Deciding on the outfit that you will bring your baby home in is such a fun and exciting part of preparing for their arrival. Throughout your pregnancy, there will be many measurements done during your ultrasounds that estimate the size of your baby. This should give you a good idea of how big your little one should be, but sometimes those estimations can be off. Understanding the average size of newborns can help you choose the clothing for you to bring your baby home in.
How to Know What Size Outfit to Bring for a Newborn
The average size of a newborn baby is between 5 pounds, 11 ounces and 8 pounds, 6 ounces. The average length of an infant at birth is 19 to 21 inches with a 13.5-inch head circumference. However, there are some general rules that can point to a baby being larger or smaller than average at birth.
Your baby may be larger than normal at birth if:
- Their parents are larger than average
- The baby is a boy
- You had gestational diabetes
- The baby is born overdue
Your baby may be smaller than normal at birth if:
- Their parents are smaller than average
- The baby is a girl
- You suffered from high blood pressure or asthma during your pregnancy
- You had poor nutrition habits while pregnant
- You smoke, drank, or used drugs during your pregnancy
- You gave birth to multiple babies
- Your baby was born premature
If you have had a baby or babies before, you may be able to estimate what size your baby will be based on the size of their sibling or siblings. Although, some women come from families who typically have small or large babies, so they can estimate the size of their babies that way.
Knowing the estimated size of your baby is only one half of the battle of figuring out what size outfit to bring your baby home in. You should also be aware of the sizes of baby clothing and what size baby they generally fit.
Baby clothing typically follows this sizing chart:
|
Size |
Weight |
Inches |
|
Micro |
1 to 3 pounds |
N/A |
|
Teeny |
2 to 4 pounds |
N/A |
|
Preemie |
3 to 6 pounds |
N/A |
|
Newborn |
Up to 7 pounds |
19 inches |
|
0-3 Months |
Up to 7-12 pounds |
19-23 inches |
|
3-6 Months |
Up to 12-16 pounds |
23-25 inches |
|
6-9 Months |
Up to 16-20 pounds |
25-27 inches |
|
6-12 Months |
Up to 17-22 pounds |
27-29 inches |
|
12-18 Months |
Up to 22-27 pounds |
29-32 inches |
What Clothes Should You Pack in Your Hospital Bag?
Once you understand the size of clothes that you expect your newborn to fit into, you can finally start to gather baby clothes for your hospital bag. Along with the size of your newborn, there are many other factors to consider when choosing clothes to bring your little one home in! E.g. Ease, comfort, weather and season, and sometimes even gender are considerations.
General clothing items you want to pack for your newborn include:
- Onesies, 2 to 3
- A couple of hats
- Socks, 2 to 4 pair
- Baby blankets
- A set of clothes to go home in
- Additional warm clothes just in case
- Mittens (optional, not suggested for the ride home)
Clothing that is easy to put on and remove is key when it comes to a newborn because you will be dealing with diaper changes and spit-up accidents. Also, comfort is another important factor to consider when packing for your baby. One huge component of comfort is the fabric that the clothing is made of.
Choosing An Outfit Based On The Season
The current weather and season greatly affect the clothing that you will bring your baby home in – not the mention the region that you live, as well. Some areas of the United States have much colder winters than others, and some have much hotter summers than others.
Gender can be a factor that determines the clothing you bring for your baby. Some couples wait until birth to find out the gender of their baby while others find out the gender beforehand and buy clothes for their baby accordingly.
Coming Home Outfit Ideas
At Bless Our Littles, we like to talk about things we love and think you might enjoy too. Some of the links on this page may be affiliate links. Which means we will receive a commission, if you click on a link and make a purchase. This is no extra cost to you. There are some products we have tried and others that we haven’t but think would be helpful to you!
| Gender & Season | Outfit | Accessories | |
| Girl – Fall |  |
DuAnyozu “Isn’t She Lovely” Onesie + Floral Pants | Comes with bowknot headband and matching floral hat |
| Girl – Winter |  |
Hope & Henry Layette Cable Knit Sweater Romper | Xinshi Turban Knot Cotton Hat |
| Girl – Spring |  |
Carlstar Floral Romper Dress with Long Sleeve Coat | Avuama Bowknot Headband in white |
| Girl – Summer |  |
Lankey “Little Peanut” Elephant Print Romper | Comes with polka dot headband and ruffled shorts |
| Boy – Fall |  |
Fiomva “Baby Shark” Long-Sleeve Onesie + Pants | Comes with matching hat |
| Boy – Winter |  |
Emmababy Long-Sleeve Romper with Hoodie | Hood is included |
| Boy – Spring |  |
Okbebe “I love you to the moon and back” Shirt + Pants | Comes with adorable matching navy hat! |
| Boy – Summer |  |
Pureborn Short-Sleeve Romper | Kyte Baby Newborn Hat in white |
| Gender Neutral – Fall |  |
Aomomo Unisex “I Love Mummy” and “I Love Daddy” 2- pack Bodysuit Onesies | Kyte Baby Newborn Hat in red |
| Gender Neutral – Winter |  |
Burt’s Bees Baby Grey Romper Jumpsuit | Durio Newborn Baby Knot Beanie 3-pack – navy, white, and gray |
| Gender Neutral – Spring |  |
Tesa Babe“Worth the Wait” Long-Sleeve Romper | Kyte Baby Newborn Hat in red |
| Gender Neutral – Summer |  |
XiaoReddou Sleeveless Summer Animal Romper | Dittmuri Soft Knit Slouchy Beanie Cap |
[What Should Baby Wear Home From Hospital In Summer]
You’ll hear endless advice and receive many tips about what you should dress your baby in, but your instinct is what you should trust the most. Keep it simple and make sure to check the weather.
If you are struggling to decide which clothes to buy and how many you’ll need, Babycenter has some amazing tips for you:
- Buy small amounts of clothes – especially in newborn sizes. Unless your baby was born on the smaller side or you had multiples, they will not fit the newborn sizes for very long.
- If you are completely unsure of what sizes you should buy, always opt for larger sizes. You can easily roll up long pants and tuck in shirts that are too large. Unfortunately, it’s not possible to fix an outfit that is too small.
- Always choose soft fabrics. Cotton is most commonly chosen because most babies can wear soft cotton blends. More recently, organic fabrics have been developed that are even softer than cotton, but they tend to be more expensive.
- Make sure the clothes are easy to put on and take off. Snaps and zippers are complication free, but buttons can be problematic. Magnetic snaps can be even easier. Find stretchy necks that make it easy to pull over your newborn’s head.
- Be sure that the clothing allows for easy diaper changes. Snaps and zippers at the crotch of the clothes are very convenient. In the event of a diaper blowout, onesies that have an envelope at the neck can allow for easy removal!
- Buy pants with stretchy, elastic waists. These are the easiest and most practical pants for your baby. While buying a pair of jeans that look like yours may be tempting, it just complicates clothing changes.
- Stock up on white onesies with snaps. These onesies are absolutely essential for all baby wardrobes.
In Conclusion…
Deciding what size outfit to bring your newborn home in doesn’t have to be complicated. All in all, focus on simplicity and the season. Trust what you think your baby will be warm enough (or cool enough) and comfortable in. Also, don’t forget to bring blankets for temperature fluctuations!
Below is a Pinterest friendly photo…. so you don’t lose this post!!
Other Posts you might enjoy……
- Baby’s First Baths Do’s and Don’ts >> Click Here
- 12 Perfect Scriptures For Newborns >> Click Here
- Monthly Baby Picture Ideas >> Click Here
FREE New Baby Bible Verse Cards (Printable)