The Dear Dr.MOZ Baby Blog

Dear Dr.MOZ,

Here’s a question that I think would be a good fit for the GoodFather this Friday. My wife and I are the first couple from our group of friends to get pregnant and we’re stumped by the baby registry. The car seats and other baby gear are easy enough, but what about the clothing? How much of each type of baby clothing will our newborn daughter actually need?

Thanks for the advice GoodFather!

Yours,
Cliff

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Hello Cliff,

You’ll hear a lot of different opinions when it comes to how many of each type of baby clothing you’ll need, but it really comes down to how much laundry you can stand to do.

On the other hand, your newborn will quickly outgrow most outfits so you don’t want to buy out the baby store quite yet. Here’s my list of newborn clothing essentials that every GoodFather should have ready by his baby’s birth. The list may change slightly depending on where you live and the particular season your baby is born, but this is a great primer for a baby registry.

General Clothing:

• 6 or more side snap shirts
• 8-10 bodysuits or “onesies”
• 2-3 layette gowns
• 5-7 one piece pajamas (sleepers)
• 6 pairs of pants
• 1 snow suit (if season permits)
• 1 sweater

Shoes and Hats:

• 1 newborn hat (for warmth, and to hide your baby’s football-shaped head…you’ll see)
• 2 bootie sets (they are small, you’ll lose them before the end of the week)

Additional Clothing:

• 1 cotton baby blanket
• 3 dozen diapers minimum (fewer if you have arranged diaper service)
• 12 burp cloths
• 2 receiving blankets

Good luck with your new role as “GoodFather” Cliff. Dr.MOZ and I will both be here to help out in the future, so don’t be a stranger!

Your favorite family man,
The GoodFather

(to my home on DrMOZ.com)