Baby Dressing Guide:  Different Steps to follow

Dressing your baby is a delightful thing you get to do every day. It is another chance to spend time with your baby, talk to them, and make them feel comfortable and soft. It is important to choose clothes for your baby that are fresh and clean. They should be soft and of a suitable size, as rashes and chafing occur very easily on babies’ skin. If possible, your baby’s clothes can be bright and colorful. Babies often take joy in looking down at their shirts and sweaters and pointing at the different cute faces and objects on them.

There are different things you need to keep in mind to dress your baby appropriately for every season, and these points outline how you should put their clothes on:

Where do you want to dress your baby?

When your baby is small and less active, it is usually easier to dress them. You can choose a table, the floor (with a blanket) or the bed. Always keep a hand on your baby while dressing them on a raised surface. They roll off easily and within a moment. Keep your attention on them at all times. It is also a good idea to keep all the things that you need – fresh clothes, diapers, baby powder, and cream – right there with you within reach.

Support your baby’s head

Your baby’s head is very sensitive and vulnerable right now. It is still developing a lot, and thus you should handle it with extreme care. Make sure the surface your baby is resting their head on is soft and pillow. Walls and doors should be kept in mind as well. Your baby will also not be able to support their head by themselves. Thus, support of head and neck is very important while dressing them, and also in general too when you carry them on your shoulder, put them on your lap, etc. When putting on a shirt, you have to gently guide their head into the hole of the clothing. Place your arms inside the shirt and widen the hole so that there is ample space for the baby’s head to fit in. After this, you can put their arms inside through the sleeves.

Putting on the sleeves

This can be a little tricky but you will get the hang of it as you practice every day. First, you place your arm through the shirt, get hold of the arm and carefully put it inside the sleeve. Use your arm to get inside the torso of the shirt, find your baby’s arm, and gently guide it through the sleeve. If you are dressing them in a long-sleeved shirt, you can bunch or roll up the sleeve and hold it till the baby’s arm is inside and then smooth it out.

How many layers to use?

Keep in mind that babies cannot regulate their own body temperature. Thus, you have to pay extra attention to the weather and how your baby handles it. In the summers, a simple top and shorts are enough. It will keep them from feeling too hot even on hot or humid days. Your baby will feel unrestricted as well and can play as they wish. In the winters, it is best to dress them with one layer more than what you are wearing. A blanket or a cap works well too. But if you enter a room that has a comfortably warm temperature, you can remove the blanket or another layer, as babies feel hot very quickly. When your baby is asleep at night or during one of the many daytime naps, make sure to remove a layer or two then as well.

What’s the right fabric?

It is advisable to avoid synthetic fabrics for your baby’s clothes. They usually do not allow their skin to breathe freely, and it can pose a problem especially in summers. Rashes or irritation can arise then. Thus, fabrics that are made naturally, like fleece, cotton, and soft wool are optimal choices.

Distract your baby

Often, babies find getting dressed very uncomfortable and that makes them squirm and get all fussy. You can do a lot of things to keep them occupied and busy as you get them ready for a visit to the park. Give them a toy that makes them use both hands to play. You can also sing or talk them through it. Rhymes and poems work wonders always.

Choking hazards

Strings, buttons, and things like that always have a risk of hurting your baby in some way or the other. Make sure to not buy hoodies, etc up until a certain age. Keep a check on the buttons, if any, on their shirts. They should be tight and resistant.

Hats and gloves

Though sunlight helps your baby get that Vitamin D, it is also important that you make sure they do not make direct contact with sunlight for too long. It can harm their skin and even make them very hot. Use hats, umbrellas, etc when you go outside. There are sunscreens made especially for baby skin, you can ask your doctor about them as well. In the winters, there are so many cute and flowery gloves you can put on your baby’s hands. They will be kept warm and snug in those gloves.

Footwear

Before your baby begins to walk, which is usually around the one year mark, you do not really need to put them in shoes. Socks that you feel will not slip off easily will do in this age. In winters though, it is necessary to cover their feet as well. Woolen socks or socks that are designed like shoes work well.

Conclusion

At this age, the main concern and purpose regarding your baby’s clothes is their comfort and protection. Thus, style and design can take a backseat. If your family members or friends offer clothes from their kid’s old stock, take them! It will save you a lot of money and time as well.