I’m having a baby in 3 weeks (give or take). Yay! I’ve had 2 showers and now I have a lot, like a lot of teeny, cute bibs. What are they for? They seem too small to be used when baby is old enough to sit in a high chair and dribble mashed carrots down her front. Am I supposed to use them when I breastfeed? Like, seriously, get a bib out every time? Or is it to be a spit-up catcher of some sort, and how do I know when that will be needed? I also have lots of onsies that I don’t feel too vigilant about protecting, so I’m not sure why I need another layer of laundry.
They seem sort of bizarre. I was considering returning them, but they say important things like “Daddy loves me” and “Mommy’s little sweetie,” things we might forget unless they’re on the front of the baby.
You will go through several bibs a day. Seriously. You’ll be glad that you have a good stock of them when you didn’t manage to do laundry yesterday and the baby is spitting up again.
First you’ll go through 3-4 of these every day for the inevitable “sloppy burps” as your new little one gets used to the concept of keeping what they ate in their stomach. Just about the time they (mostly) master that skill, you’ll need them for the drool-faucets that start in the weeks before and during tooth eruption.
Drool volume is one of those things that new parents are completely shocked by - “how can this little human produce so much drool?”.
So they’re just a wardrobe element, like a baby necktie? Good to know. These are the kinds of things that no one tells expecting parents. I guess it’s not as much fun as telling us that we’ll never sleep again.
Bibs are definitely one of those things whose purpose will, in the fullness of time, become clear to you. It’s easier to change bibs than to change the whole outfit. Also, they take up less room in the washing machine.
The onesies are for an extra layer for warmth (I guess it depends on your climate) and from my point of view - makes the changing of top layers easier. My daughter wasn’t too overly messy (not much puking/diarrhea), but the onesie was nice to have as an extra layer of “protection” shall we say.
I was going to suggest that too - I made a quilt from my daughter’s old baby dresses - it’s so sweet to cover her up with her old baby clothes at night - and she’ll have it forever.
You may not be worried about the fashion integrity of your onesies but, when the baby spits up or goes into drool mode, it’s a lot faster and easier to change a bib. When our little guy started drooling, you’d think we dunked him in the fish tank for how wet his chest would be without some protection. Then you’re worried about it getting cold or rashes.
It’s OK - whatever you decide works for you is what will be fine. I live in the frozen north - so extra layers was what is was all about for us. Honestly, there are so many things that people will tell you that you “need” for babies - but most of it is a sinister marketing ploy. For example, you do NOT need a diaper genie (I’m sure other moms will say the exact opposite).
You’ll figure it out as you go. This is the part where “life long learning” shifts into high gear.
You’ll be fine. Onesies are nice simple light clothing if you’re in the right climate for it.
Babies don’t need to be bundled up like little stuffed sausages; most moms overdress them. A baby needs one layer more than you do, that’s all. So if you’re wishing you could take off your shirt 'cause it’s sticking to you, then a baby is just fine in a Onesie with nothing else. If you’re comfy in a tee and shorts, then a onesie underneath a tee and shorts should be good for the baby. Or a Onesie with a blanket wrapped around the baby. If you feel good in long sleeves and long pants, then the baby would like the same, with a Onesie underneath and socks on her feet and maybe a hat.
You can tell a baby’s cold if her hands and feet feel cold. Don’t go by color - some newborns have bluish hands and feet even if they’re not cold. If they feel cold, add another layer. If they don’t feel cold, don’t overbundle them.
Onesies are a really easy “extra layer”, but they can certainly be used alone if it’s warm. Just remember that sunscreen is not approved for babies under 6 months old, and they do burn. You’ll have to keep the skin covered in the sun, either with long dark sleeves (which can get hot) or by using a canopyor deeply shady area to play in ora blanket draped over the stroller if you’re walking.
The OP amused me; I’m not a parent and I spend very little time in the company of babies or children, but even I know that an infant will go through approximately five thousand bibs a day.
And for heavens sake, on a sunny or cold windy day, put a HAT on them! A light baby bonnet for girls or cap for boys in the sun. I hate to see a baby with a little bald head being pushed in a stroller in the wind and cold while its mom yaks obliviously on her cell phone.
Phlosphr started a thread when his sprog was three months old, absolutely sure the kid was teething because he was drooling so much. Urrr, no. That’s just now they are for a while. That’s what the bibs are for.
Ditto. Here in sunny south Georgia, we’ve already flirted with 90 degrees F, so onesies are frequently considered an outer layer. Sometimes, in the house, a diaper is “fully dressed,” unless we’ve hit the major drooling stage: then it’s a diaper and a bib.
There are about 7 billion people on the planet, and none of them came with an instruction manual or a dressing guide.
They all lived.
You’ll find what works for you, in your house, and in your routine, and in your house, with your child.
No worries.
If anyone has a problem with your choices, tell them you think they might be right, but, to be absolutely sure, you need to go to the beach for a week to contemplate, so they will take over for a week, right?
Relax, good luck, and don’t worry about the small stuff.
Wait until s/he gets to high school…
–jack
(single father of preemie twins who learned a a lot about caring for two infants at once…)
