Baby vests, babygros, onesies, bodysuits help!!!

brokensoul

I am trying to get together stuff for my hospital bag at the moment. It says to get babygros and vests.

I can find short-sleeve and long-sleeve body suits - are they babygoes? If so, should I get a mixture of long and short sleeved?

I cannot find vests, and the assistant in Dunnes told me that vests for new born don't exist, that what they mean is the sleeveless body suits. She seemed really disinterested though, so I fear she might just have been fobbing me off.

I am utterly confused, and a little panicked. I can't even identify how to dress these babies - how the hell am I going to look after them? :eek::D

Keane2baMused

brokensoul wrote: »

I am trying to get together stuff for my hospital bag at the moment. It says to get babygros and vests.

I can find short-sleeve and long-sleeve body suits - are they babygoes? If so, should I get a mixture of long and short sleeved?

I cannot find vests, and the assistant in Dunnes told me that vests for new born don't exist, that what they mean is the sleeveless body suits. She seemed really disinterested though, so I fear she might just have been fobbing me off.

I am utterly confused, and a little panicked. I can't even identify how to dress these babies - how the hell am I going to look after them? :eek::D

The short sleeved ones with no legs are vests, the long sleeved with legs are babygros

I would avoid getting anything newborn unless you know your baby is going to be under 7 lbs! They don't last and are tiny. Up to 1 month or 0-3 for the hospital bag is better.

Next and H&M have a great range, more expensive but great quality.

stargazer 68

Op the body suits are fine (vests)- they go under the babygros. Babygros are the suits with the feet in them and fasten under the bum and legs. Penneys is a great place for all this stuff.

ImARebel

Babygros are the ones with the closed in feet and long sleeves. Vests can either be the sleeveless, short sleeves or long sleeved ones that close underneath.

Given it's summer i'd get the short sleeved ones and even have one pack of long sleeved (if you can get them) in case we get a heat wave and it's roasting in there or at home but otherwise get yourself some newborn (don't go mad in case you've a buster and they bypass newborn) and zero to 3 month selection but it's nice to have something that fits instead of the 0-3 which can hang off them.

I got everything in white and bought a pink and blue hat with me to stick on their head when born. in fact i kept it white for ages, so much easier for washing

Enjoy - exciting times!

mickoneill31

Get a hat too.
Our little one just arrived last month. Going into delivery they asked me for a vest and a hat and a nappy.
They'll have your bags nearby so your other half can get them easily but have them on the top.
Once she arrived she was cleaned up and dressed with those and then was wrapped up like a mummy. We didn't need the babygro until we went back to the ward.

Vests look like this
http://babyaccessories.dailypronews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/one-tuxedo-fun-slogan-baby-clothes-bodysuit-vest-newborn-months-black-or-white8.jpg

Babygros look like this
http://www.designerchildrenswear.com/images/absorba-baby-absorba-baby-bright-pink-white-stripe-baby-gro-pink-p2642-80161_image.jpg

For the BabyGro get one that has arms that can be folded up to cover their hands. Don't bother with separate gloves. You'll spend two minutes getting them on then see they've been knocked off after 20 seconds.
Their nails can be long (from day one) and they can scratch their faces. Cutting a newborns nails was not fun and scary and something I hadn't anticipated. Wait until they're asleep. You'll learn that pretty quick.

Like Dovies said. Penneys is grand for all of this.

otwb1

top tip is to pack a nappy, hat, vest and babygro in a freezer bag to make things easy for your birth partner. (saves trying to explain which is a vest just after you've given birth!)

scarepanda

Oh brokensoul, I'm so happy you started this thread! I was so confused a few weeks ago when I started buying stuff for the hospital bag, but was way way way too embarrassed to ask what was what 😆, so I just winged it!
What I got in the end, because like you baby will be August baby, was about 10 (what I now know to be vests) with short sleeves no legs, 6 baby grows (long sleeves and legs) and 3 vest/baby grow (sort sleeves with long legs). Hospital list states 6 vests, 6 baby grows (which iv mixed between long and short sleeve). Iv a few pants(that came with sets) thrown in as well as a couple hats and mittens and a cardigan.

What iv been having a mental block about is baby's first outfit and going home clothes.... what the hell do you put on them? I know it's a FTM thing, I want them looking nice, but can't get my head around it. Also worried about the car journey home with strapping them into car seat, iv read that you shouldn't have anything bulky on them, but if weather's not great, how do you keep them warm other than having the car heater on .....

Keane2baMused

scarepanda wrote: »

What iv been having a mental block about is baby's first outfit and going home clothes.... what the hell do you put on them? I know it's a FTM thing, I want them looking nice, but can't get my head around it. Also worried about the car journey home with strapping them into car seat, iv read that you shouldn't have anything bulky on them, but if weather's not great, how do you keep them warm other than having the car heater on .....

Honestly just a cute babygro is best, outfits are not practical and not very comfy for them!

For August short sleeve vest, Baby Gro and a light coat and hat and cellular blanket. I got a lovely light summer type coat in mother care.

LegacyUser

brokensoul wrote: »

I am utterly confused, and a little panicked. I can't even identify how to dress these babies - how the hell am I going to look after them? :eek::D

first of all don't panic we have all been there, on my first years ago we turned up in the hospital for the birth thinking we were all prepared, turns out what we thought were babygro's were just vests and the hospital had to give us the bits we were missing (we also didn't know what scratch mitts were i figured a summer baby wouldn't need "gloves" (or cardigans for that matter))

we in turn bought loads of new newborn stuff for the hospital as a thank you gift since we learned they use/need them

second of all you got great advice for what's what above so i won't go into that again,

scarepanda wrote: »

What iv been having a mental block about is baby's first outfit and going home clothes.... what the hell do you put on them? I know it's a FTM thing, I want them looking nice, but can't get my head around it. Also worried about the car journey home with strapping them into car seat, iv read that you shouldn't have anything bulky on them, but if weather's not great, how do you keep them warm other than having the car heater on .....

if the weather isn't great blankets work great you can fold them to the level of warmth you need or take them off if it gets hot, along with a hat and baby is just fine, you don't want them getting too warm either,

nothing bulky generally refers to the ski suits or heavy coats people can put babies into,
a vest, babygro and cardigan is usually fine in a car seat, in fact i found my newborn was so tiny she appeared to fit better bulked up with the cardigan.

Little Miss Cutie

I would skip mittens, or folding the sleeve "pockets" down over their hands, they say you should leave their hands out. A number of reports say that mittens are the equivalent of a blindfold on adults.

For the hospital bag, I packed everything in freezer bags. I wrote on them with a permanent marker so it was easy to see what was in them.

I left loads of extra stuff at him in piles by size (99% of it was 0-3) and my partner brought in extra each day. The same with clothes for me, so I actually had very little with me in the hospital at any one time.

I found muslin clothes really really useful in the hospital and at home. I had about 5 at any one time in the hospital.

Also I recommend organise for someone to bring a snack each evening. Dinner was served at 5.30 and brekkie at 7 so being up all night I was starving.

Best of luck it is such an exciting time.

brokensoul

Thanks for all the advice lads, I feel much better now!

I am expecting twins and they are on the small side, so will be going for a mixture of newborn and tiny baby stuff. Have looked in Dunnes and Pennys and they seem to have a good selection.

Excited about buying the stuff now, after many years of ttc it seems almost unreal!

Keane2baMused

Little Miss Cutie wrote: »

I would skip mittens, or folding the sleeve "pockets" down over their hands, they say you should leave their hands out. A number of reports say that mittens are the equivalent of a blindfold on adults.
.

Any links? Would be interested to see the studies.

Their little nails can be quite sharp as newborns and infants so the mittens are helpful to avoid them scratching, plus to keep them warm.

ChewChew

Op, definitely get newborn stuff. Even if the babies only last a few days in them they are so cute and adorable and lovely to look back on. I had newborn sleep suits (baby grows) and long and short sleeve body suits (vests). My baby was born early and she was quiet small so we got lot of use of the newborn stuff but we obviously didn't Know that at the time, so if these are your first(s) then definitely buy the small ones

angeldelight

I would definitely go for the ones with turn up sleeves, very handy.

Dunnes and Pennrys are grand but the stuff from Next is fab and washes incredibly well. They're doing 15 off a 40 online spend at the moment. Pick up the vouchers in the shop

moving_home

Little Miss Cutie wrote: »

I would skip mittens, or folding the sleeve "pockets" down over their hands, they say you should leave their hands out. A number of reports say that mittens are the equivalent of a blindfold on adults.
.

I read this too. I never used scratch mitts.

No need for a hat indoors especially in August. Short sleeve vests and babygros will be more than enough. People are obsessed with over dressing babies! A good rule of thumb is that baby should be wearing 1 layer more than you.

moving_home

Oh and I think it's much nicer for babies to be in clothes that fit them rather than massive babygros!

Penny's and Dunnes aren't great tbh. I've tried alot of brands and you can't beat next. The Penny's, Dunnes, Tesco etc all shrink so baby outgrown them faster. Next has lasted so long here and still perfect once outgrown. They wash so well and just feel like gorgeous quality

mickoneill31

moving_home wrote: »

I read this too. I never used scratch mitts.

No need for a hat indoors especially in August. Short sleeve vests and babygros will be more than enough. People are obsessed with over dressing babies! A good rule of thumb is that baby should be wearing 1 layer more than you.

No need for a hat indoors after day 1. When the baby is born the doc or midwife put the baby on a tray that keeps them warm (for a few mins). They're the ones asking for the hat. Since day 1 we haven't bothered with it much, only used it again when travelling outside initially. Even in May, Irish weather was a bit random.

Millem

OP I think tesco vests and babygrows are lovely quality as are m &s and next. One thing I never had but think they are great idea are the vests are that button across. I think they are called envelope vests? M and s hàve them. It means you don't have to put over baby's head

angeldelight

Actually I forgot about Tesco - I find their stuff washes very well too. H&M also have the vests you don't need to put over the head. Although you get used to doing it quicker than you'd think.

Just to add I would actually pack more for the baby and less for myself next time - our daughter went through 12 vest/babygro combos her second night between my husband leaving and coming in the next day! I only had enough because people had brought gifts that he hadn't brought home yet

rainbow kirby

If your baby is long and slim like my son H&M are fantastic. A lot of the supermarket baby clothes are for a shorter, chubbier baby and he outgrows them for length long before he fills them out - we have some 3-6 month sleepsuits where his feet are slightly squeezed and he's 11 weeks on Monday!

I end up putting him in a lot of Morrisons stuff out of convenience though - can't knock 3 vests for £2.75!

Lucuma

Vests = body suits
Babygros= sleep suits

I had the same problem when shopping for no.1 - I thought vest would be the wifebeater type :-D

On the subject of scratch mitts - they had a handout in the hospital where they pointed out that when baby is in utero they can put their hands in their mouth to soothe themselves - as you often see on a scan where they have their finger in their mouth - and nobody puts mittens on them in the womb! Then they get out into the big scary world and they go to their old reassurance of putting their hand in their mouth but wait a sec someone has gone and put a mitten on it so they can't! Good point but.....they are born with nails and my baby had scratched all her face by the 2nd day this time so the midwife asked me had I any mittens? If you don't cover their hands then you have to put up with the scratches or else face the daunting task of cutting a newborn's nails :-o

brokensoul

Lucuma wrote: »

Vests = body suits
Babygros= sleep suits

I had the same problem when shopping for no.1 - I thought vest would be the wifebeater type :-D

On the subject of scratch mitts - they had a handout in the hospital where they pointed out that when baby is in utero they can put their hands in their mouth to soothe themselves - as you often see on a scan where they have their finger in their mouth - and nobody puts mittens on them in the womb! Then they get out into the big scary world and they go to their old reassurance of putting their hand in their mouth but wait a sec someone has gone and put a mitten on it so they can't! Good point but.....they are born with nails and my baby had scratched all her face by the 2nd day this time so the midwife asked me had I any mittens? If you don't cover their hands then you have to put up with the scratches or else face the daunting task of cutting a newborn's nails :-o

Hee hee - I have visions of my two arriving in wife beaters drinking cans!

pooch90

Just a note on Dunnes babygros, the hand openings in the sleeves in their newborn size were crazy tight when I tried to put them on in the hospital, makes dressing the delicate bundle so much scarier!
Our 5 month old hates getting his vests on over his head so I love envelope vests.
Avoid babygros that don't have the buttons straight up the middle, the a-symmetrical ones are a pain, oh and don't even think about ones that just have buttons on the crotch!
I second the idea of having the outfits together in freezer bags, clearly marked with sizes. Even for the first week at home, it's very handy.

For those worrying about the car seat, the midwife will check the straps and everything before they let you leave the hospital. We bought a footmuff for the carseat so there was no chance of him being chilly (he was a Jan baby though).

Put loads of snacks in your delivery bag too btw. I laboured for most of the day and threw up everything I ate so was starving by 2am. And normal sized shower stuff, that first shower is bliss (plus squeezy water bottle to clean your stitches!)

I hate scratch mittens, our guy was so handsy his fingers were his comfort and still are. Luckily he didn't have sharp nails when he was born.

PS-i also had to ask my best friend what the difference was between vests and babygros!

NamelessPhil

Another tip that will save your sanity during messy changes is that the vests with the crossover fabric at the shoulders (envelope vests) can be pulled straight down rather than over the babies head. Really useful when there's a poo tsunami! You'll be wondering how a baby that small can contain so much liquid.

I used a vest under a a sleepsuit (babygro) for cool days. My baby was born in May and the one layer more than an adult recommendation worked really well during the summer. Babies hands and feet tend to be cooler than the rest of their body, if you want to check if they're too warm touch the back of their neck or torso. As mentioned in another post cellular blankets are the best for regulating temperature.

Best of luck, it is daunting but you will get through it.