Dressing up your baby

Parents who are expecting a child usually goes shopping before the baby is born. Only a few of those clothes actually needed to be bought, as joyful relatives shower the newborn child with gifts as soon as he or she comes out. However, parents and relatives often buy clothing that fits the newborn in his or her first few weeks. As the child grows up, relatives stop giving clothes (opting for toys instead) and parents buy clothes themselves. This task is significantly made harder by the fast rate of the baby’s growth during his or her first couple of months. Before long, clothes that have been rendered too tight are discarded, and parents are left with precious little disposable income to spare for clothes.

Because of this, it is of utmost importance to buy clothes that are going to last – whether it is for your own child or for gifts. This article briefly discusses a few things that should be considered when going out shopping for baby clothing.

One of the first things to consider is child safety – the articles of clothing you buy should not in any way cause harm to the child and it should prevent him or her from being harmed. You can choose to invest in fire-resistant clothing materials. Symbols indicating this property of the fabric are often displayed conspicuously on the label. If you don’t find it, don’t bother spending for it. The law requires all sleepwear to be flame retardant. Day clothes have been rendered resistant to fire as well.

You should also consider the buttons, elastic bands, or cords found on the piece of clothing you want to buy. Babies are almost always curious about everything they see, and this could have disastrous effects if they see cords within their reach. These could end up wound around their bodies, even their necks. Buttons that have not been firmly sewn in could end up inside the baby’s mouth, possibly causing choking and suffocation. Or the child could try to push it up their nose or in their ear. This must be prevented at all costs. Look for clothes that have been sewn in by welded steel wool. Finally, elastic bands that come with the clothing should be cut. It might cause suffocation when the child wriggles about, causing it to displaced. It can end up around their necks or over their faces.

All the safety measures in the world will be for naught if your baby won’t consent to wear it in the first place. This is why clothing should also be comfortable for the baby. Cotton is a popular choice because of its softness. However, cotton tends to shrink when it has been through the wash one too many times. Look for cotton clothes that are a bit too big so as to leave room for possible shrinkage. You can also try clothes that have been made from a combination of cotton and polyester. These might not be as comfortable as pure cotton clothing, but at least they don’t shrink or distort out of shape.

The price is always a consideration when going out for shopping. If you are on a tight budget, you can visit charity shops or rummage sales to get bargain prices on second-hand baby clothing. Auction sites are also a veritable mine of baby clothing, since these have been sold by owners when their child became too big – they didn’t have much time to wear it out. You can also sell the clothes you bought when your child has grown too big for them. That way, other parents out there can benefit from you in the same way that you benefited from others.

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September 5, 2008 | Filed Under Baby clothing