I wish I knew how fast (and unpredictably) babies grow
It’s not an exaggeration to say that babies grow like weeds. For the first six months of their life, they can grow between ½ and 1 inch per month (source).
An inch may not seem like a lot. But think of trying to fit an extra inch into a footed onesie. Or having an extra inch of skin peeking out past the end of your baby’s sleeve.
And not only do babies grow rapidly, they don’t all grow in the same places at the same rate.
For example, Christina’s daughter has always been on the longer, leaner side. She has fit into age-appropriate clothing sizes since birth. Amy’s son is a tank. Trying to fit his thick thighs into a onesie after a bath felt like an Olympic sport.
The bottom line is, infant growth charts exist for a reason. They’re very helpful to reference, and they’re based on real data. But baby clothes are not one size fits all, even within specific age designations.
Here are a few ways that you can prepare appropriately for your baby’s wardrobe:
Avoid excessively stockpiling newborn clothing.
We’re not suggesting your brand new baby go naked until you’re able to identify their body type. But purchasing a full wardrobe of newborn onesies will backfire if your baby comes out larger than expected — and either way, they will outgrow newborn onesies extremely quickly. Plan to have some newborn options as well as 0-3m to begin with, so you can adjust quickly based on your baby’s growth.
Consciously uncouple from non-stretch baby clothes.
Trust us on this one. Stretch is forgiving. Stretch is comfortable. Stretch is king.
Take note of how different brands fit your baby.
Just like adult clothing, baby clothing differs from company to company. Some feel like they were made for hefty babies (from our experience: Old Navy, Magnetic Me are a few examples) and some are better suited for small-to-average (Burt’s Bee’s, Hanna Andersson).
Consider a clothing subscription service.
Using a service like UpChoose has many benefits; it saves you time, it’s affordable, it’s sustainable, and — best of all — you aren’t buying a whole new wardrobe every 1-2 months. You can get high-quality, organic clothing for a fraction of the price, and easily swap whenever your baby goes through a growth spurt.
BONUS: use code WHATIWISHIKNEW to get 30% off your first month subscription.
Embrace the change.
It’s natural to feel the feels when your baby outgrows clothing. They’ll never be this small again! *SOB* Take pride in all that you’ve done to help your baby grow & thrive… and consider donating or selling your gently used clothes once you don’t need them anymore.