Dressing Up Your Newborn Baby

You're ready to leave the hospital now with your brand new baby! But first you need to put some clothes on your child. The simplest outfit to use with a newborn is a onesie and a sleeper. Onesies have wide envelope-shaped necks and snaps at the bottom.

If this is your first baby and you've never put a onesie on before, here's the trick: unsnap the bottom and bunch the material up around the envelope neck. Now you have large hole. With the material in both hands and the hole in the middle, slide baby's head through the hole. All the material is now around the baby's neck.

That's the hardest part! Roll your baby onto his/her side, and the continue rolling the rest of the onesie down the baby's body. Roll your newborn back on his/her back and slide the arms in the armholes as you go. Snap it closed at the bottom, over top the baby's diaper. It sounds complicated, but it really isn't.

And using this method, you needn't lift the baby's body, trying to juggle holding a floppy baby as well as an article of clothing. As your baby gets older you will find that this is also an easy way for you to focus on each other, and that connection will help keep your baby relaxed as you dress him/her. Next it's time to take on the sleeper.

This is a one piece pajama-like article of clothing. Here's how to get it on your newborn. Lay it down flat on the bed or dressing table. Unsnap the front and lay your baby on top. Slide your little one's arms and legs in and snap it back up.

If you are getting ready to purchase some sleepers, look for the ones with snaps not just up the front, but down the legs as well. This makes changing the baby's clothes as well his/her diaper much easier. Another handy addition to look for is little mittens already attached to the sleeper.

These mittens prevent baby from accidentally scratching his/her face with those new fingernails. The ones that are attached to sleepers already are easier to keep track of and to keep on your newborn's hands than the ones you buy separately.

Now your baby is all dressed and almost ready to go! However, no baby's ensemble is complete without the obligatory little baby hat. Usually made of a comfortable fabric like cotton, it is not hard to put on. Again, while your baby is lying down, slide the hat under the back of his/her head and then gently grasp it and move it forward.

Remember that your new baby's neck is fragile, while his/her head is large. You need to support baby's head at all times. Trying to put the hat on from the front is just too hard! If it is cold outside, you will want to put on a little warm suit as well to protect your child from the weather. It goes on just as the sleeper did.

Then, voila! You really are done. Pick your baby up and get ready to leave and show him/her off to everyone who has been waiting so anxiously to meet your new darling.

Learn more with this baby photo contest.