Newborn Baby Wardrobe and Laundry Tips

Newborn Baby Wardrobe Tips from the Mommy Trenches.

Article contributed by Shayla.

If you are like most women, as you near the due date of your baby’s birth you enjoy planning and preparing for the little one’s arrival. This includes preparing your little one’s wardrobe so that you have what you need handy when the little one makes it’s debut! If you are a first time mother, and with all the advertising and the so called “must have’s”,  this task can go from fun to overwhelming fast since you have no clue what a new baby actually needs. And if you are on a budget it can get depressing quickly too with today’s economy.  So what all does a little one actually need to have in their wardrobe?

Below are three tips from the Mommy Trenches to assist you in your planning!

1. Color Scheming for Newborns and Toddlers.

Although the color scheming is great fun, the most practical color option is white. White looks good on all babies-especially in pictures, is easiest to get stains out of, and works for a boy or girl. If you are purchasing for your baby yourself, white is the most economical and long lived buy. Cotton is the healthiest fabric to wear, and organic cotton is the optimum.

2. Newborn Wardrobe necessities

• 6-9 Newborn Onesies (long sleeved)
• 9-12 Medium Onesies (sleeves depend on season, some short sleeved ones are wise to have for under other clothing)
• 4-6 Pullover Shirts
• 3 Gowns
• 6-9 footed pajama sleepers
• 2-4 Cap and Bootie Sets
• 3 Thin fleece Blankets
• 8-12 Bibs- even though the baby won’t be eating solids, bibs are still good to catch spit up making less times a day you have to change their clothes!
• 12 Washcloths
• 7-9 Receiving Blankets
• 1 package of socks-make sure to purchase the kind babies cannot kick off
• 12 flat-fold cloth diapers (Gerber), for laying over your clothes to protect them from spit-up while burping

3. Laundering Tips for Baby Clothes

1. First and foremost, in case you are not yet already aware, chemical based laundry detergents and fabric softeners should never be used on baby clothing as they are not only dangerous, but far too harsh for a baby’s skin. In fact, it is wise not even to use regular laundry detergent when pregnant. Why? The Environmental Working Group has done more then one study that found chemicals in babies blood tests; chemicals from everyday products we use, like laundry detergent, household cleaners and bath/body products. These chemicals have been linked to many devastating childhood health problems that are overwhelming today’s children, click here to learn more about this.
2. Specialty laundry detergent is made for babies now and is worth the extra money since regular ones will more then likely give your newborns extra-sensitive new skin an uncomfortable rash. There are many, natural and organic laundry detergents available that are not only suitable for baby clothing, but superior as they do not contain harsh chemicals.
3. You can also make your own home-made laundry detergent see recipe here. For whitening, Seventh Generation provides a chlorine free bleach that is free of perfumes and dyes, is color safe and hypo-allergenic.
4. Pure, therapeutic-grade essential oils of Lavender, Orange, and the blend Gentle Baby, are lovely oils you can use to scent a new baby’s clothing.
5. In preparing my newborns clothing, one of my favorite things to do is place a drop of Orange and a drop of Lavender essential oil (or a couple drops of Gentle Baby) on one of the baby washcloths, place it in a 2 gallon seal-able plastic bag, along with baby clothes after I have washed and dried them.  By placing them in the sealed bag they are kept perfectly dust free and sanitary until the baby’s arrival, plus they seal the oils into the bag so they  permeate the clothing with gentle, relaxing aroma-therapeutic benefits while scenting them perfectly. I like using these oils because they are uplifting and yet relaxing, and perfect for newborns. Frankincense is another phenomenal oil I like to use as it was one of the scents brought to baby Jesus by the 3 wise men.
6. Another tip in scenting baby clothes, is you can make your own aromatherapy spray mist to put on freshly laundered clothing while it is warm from the drier.

To make your own mist, simply combine in a two ounce mist bottle;

1. 1 ounce pure, grain alcohol (helps the mist to evaporate quickly)
2. 1 ounce pure, distilled water
3. and approximately 20 drops pure therapeutic grade essential oil*.

To order these and other therapeutic-grade essential oils please select one of the Young Living Circle distributors.

*Special Note To Moms on Using Essential Oils With Babies And Small Children

Never use non-therapeutic, perfume grade essential oils on a newborn or their clothing!

Therapeutic grade essential oils are the only kind that are safe for babies as they are they are guaranteed free of chemicals, solvents, and contaminants that can cause irritation and other problems. Young Living provides only the purest, therapeutic grade essential oils, and are the only ones I would ever trust and use on little ones. To learn more about why I trust Young Livings oils over others, click here.

For more highly beneficial information on essential oils and babies I recommend the highly informative book Gentle Babies: Essential Oils and Natural Remedies for Pregnancy, Childbirth and Infant Care by Debra Raybern N.D., M.H., C.N.C, I.C.A. Related articles you might enjoy include;

• Pregnancy and Kids-Our Children and Chemical Pollution
• Nourishing Picky Little Eaters
• Deodorizing Diaper Pails and Cloth Diapers Naturally
• Homemade Body Lotion
• Homemade Baby and Hand Wipes
• Ten Ways to Create a Natural, Green Clean Home and Life
• Homemade Laundry Detergent and Fabric Softner
• Homemade, All-Natural Baby Oil

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