Baby Clothes are adorable and those Instagram worthy pictures are what I think we all strive for, BUT those outfits are definitely not practical, nor will your child likely enjoy it. For those of you that have infants that don’t mind you dressing them in this stuff, congratulations, you are one lucky parent! For the rest of us, here are a few tips about what you actually need for Baby Clothes. By need, I mean what clothes you will actually USE and what you and your baby will both like.

Instagram Outfits

You absolutely should have 2 of these outfits per size (Newborn, 0-3 months, 6 months, etc.), but that’s it. These outfits aren’t practical and your child will likely hate wearing them. Newborns, despite sleeping a lot, HATE to not be swaddled up so putting them in cute outfits, especially if you have to pull something over their head, will be miserable. You will want a special occasions outfit and something to take a cute Instagram month by month photo in, but these will be outfits that are worn for only that event or picture, trust me.

Day to Day Clothing

Although there are a lot of options, there are only a few types of clothes that I would recommend to start out with. Each child will have their own preferences and sizing needs; however the options below are what we have loved so far.

Side Snap Onesies

Seriously, why anyone buys any other kind of onesie I have no idea. You don’t have to pull these over their heads, you can easily handle a blow out, and they are comfy! I would recommend the long sleeve side snap onesies to start out as newborns like to be very warm, but they have short sleeve as well should you need them!

Simple Joys by Carters Side Snap

The Simple Joys by Carters are a great place to start and ensure you child and you like using them; however I would recommend the Moon and Back Side Snaps as they are a bit thicker and overall have a better feel to them. They also go up to larger sizes than Carters.

Pants/ Shorts

If layering drives your baby crazy or you need to put together a quick outfit, a few pairs of pants or shorts to pair with your onesie go a LONG way and they always look cute. I always order one size larger than what he is in as he is a chunk and the bands are always too tight around his belly. I would have 3-4 pairs of pants/ shorts minimum in your wardrobe for each size.

Sleep and Plays

These are my absolute favourite. They are comfy, easy to use, and my baby LOVES them so much more than the onesie pants combination. We have 8-10 of these per every size. You put them over their side snap onesie and you are done for the entire day. If you have your babies in the warmer months, get the cotton sleep and plays, but if you had a winter baby, like me, the fleece sleep and plays are invaluable. The clothes dont bunch up, they can kick and pull on them as much as they like, and they are warm.

As your baby gets older, style and Instagram outfits will come into play, but realistically, for the first several months, worry about function over fashion and make your hectic life a bit easier and their lives a bit more comfortable!