Names and Trends -

1. Cotton bodysuits, absorbent baby blankets, bibs, and baby booties are items that a new parent can never have enough of. Babies, God Bless them, are messy little things sometimes. For all the cuteness and adorability that they possess, they do dribble, slobber, vomit and overfill their diapers with some of their profuse outputs, and they are like that for about the first year or so of their lives. As such, their clothes do get messy quickly and often; so be prepared, and be practical. A mum may find herself changing her baby’s clothing almost as often as she changes her diaper – sometimes more.

2. The best plan is to stock up on the practical things such as “onesies” suits, baby tees, and mess-cleaning cotton blankets so that you always have plenty on hand. Buy these practical items in abundance, but not so many that you’ll quickly be stuck with a pile of baby items that no longer fit the baby. It is a good idea to have at least five clean outfits at any time; that is clean items, and not awaiting the next wash. If you are going out on a long outing, you will need to pack extra, so always make sure that you have plenty of clean backups. Do not underestimate your little baby's ability to take your laundry load to record levels, unlike anything you have seen before if you are a first time parent.

The cute and adorable baby outfits, and the stores are stuffed full of those, are fine for taking baby to church, for visiting grandparents, or for taking family photos. However, be prepared for the baby to make a mess over that precious little outfit. While planning and preparing for the arrival of your new offspring, forego some of the cute outfits so that you can stock up on more of the practical essentials. The guests at the baby shower can provide the cute things, while you ensure that you are truly prepared for the reality of having a bouncing new baby in the house.