Your layette checklist for your newborn

The Lowdown

However tempting it might be, try to only buy the basic amount of clothing before your baby’s born. Why? Because you’ll receive lots of clothes as gifts, and until your baby arrives, you’ll have no clear idea of what size of baby clothes you’ll need to buy! Most babies, unless premature, will fit into 0-3 months clothing, but it's still not a good idea to buy too much as they could be needing a bigger size in a matter of weeks.

What to look for

Clothes made from 100% cotton, preferably organic, are ideal for delicate newborn skin. Pick neutral colours that can be washed together to make life easier in the earlier sleep deprived months! Some brands sell special newborn clothing sets, with between 5-10 matching items, which could be a good starting point.

Need to know

Wash everything before your baby wears it to avoid irritating their skin, and remember you should only use non-biological washing powder or liquid.

What you’ll need:

Sleepsuits x 6-8
These are the most comfortable and practical way of dressing your newborn. Look for popper fastenings for easier nappy changes, and sleeves than can fold over to limit scratching when your baby’s very young. Choose ones with feet so you don’t have to worry about fiddly socks.
2 pack Peter Rabbit sleepsuits, £16, Marks & Spencer

Bodysuits or vests x 6-8
Babies cannot regulate their own temperature and can get cold very quickly, so wearing another layer is useful. Bodysuits are preferable to vests as they won’t ride up, just make sure you choose ones with an envelope neck, which can be widened and pulled down their body, rather than over their head. This can be very useful if they do a particularly explosive nappy!
5 pack of short sleeve bodysuits, £10, Mamas & Papas

Cardigans x 2-3
Babies will often need another layer over their sleepsuit, but choose a cardigan rather than a jumper, as even though it means more fiddly buttons to do up, it won’t have to be pulled off and on over their head, which they often dislike. Make sure that any knitwear is machine -washable as hand washing will be too much of a faff once you have a newborn to deal with!
Hooded cardigan, £8, George at Asda

Hats x2
You’ll need at least one warm hat for your baby to wear (a spare is always useful as they are easily lost!) in winter. Choose a cotton jersey option for the summer months, as even though the weather is warmer, babies still lose a lot of heat through their heads.
Hat, £4, Jojo Maman Bebe

Pramsuit x1
If your baby is born in the autumn and winter months you’ll need to invest in a padded pramsuit (also called a snowsuit). These often come with built-in feet for extra cosiness, and you can also buy versions where the legs can be zipped together to form a ‘sleeping bag’ shape.
Sleepsuit, £22, John Lewis