Like parents all over the world, you may have spent months planning for the new arrival, making sure that you have tried to buy your baby the best of everything you can. But by the time you have bought those newborn baby essentials such as a car seat, bassinet or cot and baby bath, you may be puzzling over exactly which clothes your new baby may need.

Hopefully, the new arrival will, of course, get some new baby gifts, but there are some infant clothing essentials you won’t want to leave to chance!

Firstly, you need to consider practical issues. Babies get through many changes of clothing in the first few months. Getting clothes stained with milk (or worse!) will happen every day, so it’s best to not indulge in expensive designer clothing, apart from the odd fun outfit, until your little one is older.

Prioritise clothes and accessories which are practical as well as cool to look at and you will save yourself a lot of hassle in the first few months of your new baby’s life.

As a mum, I can recommend four “must-haves”. These are all baby items which I myself,, couldn’t do without for those first few weeks.

Rompers – For ease of dressing nothing beats a rompersuit! They’re also known by lots of different names – rompers, rompersuits, playsuits, daysuits, onesies, babygros, babygrows. Choose a one piece romper with lap (envelope) shoulders for easy dressing and in a cool print (for interest), if you can!

Inside-leg poppers are great as it means you can dress baby quickly and if you choose the footless type, they last that little bit longer than babygros with feet. As baby gets older, you might like to avoid dressing your baby in rompers which fasten across the front – a toddler quickly learns that they can unfasten the poppers!

Baby Hats – Even if your little one arrives with a full head of hair (!) every newborn baby needs a baby hat to keep their little head warm. Beanie styles look very cute on both baby boys and girls.

Sleepgowns – A baby gown is essential for at least the first six month. This is because they keep your baby snug and warm but also provide easy nappy access for night time changes. It’s a good idea to check the nightgown length – buy one just a little bit longer than other brands and it should last until your baby is between 6-9 months.

Baby Blankets – A cotton baby blanket is a truly versatile buy – for both the early months and beyond. Make sure that you buy a large baby blanket of at least one metre square. A larger than normal baby blanket means that you can use it at night, as a pram or buggy blanket, or even during the day as a play mat. That way you get lots of use out of your baby blanket before you even remember the times you used it as an extra wrap or baby comforter.

Once you’ve chosen your newborn baby clothing, you need to think about what it is made from. A newborn baby’s skin is incredibly soft and delicate. A newborn has spent the last 9 months enveloped in a protective environment – their mum’s tummy. Their skin has not yet been exposed to the wind or sun, so you need to make sure that it is irritated as little as possible.

That’s why I would always recommend buying organic baby clothes. Organic baby clothes are made from cotton grown without pesticides or chemical insecticides. It is also made from cotton plants which have not been genetically modified.

Organic cotton is best for clothing for environmental and humanitarian reasons, as well as for your baby’s sensitive skin. So you are not only doing the best thing for baby, but best for the planet too.

Space print baby nightgown

Choosing newborn baby clothing is a lovely moment when you are expecting a new baby. When I designed my new organic baby clothing collection, I had four “must-haves” on my list.
These were what I myself, as a mum, couldn’t do without for those first few weeks.

Rompers – For ease of dressing nothing beats a rompersuit! Arabella Miller rompers have lap (envelope) shoulders for easy dressing and are available in two cool organic prints. Inside-leg poppers mean you can dress baby quickly and as they’re footless, they last that little bit longer than babygros with feet.

Baby Hats – Even if your little one arrives with a full head of hair (!) every newborn baby needs a baby hat to keep their little noggin warm. I designed a fuss-free beanie style which looks cute on both baby boys and girls.

Nightgowns – A baby sleepgown is essential for the first few months, keeping baby snug and warm but providing easy nappy access for nightime changes. I found my nightgowns so useful that I designed the Arabella Miller sleepgowns to be that little bit longer to last between 6-9 months. Nothing beats eczema-friendly soft organic cotton next to your baby’s sensitive skin.

Baby Blankets – Truly versatile – for both the early months and beyond. I designed an extra large organic cotton baby blanket so that you can use it at night, as a pram or buggy blanket, or during the day as a play mat. Arabella Miller organic cotton baby blankets are an affordable luxury buy – a double layer of organic cotton in two delicious prints with a contrast trim. My baby blankets can be washed again and again and then handed down, still looking hip and feeling soft.