. Read on to know more!

Newborn clothing essentials: When setting up your newborn’s wardrobe, there are a few essential basics. To make sure you have a fully-functional wardrobe working for your baby, ensure that it includes bodysuits, tops, pants, socks and sleepers. Try to buy clothes that can be opened down the front, which makes it easier to dress and undress the baby. If you are expecting a baby girl, patterns like florals, polka dots and other similar patterns are the best. On the other hand, if the new guest is a baby boy, clothes with checkers, animals and stripes printed on them are the way to go. Bright colours look great on newborn baby girls and some of the trendiest colours for them are pink, lavender, yellow and green. For baby boys, colours like red, dark blue, grey and black look the best. Some of the all-time favourite prints among kids include bear print, monkey print, bunny print, feather print, panda print and tiger print. However, you can also decide to dress your baby in unconventional colours, as per your preference.

How to dress your baby in the winters: Newborn babies find the most comfort when they are warm and cosy, and the need for warmth doubles up in cold weather for obvious reasons. If you are wondering how to dress your baby in winter, here are some helpful tips. When you are planning to take your newborn outdoors, ensure that they are always wearing a hat or a soft beanie. Also, always dress them up with long-sleeved shirts or tops, full-length pants and woollen socks. Carry an extra cardigan with you, just in case, and if the baby is fussy or flushed, you might need to remove one of the extra layers.

How to dress your baby in the summers: Summer is all about colours, not only for you but also for your newborn. Since warm weather is hardly ever popular with newborn babies, short-sleeved rompers and bodysuits are the way to go. Ensure that the clothing material you are dressing your baby in helps them stay cool in warm weather. There are light-weight skin-protecting clothes also available that are easy on your newborn’s skin.

How to dress your baby for sleep: Newborn babies are, generally, suckers for warm snug comfort. They seek cosiness, especially when they are sleeping. So, how should you dress your baby for sleep? The best dress for a newborn to sleep in is a footed pyjama. Not only do they keep your child warm and cosy but also allow them the comfort they need to have a sound sleep, and we all know how important it is for a baby to sleep peacefully, don’t we? When the temperature is too warm, switch the footed pyjama with a bodysuit. When the temperature is way below 21 degrees, add layers like a wearable blanket or an extra cover.

Clothing materials that are best for newborn babies: As is natural, the skin of newborn babies is extremely sensitive and often reacts differently to different materials. The safest bet to ensure rashes and allergies are kept at bay is to opt for organic natural clothing. Some of the materials that usually go well with newborn babies’ skin are broadcloth, lawn cotton, polar fleece, muslin, batiste, handkerchief linen, waterproof fabrics, microfibre fabrics and other similar clothing materials.

Tips to dress and undress a newborn

If you are a first-time mommy, you must be researching relentlessly about the right ways to dress and undress a baby. Now that you are here and we have your attention, here’s a simple guide to walk you through the process:

Be gentle: Newborn babies are sensitive and delicate creatures and should probably come with a “handle with care” tag. Therefore, you must handle a newborn gently and carefully. Speak to your baby while you dress or undress them as it will help them become more comfortable with the process. Initially, the baby might seem cranky, however, as you do it more often, they will get used to it too.

Remove clothes carefully: Do not rush the process of dressing or undressing a baby. If you pull a t-shirt out too hard or force them into a pair of pants, the task might get much more difficult. Work the baby slowly and their clothes carefully. Loosen the grip around the skin first and avoid overextending their arms or legs. Be careful not to twist their body and avoid putting them into an uncomfortable position.

Say yes to layers: As mentioned earlier, newborn babies are constantly seeking warmth and layers are a great way of achieving that. As a rule of thumb, your baby should be dressed in one extra layer than you. Another advantage of dressing your baby with layers is that it makes it easier to remove when they feel too warm or get flushed.

Safe and smart clothing: Natural fibres are a BIG YES for newborn babies as they have lesser chances of becoming irritable for your baby’s skin. Also, if your baby’s clothes have buttons or other decorations on them, ensure that they are securely stitched to the cloth.

Steps to dress a newborn

How to dress a newborn

Step 1: Lay them on a flat, cushiony surface (preferably a thin blanket)

Step 2: If you are putting on a shirt over your baby’s head, you must gather the shirt around the baby’s neck. After that, pull the shirt over the baby’s body gently.

Step 3: Now it’s the arms’ turn to go into the shirt. Before putting their arms into the respective armholes, gather up the sleeves up to the cuffs. While you do this, ensure that you don’t overextend their arms.

Step 4: If you are putting on pants or footed pyjamas for your baby, work your way from feet up.

Step 5: If the way to fasten an outfit is on the back, carefully turn the baby on their tummy.

A mother’s body requires strength and patience to embrace the journey of motherhood. From worrying about the do’s and don’ts of pregnancy to taking care of nutrition, there are a million things that are running through a mother-to-be’s mind. To help you through this journey, we will keep sharing helpful tips and information. Watch this space for more insights.