One of the first things I did when our first son was born was clothes shopping - being a fresh mom, and a shopping enthusiast, shopping for my newborn was a great pleasure. I had a budget both grandparents supplied, and was looking to get the best value for my money with quality and fashion in mind. I shopped for everything - fashionable tops and bottoms, cotton onesies, caps and socks, all winter items (our son was born in October), all sizes 0-3 and 3-6 months.



Our son grew up very nicely, and a couple of months later, when he was 8 weeks of age he already weighed about 15 pounds. Whoever saw him said: “that’s a big baby", and being a nursing mom that gave me great pride and satisfaction. The only downside was that all the clothes I had bought no longer fitted, and by the time he was 5 months of age, it was still cold out, and I had to go buy him new clothes that fitted his size. All the good clothes I already had that no longer fitted him had to go into the closet and wait for his brother.

Nowadays - already with two boys and a girl I am a much smarter and more experiences shopper, and I do my spending differently. Now I know that baby clothes sizes are aimed at the average baby, and that only a few of the babies are average sized. Each baby has different genes and a different appetite, and grows at a different rate, and the only one who can shop for the right size is the baby’s parent.

Some babies move into the 3-6 month size within two weeks, and others use the 0-3 months sized clothed till they’re nearly 5 months old. When you add that to the changing seasons and the need to buy different clothes by season, the smart conclusion is that preparing a new baby wardrobe and choosing the right clothes sizes should be done in stages:

First you need to buy the smallest clothes (0-3 months) for the current season. Don’t buy too much because your baby may move to the next size faster than you think.

Only when your baby approaches the next size will you need to buy for the 3-6 months clothes. Don’t shop for them too early, because you may miss the right season, and don’t buy too many of them because he may move on within another few short weeks.

Enjoy your newborn baby, and shop wisely!