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long or short sleeves

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URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=31239
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Topic: long or short sleeves
Posted By: busybee
Subject: long or short sleeves
Date Posted: 29 January 2010 at 12:46pm
I am sooo ignorant and I need some serious help. I need to know if I should buy long or short sleeved AIO's. Baby is due end of Feb and I don't know if I should buy a couple of long sleeved suits or short sleeved ones. Oh and should I buy ones with legs or the bodysuits without?? What about his legs then-won't they get cold? I have quite a bit of 0-3 month stuff but no newborn stuff and I don't want to buy too much of it but I dont think what I have will fly. O and what about vests...long sleeved or short? and how many....help please!!! I have no idea how warm/cool to dress babies...I don't know anyone with a baby, I'm first in line.



Replies:
Posted By: Febgirl
Date Posted: 29 January 2010 at 1:11pm
I had a February baby 2 years ago, and she only wore short sleeved bodysuits without legs, just the domes at the crotch for the first month or so. Remember that you wrap (swaddle) them so that acts as another layer of clothing.

It's really important not to overdress newborns as they can't cool themself down, better of having them get cold as they will cry and let you know, whereas if they get too warm they may not be able to You can always put on a pair of pants/long sleeved top over the bodysuit if it gets cold. So I'd recommend buying majority short sleeved and just a couple of long sleeved ones for cooler nights. I'm not sure what you mean by vests - singlets? - I never bothered with those, just the bodysuits as they can't ride up unlike tops.



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Two little girls under 2!



Posted By: lostAmber
Date Posted: 29 January 2010 at 7:19pm
So you've had two summer babies Febgirl! I'm due in October so think I will be going for the long sleeve woollen options and warm wraps.

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Posted By: Raspberryjam
Date Posted: 29 January 2010 at 7:25pm
Id get both, the general rule - so I have been told is a layer more than you

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Posted By: lostAmber
Date Posted: 29 January 2010 at 7:38pm
Both as in short sleeved and long sleeved woollen options, or as in short sleeve and long sleeve cotton option for busybee?

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Posted By: Raspberryjam
Date Posted: 29 January 2010 at 8:38pm
Cotton for summer and wool for winter - although I guess it does depend on where you live. LA I reckon come october youd be ok for short sleeve and long sleeve cotton - Hamilton isnt that cold by spring is it? Maybe 1 or 2 woollen just incase for those frosty ish days

Busybee dosent have her location up but If i was in a cooler area Id probably keep a couple of long sleeve on hand for feb and march

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Posted By: lostAmber
Date Posted: 29 January 2010 at 8:47pm
I thought wool for those first 6wks and then depending on temperatures move into cotton. I've already bought 2x short sleeve bodysuits from PP for 3months lol.

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Posted By: lostAmber
Date Posted: 29 January 2010 at 8:48pm
I just searched marino wraps too, so cuddly looking! I'd want to snuggle into one myself.

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Posted By: Raspberryjam
Date Posted: 29 January 2010 at 8:56pm
LA If I had merino - which are so gorgy!! I wouldnt bother with wool in oct but of course get them, you never know with the blinkin weather, could be freezing still.
Merino is supposed to help regulate body temp - does anyone know if that applies to new borns??

I have a july babe due so Im looking at merino sleep suits and wraps - but I dont want to over heat them either

And is merino better better than wool for warmth?
My girl was in hospital for 8 weeks when born, that place is like a sauna so I didnt have to think about it for her



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Posted By: Febgirl
Date Posted: 29 January 2010 at 9:18pm
Merino is just a type of wool - a really fine type? I use merino wraps now, just summer weight ones which are thinner than standard cotton wraps - most sellers have different weight options.

I think merino bodysuits would be fine year around other than in the height of summer.


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Two little girls under 2!



Posted By: Raspberryjam
Date Posted: 29 January 2010 at 9:26pm
Originally posted by Febgirl Febgirl wrote:

Merino is just a type of wool - a really fine type? I use merino wraps now, just summer weight ones which are thinner than standard cotton wraps - most sellers have different weight options.

I think merino bodysuits would be fine year around other than in the height of summer.


So does regular wool help to regulate body temp - I just read that some manufacturers say thats what their merino does- I know that is wool too - but is it better than normal wool

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Posted By: bext1
Date Posted: 29 January 2010 at 9:57pm
hey busybee

Congrats!

I would probably buy a couple of each - short sleeve and long sleeve cotton AIOs.

you can always add layers, so that helps!

Also, Feb is still warm so maybe some undersuits?
We dressed our guys in undersuits, with a top and pants layer, so we could always strip them down if they felt too hot.



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Posted By: mamanee
Date Posted: 29 January 2010 at 9:58pm
I would get both just to be sure, you can always add a layer if need be or put them in something warmer if it's a cooler day.

Oh and have at least a few weeks worth of newborn stuff.   I didn't think I would need any but even my 9lb 8oz baby didn't fit the bigger stuff for a few weeks and I only had a few newborn items.


Posted By: lostAmber
Date Posted: 30 January 2010 at 8:34am
How many bodysuits in total do you need for a newborn? Would you still get cotton ones if you're having a winter baby? I thought that perhaps for the first 6wks woollen attire would be the way to go, which would bring us to mid Nov (just going with edd at this point), and then after that a move down to cotton and short sleeve given that the temps have usually picked up a good deal by this time. And then i'm thinking that by xmas we should be good to go with summer clothing?    I know that it's such early days for me to be thinking about this yet, but I can't help myself lol.

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Posted By: lostAmber
Date Posted: 30 January 2010 at 9:00am
Small blurb about merino:
New Zealand Merino creates a micro-climate around your baby’s body, creating a layer of warmth in winter and wicking moisture away from their skin in summer. Merino fibres breathe, keeping your baby dry and comfortable.

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Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 30 January 2010 at 10:11am
you need to dress them a little more wamly as yourself, cause as someone said they cant regulate their own body temps. That is why it is so hot in the hospital. the type of material used is important - i gave my july baby a heat rash cause he wore a body suit made of synthetic fibre.

Its a good point about them being wrapped, that is an extra layer. for my march baby she wore long sleeve/lng leg body suits when she was born, but lighter ones like from cotton on.

if you check out the gallery people have posted lots of pics of their kids as newborn and that will give you an idea of what they dressed them in.

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Posted By: Raspberryjam
Date Posted: 30 January 2010 at 10:15am
Bizzy - do you know the difference / comparison between regular wool and merino??

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http://lilypie.com]
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Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 30 January 2010 at 10:39am
i think merino is finer. all wool will regulate temps and is breathable tho. i think you will find a lot more products made of merino now too, especially for babies.

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Posted By: Raspberryjam
Date Posted: 30 January 2010 at 10:49am
Cool thanks, shame its 3 times the price!! Think I will just use what I have and get merino wraps

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Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 30 January 2010 at 11:00am
it is a shame yes. you find it in funny places though. I have found that the JK outlet store have some nice stuff for a good price - about $20 per piece, which is still a bit more $ than some would pay but is less than full retail!

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Posted By: Raspberryjam
Date Posted: 30 January 2010 at 11:05am
I will see if I can find one here. The ones I want are $60 - so wont be getting too many of those!

There is a woman at titirangi markets who has a branded end of line baby store - she had loads -   but I was buying toddler clothes and not pregnant then if anyone else in auckland wants merino too



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Posted By: lostAmber
Date Posted: 30 January 2010 at 12:22pm
I'm not from Auckland but come up most sundays so will definitely check her out. What day is the markets Rj?

I just discovered today that they make merino bodysuits (I think i'm in love lol).

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Posted By: Raspberryjam
Date Posted: 30 January 2010 at 12:31pm
Originally posted by lostAmber lostAmber wrote:

I'm not from Auckland but come up most sundays so will definitely check her out. What day is the markets Rj?

I just discovered today that they make merino bodysuits (I think i'm in love lol).


The last Sunday each month except December (the second Sunday).

so there is one tomorrow. Im going to wait til I know what flavour the babe is.
They also make sleep suits which are great for new borns LA

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Posted By: lostAmber
Date Posted: 30 January 2010 at 12:52pm
I am coming up tomorrow but i've got a wee way yet before I will start buying these things- especially the more expensive and nicer stuff.

What time do the markets start (i've never been to any in NZ before ). Maybe we could meet up at one Rj!

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Posted By: Raspberryjam
Date Posted: 30 January 2010 at 1:18pm
Originally posted by lostAmber lostAmber wrote:



What time do the markets start (i've never been to any in NZ before ). Maybe we could meet up at one Rj!


10am is a good time for these, but I think they are 9 til 1
We could yeah for sure. Whenever your ready to start shopping let me know

Where are you from LA?

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Posted By: lostAmber
Date Posted: 30 January 2010 at 2:43pm
Hamilton- but like I said, I travel up most sundays anyway. I moved down to Hamilton just over a year ago as this is where my husband lives, but all of my friends are up in Auckland and I make the effort to keep in regular contact.

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Posted By: shadowfeet
Date Posted: 30 January 2010 at 4:35pm

Just a note that Pumpkin Patch are really small in sizing, my bubs only fit her NB PP bodysuits for a couple weeks but is still in a couple of her newborn little by little ones at 7 weeks



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Posted By: lostAmber
Date Posted: 30 January 2010 at 4:54pm
Oh really, thanks for the tip! Where did you buy your 'little by little' ones from? Where is the best place to shop for these things? I only bought some from PP because they were having a 60% off sale on selected items online. Otherwise I probably wouldn't bother with NB stuff from there.

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Posted By: Raspberryjam
Date Posted: 30 January 2010 at 5:03pm
Originally posted by shadowfeet shadowfeet wrote:

Just a note that Pumpkin Patch are really small in sizing, my bubs only fit her NB PP bodysuits for a couple weeks but is still in a couple of her newborn little by little ones at 7 weeks



Really! my girl must be tiny then , we are still in size 1

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Posted By: lostAmber
Date Posted: 30 January 2010 at 5:07pm
^ maybe she just means the NB size is really small?

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Posted By: Raspberryjam
Date Posted: 30 January 2010 at 7:28pm
maybe, we only used prem stuff from pp, it is different between each brand too which can be such a pain when people buy stuff for you. JK is the only brand I have found age appropriate for my girl, but i dont often like their stuff. Cotton on is cute though.

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Posted By: HoneybunsMa
Date Posted: 30 January 2010 at 10:28pm

Just to put my 2cents in. I only had about 3newborn things which I was given. I had mostly 0-3mth stuff. Figured as she was going to grow so quickly and we were on such a limited budget that I would get more use out of them.

DD is a July baby but is a hot baby as well. Sweats like anything when feeding and there were times there in the first month or so that we had her in a singlet and nappy wrapped in a blanket as we were keeping house warm for her



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Posted By: shadowfeet
Date Posted: 31 January 2010 at 1:01am

Little by Little is from Baby city. Baby factory's ricochet baby is really short in length compared to other newborn sizes as well. I was gutted when my cute newborn gowns were too short for her when she was born ,she did wear them as dresses though.

Raspberry Jam - Compared to other brands PP are small from what I've found. Don't have much in the bigger sizes to compare it to though.



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Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 31 January 2010 at 8:19am
i think cotton on is best really. Those cross over JK bodysuits never fitted my girl as they were too wide across the shoulders and PP definitley have funny sizings. i know my girl is small but she was wearing a 3-6 mth old dress the other day - she is 22 mths old.
some of my babies fave newborn outfits were cotton on and if you go to their outlet stores they are much cheapter too.

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Posted By: Raspberryjam
Date Posted: 31 January 2010 at 9:42am
Does anyone know of a cotton on outlet in akl?

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Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 31 January 2010 at 9:53am
theres a cotton on kids in henderson...

manukau
sylvia park
dress mart
botany


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Posted By: Raspberryjam
Date Posted: 31 January 2010 at 11:50am
oh dress mart ! awesome, thanks, I will check it out, there must be a few baby stores there.

for anyone on the shore there is a bonds outlet at the fox centre in northcote they have cute babe stuff up til years - as well as comfy preggy knickers for $3

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Posted By: lostAmber
Date Posted: 31 January 2010 at 12:08pm
What an earth are preggy knickers lol.

I think i'm going to be doing my NB shopping at Babycity, you ladies are fantastic, thanks for the advise and experience.

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Posted By: Raspberryjam
Date Posted: 31 January 2010 at 12:21pm
comfy ones LA - haha - either that sit under or over your belly. I prefer under - Im just not into nana knickers at all - but if thats the only thing you find comfy its a bit tough

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Posted By: lostAmber
Date Posted: 31 January 2010 at 4:31pm
I know that I will need to buy new knickers but was just thinking i'd go for the next size up of what i've got (bonds cotton). I don't think i'll ever be able to do knickers over my belly, but i'll keep you posted lol.

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Posted By: littlestar
Date Posted: 01 February 2010 at 8:09am
Remember that you'll get a 10% discount for BabyCity in your Bounty pack and a 20% farmers discount- every little bit helps!
Also a bonds outlet in Henderson and in Takapuna. Just don't buy the weird bonds AIOs with the flap instead of domes - complete PIA
My little guy was due in October (arrived in September though) To start with it was long sleeves all the way, with a mix of cotton or wool singlets/short sleeve tops for underneath. Ryan lived in oshkosh AIOs with LittleByLittle underneath for the first couple of months.
You might like a couple of NB things as its nice to have something that fits and for us it was a while before he even fit his NB stuff. If you end up having a teeny baby you can hire prem stuff from places (eg parents centre)

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Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 01 February 2010 at 9:02am
baby factory have a sale on with the babykids organic range with up to 30% off at the moment and also some bamboo body suits at some good prices. bamboo is a good fabric to use for baby clothes too.

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Posted By: Raspberryjam
Date Posted: 01 February 2010 at 10:20am
I just got that email - Im off to the baby factory today i think!!

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Posted By: lostAmber
Date Posted: 01 February 2010 at 12:12pm
Thanks for the headsup littlestar- so you didn't go with any long sleeve singlets at all, just short sleeve ones with long sleeve tops over?

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Posted By: caitlynsmygirl
Date Posted: 01 February 2010 at 3:08pm
Haven't read all the posts, but personally , I would buy both , weather here is unpredictable , and often we have summery days in june, and freezing days in Feb

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Posted By: Emmi_
Date Posted: 01 February 2010 at 7:26pm
Ive bought mostly longsleeved, Welly is wet, windy and pretty cold when it wants to be. Have a couple of NB/0-3m shortsleeved, but prob 3/4 of mine are longsleeved. I have some bamboo, merino and plain wool ones too. I figure its gonig to be layers all the way and are easier to adjust than 2 thick pieces...

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+1 May 09 Angel


Posted By: lostAmber
Date Posted: 01 February 2010 at 10:25pm
Did you get your merino at a good price emmi? I think that is what i'm going to go with for NB. Hamilton is a cold place in winter too. And will do a mixture of long sleeve and short.

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Posted By: littlestar
Date Posted: 02 February 2010 at 8:27am
I just found having two long sleeve layers hard to get his wriggly little arm into. But I swaddled so I didnt have to worry about his arms getting cold at night.
Singlet, then woolen short sleeve then long sleeve AIO (plus another cardy layer for when he was up and it was cold). You want to have enough layering options to cover all temps that might crop up.

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