What newborns need the most of is love. Eye contact and the warmth of Mom and Dad's embrace are essential for a baby's happiness. But babies also need to eat and stay warm. This article will show Mom and Dad how to keep their babies warm with clothing tips on what to buy and where to shop for baby and toddler clothing at a discount. So enjoy stocking the nursery with loads of diapers and a change of clothes—you're going to need them!

Baby Basics

Children will quickly outgrow their britches, so there is no need to buy expensive things at first. Keep in mind that whatever is too big today will fit perfectly tomorrow.

Since newborns will spend the majority of their busy lives sleeping, parents are basically dressing their children for bed. That may sound funny, but there is a lot of truth in it. Fire-resistant cotton and wool will be the best materials for snuggly fit sleepwear. Manufacturers will provide fire protection ratings, so determining whether the clothes are safe or not is an easy matter of reading the label. Well-fit clothes also reduce the risk of fire hazards for children while they sleep. The basic tenet for safe sleepwear is well-fit fire resistant cotton.

Babies will not need shoes until they start walking. Between one and two months, booties and socks will be appropriate footwear. With booties and socks, give the baby's foot a little room to wiggle and grow. Restricting their movement at this stage could harm their feet. The main point for footwear is to ensure that socks and booties are not too tight.

Staying warm is one of the primary functions of baby clothing. Hats and socks and cotton, sometimes wool, are all perfect for keeping the baby comfortable. If you are unsure about how many layers your child might need, follow a simple guideline: how ever many layers Mom or Dad needs to stay warm is likely the same for the baby. It's not a perfect science, but it is a good general rule.

Finally, babies may need to be changed several times in one day. That means keeping several T-shirts nearby will be handy. Also prepare to do several loads of laundry. Consider using bibs throughout the day to help protect the baby's clothes. And there is noting you can do about the truck load of diapers you will need. Some infants will need changing on an hourly basis; some less. So buy disposable diapers in bulk to save a few bucks. Last of all the basics, whites can be bleached-clean as needed.

Last words on baby basics: Young skin can be very sensitive and easily irritated by harsh soaps, buttons and things that rub too closely, and even by some materials. Cotton and wool are safe. Double rinsing clothes in the wash is helpful. Always wash new clothes before dressing a child in them. Using non-allergenic laundry detergent will reduce the risk of irritation. And that's about it for the basics aside from the fact that parents should be advised that children will try to swallow buttons and things that they can pull off of their clothing.

Gift Baskets for Baby and Toddler Clothing

Including the essentials in a decorative gift basket can be a nice touch at baby showers and birthdays and it's a great way to provide Mom and Dad with things they need. Deciding what to fill the basket with is simple: Include the things that parents and babies need. However, don't go too far by filling a basket full of diapers; baby clothing gifts are a convenient time to buy decorated and fun attire.

Here are the things that parents and babies can really use. They want snap-up pants and shirts. Snap-on clothing makes undressing children easier. Instead of slipping clothes over the child's head, pants and shirts can be snapped on and off very conveniently. Socks are useful. Just remember that young feet need room to wiggle and grow. The same thing is true for booties. And headgear is essential. Hats keep babies warm and they also prevent sun burns. Because kids will swipe, knock, and pull their hat off, get one with a comfortable elastic chin strap.

Everyone knows that babies aren't always sleeping and eating, they have the all-important photo opps and familial meet-and-greets, so they could use clothes with a little style. Spring colors, fall fashions, Disney designs, athletic themes, denim, and iron-ons are all a lot of fun.

Shopping for Baby Clothes

Oshkosh, Sketchers, Dora the Explorer, First Moments, and Second Step are all popular designer styles made especially with children's needs in mind. They also provide many style choices for dressing up, dressing down, and everything in between. Most items will be categorized by age and gender: Newborns are 0 to 9 months; infants are 12 to 24 months; toddlers are labeled 2T to 4T.

All of these designer styles and sizes for baby toddler clothing can be bought at a discount. Shopping for discount baby clothes and discount toddler clothes shouldn't take you much further than a lot of safe and reputable online sources. By keeping the overhead of office space and supplies down to a minimum, online merchants are able to provide deeply discounted, designer items at huge savings. This is true even after figuring in the cost of shipping. Finding sleepwear, headgear, and gift sets under clearance specials can save shoppers at least 75% off regular prices. Regular sale prices can easily be found with reductions off the regular prices as high as 50%. It's all brand new and perfect for stocking the nursery dressers drawers.

Shopping online for discount baby and toddler clothing should provide Mom and Dad with everything they need to make the early years memorable and fun while saving a few bucks on designer apparel that cater to children's needs.