Layette

What is a layette? What do I need to buy?

A layette is a collection of clothes and bedding for a new baby. In the past, women would have hand-sewn everything the baby would need during pregnancy. Now we can buy everything.

When you are buying for your newborn, it's helpful to know what is useful to buy: and what you can do without.

What to wear

• Cotton vests/body suits with envelope necks and poppers underneath: three or four.
Babygros/sleepsuits/all-in-ones: at least three or four and/or nighties with drawstrings at the bottom: these are very useful for night-time nappy changing.

• A soft hat or bonnet to wear outside, if your baby is born in winter, or a wide brimmed sunhat for a summer baby.

• A soft blanket or two to wrap and cuddle your baby in.

• An all-in-one warm suit (with poppers between the legs) is also useful if your baby is born in winter. It can be worn over a sleep suit and is handy when going outside.

• A cardigan or two to provide an extra layer. Cardigans are better than jumpers because small babies tend not to like having clothes pulled over their heads.

What to sleep in

• Cotton cot sheets and cellular blankets, if your baby will be sleeping in her own bed.

Although you can now buy baby sleeping bags for newborn babies, most parents start off with cotton sheets and blankets. They are easy to layer and keep your baby at the right temperature: you can simply add or take away a blanket if your baby is too hot or too cold. You could also cut or fold up sheets from an adult bed if you don't want to buy sheets especially for a cot. If your baby starts off in a carrycot or Moses basket, you can also buy special "pram size" sheets and blankets.

What's practical

• Muslin squares are great for mopping up baby sick and can be used as a soft surface for the baby's head to sleep on in the pram or cot. Buy lots!

• A couple of small towels or special baby towels with hoods on them are useful for bath time.

Buying tips

Make sure everything you buy is machine-washable! Where possible, try and buy everything in 100 per cent cotton. Eczema is more common than you think. Many of the fleecy polyester jackets and blankets can make a baby too hot and irritate his skin. Keep all your receipts and buy a mixture of sizes: have a couple of newborn outfits ready but remember, your baby will outgrow these quickly and may be born larger than you think. If you buy an outfit for a baby aged 3-6 months, bear in mind that it may be a different season by the time your baby wears it.

Remember to wash everything you buy before use in non-biological washing powder, to avoid irritating your young baby's sensitive skin.

Buy the basics before your baby is born and put aside some money to buy some more later. Friends and family are likely to buy clothes as presents and it's easy to end up with far too many first-size clothes which may never be worn. This is the reason that baby clothes are such good value at nearly new sales.