WIN your baby a
LeapFrog® Learning Baby Tad


Join Baby Corner and enter your baby into Baby Corner's weekly free baby photo contest!
Click here for details!

Send to Friend

Dressing Your Baby

Once you get baby home, you may be anxious to get all of those adorable, new clothes on her. However, once you realize that many of these outfits need to go over her head, you may opt for the button-up, snap, or zippered variety. Once you master the art of getting clothes over baby's head, however, you won't think twice about it.

Keep in mind, though, that baby needs to be comfortable, just like mom and dad. There is a natural tendancy for people to dress their baby too warmly. The rule of thumb is that if you are comfortable, baby will be too. So, dress her according to the weather, and she'll be fine. It is also a good idea to dress her in layers. By doing this, you can add or remove clothes as needed, if there are temperature changes.

Make sure to talk to baby while dressing her; as she gets her cues from you. If she senses that dressing time is filled with anxiety or stress, she will be unhappy. Sing to her, coo to her, and tell what you are doing. If you are putting on over-the-head clothes, make it a game of peek-a-boo.

Also, be careful of clothes with zippers. When zipping or unzipping, keep the zipper away from baby's skin, to avoid catching. Additionally, when something is zipped, make sure that the zipper is facing down, and not poking into baby's neck.

Look at dressing time as a pleasant, learning experience, and baby will too!

Your New Baby and You!Baby's First Year