How Many Newborn Clothes Do You Actually Need?

One of the easiest things to overbuy before having a baby is newborn clothing. Everything is tiny and adorable, you're building your registry, and suddenly it feels completely reasonable that a person who weighs seven pounds needs an entire wardrobe.

After two babies, my advice is much simpler: you really don't need that many newborn clothes. If I were starting completely from scratch today, I would buy about seven long sleeve sleepers or footies and seven short sleeve onesies. That's enough to get you started without filling drawers with clothes your baby may outgrow within weeks.

Of course, how much you need depends on the season, how often you do laundry and how much your baby spits up or has blowouts. But for most newborn days, you're not putting together elaborate outfits. You're looking for something comfortable, easy to change and preferably something you can operate at 2 a.m. with one eye open.

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How many newborn clothes do you actually need?

If I were buying a newborn wardrobe from scratch, here's where I would start:

• 7 long sleeve sleepers or footies

• 7 short sleeve onesies

• A few pairs of pants if the season calls for them

• A sun hat if you'll be spending time outdoors

That's honestly about it. You can always buy more once your baby arrives, and I'd much rather start with fewer pieces and add what I actually need than have an entire drawer of newborn clothes that my baby never gets a chance to wear.

You also don't necessarily need all of those clothes sitting in the nursery. I always keep a backup outfit in the diaper bag, and it can be helpful to have another easily accessible outfit wherever you normally change your baby.

Do you really need newborn size clothes?

I wouldn't skip newborn size altogether. My son was 7 pounds, 9 ounces when he was born, and he started out wearing newborn clothes. Even if you're expecting an average size or somewhat larger baby, I wouldn't automatically assume they'll go straight into 0 to 3 month clothing.

At the same time, I wouldn't invest heavily in newborn sizing. Babies grow quickly, and newborn sizing can have a very short lifespan. You want enough to get through those early weeks without doing laundry every day, but you don't need an enormous wardrobe.

My daughter was born prematurely at 4 pounds, 2 ounces, and she started out wearing preemie clothes.

Having two babies who started at very different sizes reinforced something for me: don't try to predict your baby's entire wardrobe before they're here. Buy enough to get started because you can always order more once you know what your baby actually needs.

Why seven sleepers and seven onesies works for me

Newborns are messy, but they're not necessarily going through five elaborate outfits every day. There were definitely days when spit up or a blowout meant changing my baby's clothes two or three times, but there were plenty of other days when my daughter could wear what she slept in for part of the following day, and then I'd change her again before bed.

I typically do laundry every few days anyway because I'm also washing things like burp cloths, which get gross quickly. If you're washing baby laundry that frequently, you don't need weeks' worth of clothing sitting in a drawer.

Having roughly seven of each basic piece gives you enough of a rotation to deal with the messy days while still keeping clean backups available.

The best newborn clothes are the easiest ones

If there's one thing I'd prioritize over having a lot of newborn clothes, it's having easy newborn clothes. Double zipper footies are my favorite because being able to unzip a sleeper from the bottom for a diaper change without completely undressing your baby makes a huge difference, especially during middle of the night changes.

Buttons can be adorable, but they're not particularly adorable when you're trying to line up a dozen tiny snaps while you're exhausted and your baby is crying. At that point, convenience wins every time.

I also love Magnetic Me outfits because the magnetic closures make changing incredibly easy. I used them with my daughter, and even the NICU staff loved them, which surprised me at first but made complete sense once I saw how easy they were to get on and off.

My newborn clothing philosophy is basically this: function wins. I'd rather have fewer pieces that are incredibly easy to use than an entire closet of clothes that make diaper changes more complicated.

Do newborns need cute outfits?

Of course you can buy cute outfits, and I did too. But I wouldn't make them the foundation of your newborn wardrobe because everyday newborn life is much more about convenience.

With my daughter, I thought I'd be putting little bows on her all the time. In reality, I'm really not. Maybe I'll add one for a photo or a special occasion, but that's about it.

The same happened with some of the clothes we received for my son. Tiny Jordan shoes were absolutely adorable, but did he actually wear them very often? No. Cute little sweaters were another thing that looked great hanging in his closet but rarely got used.

Newborns spit up, they have blowouts, and breast milk and formula get on their clothes. Then, just when you find an outfit you love, they grow out of it. That's why I personally wouldn't spend a lot of money building a fancy newborn wardrobe.

Do newborns need socks and shoes?

I don't think you need either if you're primarily using footed sleepers. A footie already keeps your baby's feet covered, which eliminates another tiny item you have to find, wash and keep track of. If your baby is wearing a onesie and needs another layer because of the weather, you can adjust accordingly.

Shoes are even less necessary for a newborn who obviously isn't walking. They're cute for photos, and if you love them, there's nothing wrong with having a pair, but I just wouldn't consider them a newborn essential.

What about winter babies?

Season matters, so I would adjust this list depending on when and where your baby is born. For a winter baby, I might add some pants and additional layers to the basic wardrobe. For a warmer weather baby, you may find yourself reaching for short sleeve onesies more often.

For sun protection, young babies should primarily be kept in the shade and protected with appropriate clothing. A brimmed sun hat can also be helpful when you're outside and can't maintain complete shade, but I wouldn't buy a collection of newborn hats just because they appear on baby registry checklists.

The goal isn't to own every category of baby clothing. It's to have what makes sense for your climate and your actual life.

Should you put newborn clothes on your registry?

I registered for a few cute onesies and some basic white onesies with my first baby, but I didn't buy or register for a huge amount of clothing. I was also very fortunate because friends and family gave us a lot of clothes.

My sister had a son two years before I had mine, so she gave me his hand me downs. After he outgrew them, I eventually gave them back when she had her second son. It was an amazing system and meant that we didn't need to buy nearly as much.

Obviously, not everyone will have that situation, so I wouldn't tell someone not to register for clothes because they're guaranteed to receive plenty. You don't know what people will buy you, but I would be strategic about sizing.

If you're adding clothing to your registry, consider including some 3 to 6 month and 6 to 9 month sizes rather than registering for everything in newborn and 0 to 3 months. You'll eventually need those sizes, and your baby will likely be able to wear them for longer.

Don't remove the tags from everything

This is another reason I wouldn't go crazy preparing an enormous newborn wardrobe before your baby arrives. If you receive a lot of newborn clothes, you don't necessarily need to wash every single piece and remove every tag before delivery.

Keep enough washed and ready to get started, but consider leaving tags on some extras until you know what size your baby is and what styles you actually use. If your baby grows out of newborn size quickly, you may be able to exchange unused clothing for a larger size instead of discovering an untouched stack of too small outfits two months later.

What I would skip when buying newborn clothes

After two babies, there are quite a few things I wouldn't consider essential for the newborn stage. I wouldn't stock up on shoes, complicated outfits, lots of sweaters, tons of hats or expensive clothing that I'd be upset to see covered in a blowout.

I also wouldn't buy a huge quantity of any one size before meeting my baby. Instead, I'd put that money toward the things you're going to use over and over again. Give me a drawer with a handful of great double zipper footies over a closet packed with elaborate newborn outfits any day.

Frequently asked questions about newborn clothes

How many onesies does a newborn need?

I would start with about seven short sleeve onesies. If you do laundry every few days, that should give you a good rotation while accounting for spit up, blowouts and backup outfits. You can always add more after your baby arrives if you find yourself going through them faster.

How many sleepers does a newborn need?

I recommend starting with about seven sleepers or footies. I particularly like double zipper footies because they make diaper changes much easier, especially overnight.

Should I buy newborn clothes or 0 to 3 months?

I would have some of both. My 7 pound, 9 ounce son wore newborn clothing when he was born, so I wouldn't automatically skip newborn sizing even if you aren't expecting a particularly small baby. Just don't buy too much because babies can grow out of newborn sizes quickly.

What if my baby is born prematurely?

Depending on your baby's size, they may need preemie clothing rather than newborn clothing. My daughter was 4 pounds, 2 ounces at birth and started in preemie clothes. If you unexpectedly have a preemie, know that preemie specific clothing and diapers are available, and your baby's care team can help guide you on what's appropriate for your baby.

How many outfits does a newborn go through per day?

It varies. On messy days with spit up or a diaper blowout, I might change my baby's clothes two or three times. On other days, she could comfortably stay in the same sleeper for much longer.

This is one reason I prefer having a manageable wardrobe and doing laundry every few days instead of buying dozens of outfits. You'll quickly learn how often your own baby needs to be changed and can always buy more if necessary.

Do newborns need separate pajamas?

I don't think you need to create completely separate daytime and nighttime wardrobes for a newborn. A comfortable footed sleeper can work perfectly well for both.

In those early weeks, convenience matters much more to me than whether something is technically labeled pajamas. If the baby is comfortable and appropriately dressed for the temperature, I'm happy.

My advice after dressing two newborns

If you're staring at a baby registry wondering how many newborn clothes you need, start smaller than you think. If I were doing it again from scratch, I'd start with seven sleepers or footies and seven short sleeve onesies, add a few seasonal pieces if necessary, and wait to see what my baby actually needs.

Buy some newborn size and have some 0 to 3 month clothes waiting. Don't stress if you unexpectedly need a different size altogether, and don't feel like your newborn needs a fully styled outfit every day.

Those tiny shoes and sweaters are adorable, but when you're doing a diaper change in the middle of the night, you'll probably be very happy you bought the double zipper instead.