Preemie Baby Clothes

Looking to buy some preemie baby clothes for your newborn? Or perhaps you’re looking for preemie baby clothing as a baby gift?

Here are some tips that will help you choose the right baby clothes.

Babies (and yes, even preemie babies) grow incredibly fast in their first few months. A new born baby will only fit into a certain size of clothing for an extremely short period of time. So the trick here is not to buy too many of the same sized clothing.

If you just had a baby shower, and received many of the same sized clothes as gifts, try and exchange them at a store for some larger sizes.

It’s important that the preemie baby clothes you buy are easy to put on and take off as it is hard enough changing diapers when the little one is so fragile. Look for clothes that come with a full snap opening. Better still get ones with a big zipper that will allow for a easy and quick change.

Buy only garments that are easy to clean, and in particular machine wash. Afterall, who has the time to hand-wash all the baby outfits individually? Save yourself a lot of trouble and time by buying mostly preemie baby clothes that are not too fragile. Spend more time with your baby and save time and money where you can - As a new parent, there’s way too many chores that will keep you occupied. Efficiency is key.

Check the labels of the clothes before you buy, to make sure you can machine wash them. These days there are plenty of clothes that require dry cleaning or hand-washing.

Remember always that quality and comfort should be the main factors in deciding which garments to buy. Avoid premature baby clothing that have harsh zippers in the wrong spots or elastics that are way too tight. Check for any rough edges that might rub on the skin. These will cause a lot of discomfort for most preemie babies.

During colder months, buy baby clothes that allow you to layer on the newborn. It’s easier to keep the baby warm and it’s easy to take on or off as you go from indoors to outdoors. Buying a fleece snowsuit is also a good idea as it’s light and thin, optimizing your preemie babies comfort.

Don't forget the all important socks. It is essential to provide warm socks for a newborn especially in the colder climates. Babies tend to kick off their socks fairly often and become loose as well. Keep a few spares for backup just in case. Look for shops that stock premature baby socks in particular - you’ll be surprised to find a lot of shops don’t stock the micro preemie sizes.

Newborns do not need shoes but if you choose to buy baby shoes, make sure they are soft and that you can easily get the baby’s foot inside the shoe. Look for shoes with a big and wide opening at the top.

Preemie Baby Clothes - Choking Hazards

While you’re looking for preemie baby clothes, check to make sure none of the buttons or clips are loose. These could potentially become choking hazards. Buttons that fall off their thread and detachable zippers are common problems. Avoid baby clothes with full drawstrings as these could get snagged and strangle the baby.

It’s tougher when it comes to buying preemie baby clothes online - you can’t hand-check them yourself so read the reviews and see what other parents think of the particular brand of premature baby clothes.

Here are a list of essential clothing and accessories for you to consider:

Preemie hats are not only an adorable accessory but they also protect your preemie babies head and keep it warm as well. Also, premature babies tend to lose heat from their heads. Scratch mittens are incredibly important as well. A preemie’s skin is extremely soft and fragile - Get some mitts to keep their faces safe.

Premature Baby Shirts, both the long sleeve and short sleeved t-shirts make a great outfit for your newborn and they even come with fully functional front openings with velcro fasteners these days that allow the shirts to be taken on and off easily. This is great as most preemie babies dislike clothing to be pull over their heads.

Onesies are body shirts are designed to be worn underneath a dress or pants, and over the diaper. It is also often just worn alone as well.

Premature Baby Pants - Footed pants make a great addition to your baby’s collection and can be easily matched up with other tops and also layered over a onesie. They also help add additional warmth to the legs.

Rompers are pretty cute. They’re jumpsuits but without the footed part and are ideal for summer time wear.

Where To Find Premature Baby Clothing

If you check with hospitals they will point you in the direction on finding clothing for a premature baby. Some hospitals even have their own line of preemie baby clothes.

Another place to look is in newspaper classified ads under the baby clothing category. As long as you are able to find the right sized and clean clotheing for your preemie, you’ll be saving yourself a ton of money - They only need be worn for a few months anyway.

If you’re ready to spend big, and you can’t find the styles you want at your local shops, the last best place to try sourcing for preemie baby clothes is online. There are thousands of different styles and brands to choose from and are generally cheaper than buying retail, but you have to factor in the costs of shipping as well.

You might also be interested in reading up on our preemie dresses article.