What Is a Layette?
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Somewhere between 16 weeks and 20 weeks along during my first pregnancy, the word “layette” started popping up everywhere. I kept thinking, “What is a layette anyway?” But I refused to ask anyone because I thought it would make me seem as if I wasn’t ready or prepared enough to be a mom.
Silly? Maybe. But please, don’t ever feel dumb about not knowing something involving your pregnancy or your baby. With all the new words being thrown around (colostrum? doula?), being pregnant can sometimes feel like you’ve just moved to a foreign country. I was naive to think that as soon as your little zygote was nestled in your belly this information magically came to you. Not true! Everyone has a “first” time through this.
So what is a layette? It’s your baby’s first wardrobe. You’ll see many stores and online shops label there baby section as “layette” (I’d much prefer it to just say “hey, baby stuff over here,” but that’s just me).
Here are some items we consider to be useful additions to any layette.
A 'Going Home from the Hospital' Outfit
I personally wanted this photo-ready pick to be the most adorable outfit I could find because I plan on keeping it forever and probably crying into it when my son leaves for college. This Elf Romper set from Zutano is especially precious.
Bodysuits
Bodysuits come in short or long sleeved. (I do also recommend a few T-shirt-length shirts to have before the umbilical cord stump falls off). These ever-practical white ones from Spasilk are soft against your baby’s skin
Receiving Blankets
These are great for swaddling, as well as covering baby when they’re in a stroller or for use during tummy time.
Sleepwear
Depending on your climate, you might just swaddle or wrap your baby in their diaper for sleeping, but footed rompers are also great for everyday use.
Socks or Booties
Keep those baby toes warm and cozy! Your baby doesn’t need shoes, but booties are awfully cute.
A Hat or Beanie
Depending on the time of year, you might pair a hat with a couple of blankets (or even a fleece suit that goes over baby’s clothes) for the car seat to keep baby warm.
Hooded Towels
Hooded robes are great for bathtime—and they can be extremely adorable. Pair them with a few washcloths.
Burp Cloths
These are pieces of fabric that are soft and gentle enough for baby to rest against while they’re being burped, but are still strong enough to shield you from spit-up. I used cloth diapers for this purpose, but you can spend extra on adorably printed burp cloths if you want.
Choosing What’s Right for You
Newborns really don’t need a lot of things—they just need a lot of love. So don’t worry so much about getting a complete layette. Rather, decide what items will be most important and useful to you and your baby, then register for those products so they will be ready when your special one arrives. Remember, you don’t need to buy all 1,001 items on a store’s “must-have list” to have a happy baby!
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