Choosing baby's first clothes is a pleasure you can start indulging in while pregnant. It's hard not to look at a cute sleepsuit and not imagine your tiny baby in it!

You'll need a good mix of sleepsuits for night time and the first few weeks, plus cute outfits for venturing outside and as baby gets bigger!

points to consider:

• Will you be getting lots of presents? You'll find most people will buy 0-3 months clothes if they buy anything, so if you're stocking up ahead of time, consider buying the larger size instead.
• Think value; packs of four or even seven vests will help stretch your budget further and leave money for cuter outer layers.
• The season - a summer baby may only wear a vest at night so won't need as many sleepsuits, a winter baby will need both in great numbers. You can get shorter leg rompers but these may leave legs cold at night.

trying to work out what you need before the birth? Blooming Marvellous would recommend:

• At least six to eight sleepsuits
• Four to six vests/bodies
• Socks/Bootees, especially if you don't plan to use sleepsuits in the day
• Two or three cardigans so you have an extra layer (remember older relatives often like to knit these)
• At least one hat
• At least one pair of mittens so baby's sharp nails can't scratch his soft skin
• At least one outersuit to keep baby warm outside

Many parents choose to buy greater quantities to reduce the frequency of washing, but this is a good basic start for you to add smarter clothes to as you go on.

Ready to pick some clothes? Check out our baby range for some inspiration.

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