Planning Your Baby's Layette

It takes a lot of planning to bring a newborn home from the hospital, even if you've done it all before. Running around to get any last-minute necessities will be the last thing you want to do in the first few days after the baby is born. A sense of success and peace of mind knowing you have everything you need can come from buying, borrowing, or finding everything before the special day.

There are some excellent low-cost options for all of baby's requirements if you're on a tight budget, and given how quickly your newborn angel will outgrow those layette items, you'll want to take advantage of every cost-cutting opportunity that you can.

Shop the second’s stores

The makers of baby apparel occasionally make mistakes, just like those who make adult clothing. Missed stitches or imperfect seams almost never have an impact on how something wears. If you purchase baby layette things at your neighborhood work lots or cheap department store, you can save up to 70% off department store pricing.

Purchase sleepwear and footies one size larger.

Most infants are only in 0-3 month sizes for about a month. For fitted apparel, go straight to the 3-6 month size and save the smallest size for special occasions, such as when you first bring your baby home from the hospital. The same applies to one-piece footie jammies: stick to soft, elastic cotton and terry knits. Longer will fit much better.

Lay in a huge supply of Swee'pea robes.

About the most practical baby thing in the house is a nightgown with a drawstring bottom. Simply raise the baby when it needs changing, change it, and then lower it again.

Burp rags are best made from a package of birds eye diapers.

Buy one pack of cotton birds eye diapers even if you opt to use disposables. When stroking the baby to bring up any air bubbles in the tummy, you can use them as burp rags to cover your lap or shoulder.

Visit garage sales

Items for newborn layettes are almost always in good condition. Simply put, most newborns don't stay within them for long enough to cause much harm. For less than $5, you can stop by your neighborhood Salvation Army charity store and purchase an entire layette's worth of crib sheets, receiving blankets, baby onesies, and baby t-shirts.

Cleaning everything up before the birth

To remove any dye, chemical, or starch traces, use a light laundry soap like Dreft or Ivory Snow. Baby skin is renowned for being fragile. Make sure to run everything through a second clear rinse to get rid of any remaining bleach residue if you feel better bleaching any worn things.

Quality does matter in unexpected ways. Don't hesitate to choose name brands with finished seams; French or enclosed seams are preferable. These seams won't get much use from your newborn cherub, but flat, enclosed seams will be far friendlier to the baby's fragile skin.

If you shop intelligently, you can obtain everything you need for the baby's homecoming at a relatively low cost.