Where to Find the Best Premature Baby Clothes online in the UK

Parents of a newborn baby may not spend a lot of time thinking about clothes until the day arrives to bring the baby home. And in cases of full-term pregnancy, it is not uncommon for parents to have already received a large volume of bodysuits, sleep suits, and other baby clothing from friends and relatives who want to contribute. But as with most things related to infant birth, parents of premature babies are in a unique position. Clothes designed for full-term babies tend to be much too large and not accommodating enough for smaller children with medical needs.

 

In light of the baby clothes dilemma faced by parents of preterm children, the internet has been a real lifesaver. Parents can now go online and find just about everything they need with a few clicks of the mouse. Just use your favourite search engine to search the term ‘premature baby clothes’ and you’ll instantly have more results than you know what to do with. It then becomes a matter of shopping for the right pieces just as you would any other kind of merchandise.

Hospital and Charity Provided Clothing

Hospitals do a great job at assisting parents and their premature children. While your baby remains in the hospital, it may be that his or her healthcare team prefers to use clothing designed specifically for premature babies rather than sleep suits and bodysuits you provide. This is understandable. Your child’s healthcare team is primarily focused on creating a positive medical outcome for your baby; the clothes your baby wears are less important.

Throughout the UK, numerous charities supply local hospitals with premature baby clothing. Most of these charities pass along clothing donations they receive from parents alongside custom-made pieces their volunteers have put together on their own. These wonderful charities could use your support as well. Once your baby has outgrown his or her premature clothes, why not consider donating them to one of these very important charities?

When it’s time to bring the baby home, a charity may have some clothing they can provide through your hospital. If not, you will probably spend some time online shopping for clothes in the days and weeks before your baby’s homecoming.

Finding the Right Clothes

A premature baby needs the same kind of clothes a full-term baby would need: bodysuits, sleep suits, vests, hats, mitts, etc. The primary difference with premature babies is size. This is also where the biggest challenge comes in. You have to buy items that will fit your baby but also provide a little bit of room to grow so you don’t go bankrupt every time your child’s wardrobe needs to be updated.

As you shop, you will discover that the best way to determine size is to go by weight. Parents of full-term babies sometimes purchase clothing items based on age, but weight is a better measurement for preterm babies. There are four primary categories used by manufacturers and retailers for preterm babies:

  • 3 pound premature – babies up to 3 pounds (1.4 kg)
  • 4 pound premature – babies up to 4 pounds (1.8 kg)
  • early baby – babies up to 5 pounds (2.3 kg)
  • tiny baby – babies up to 7.5 pounds (3.4 kg)

Once the baby reaches 7.5 to 8 pounds, he or she is considered, in terms of size, a newborn. From there, parents can continue purchasing based on weight or age (in months).

Parents should note that babies grow more in the first 12 to 16 months than at any other point in their lives. The growth in some babies happens so rapidly that new clothes have to be purchased every few weeks. This may or may not be the case with your premature baby. Depending on how quickly your child passes through the stages of early development, you may need new clothes more slowly or quickly than other parents. The important thing to remember is not to compare your baby to someone else’s.

What to Look for When Shopping

Keep in mind while shopping for your premature baby that comfort and warmth are high priorities. Of course, you want to purchase from retailers who carry reputable brands you can trust. Name brand clothing is more likely to be of higher quality that will make caring for your baby easier.

Brand and quality issues aside, here are some things you should look for when shopping:

  • Easy Access – If your baby requires special kinds of care that would typically require constant undressing and dressing, clothes with easy access will be a better option. Access snaps and Velcro straps can reduce how often you have to undress your baby to provide care.
  • Warm Materials – Your baby will spend lots of time sleeping during the first few months at home. Therefore, look for clothes made with warm materials, like cotton, that will ensure a comfortable sleeping experience.
  • Nickel-Free Poppers – Nickel can irritate the skin of new-borns, especially premature babies. It’s best to look for clothes with nickel-free poppers, eyelets, studs and rivets.

If parents have trouble finding what they need online, hospital staff and midwives are there to point them in the right direction. Should you have any questions, please don’t be afraid to ask. There are plenty of people who want to help you provide proper care for your premature baby, from the moment of birth through homecoming day and beyond.

Finding premature baby clothes is just one of the things you will have to do as a new parent. Don’t let it be something that creates a lot of stress. There are enough retail choices out there that you should be able to find what you need without a lot of fuss. Once purchased, you will be able to concentrate on other important matters.

What else is there to think about?

Parents of premature babies cannot take even the most basic things for granted. From feeding to changing nappies, caring for a premature child requires extra special effort along with the love, care and support required of all parents. Thank goodness that premature baby clothes are out there.

Depending on the size and weight of the baby at birth, parents might be able to use normal infant clothes and just wait until the baby grows into them. But the earliest premature babies would disappear in full-term clothing. They need the smallest of nappies, sleepsuits, bodysuits, mitts and hats. Where that clothing comes from will vary from one family to the next according to their unique circumstances.

Parents who need help finding premature baby clothes should not hesitate to ask nursery workers at the hospital for some advice. The internet is also an excellent source of information, and parents can shop online from specialist providers who offer clothing for both boys and girls.

Clothing While at the Hospital

It is absolutely normal for parents to want to dress their premature babies in premature baby clothes while still at the hospital. This may or may not be an option depending on hospital staff. Often, hospitals prefer to use their own tiny gowns and bodysuits because these are specially designed to accommodate the premature babies’ unique medical needs. If hospital staff are agreeable to clothing provided by parents, they welcome the opportunity to teach parents how to dress and undress their children.

Another consideration is that of incubation. Premature babies tend to need incubation for quite some time after birth. The controlled environment of an incubator is such that babies do not need to be clothed during this time. Bringing a baby out of incubator involves simply wrapping the child in a blanket to help him/her stay warm.

Of course, long-term incubation is not ideal. So hospital staff will work as hard as they can to get the baby to a point where incubation is no longer necessary. Then clothing will become an issue. It’s probably best for hospital staff to use their own nappies and bodysuits in the short term, then add in premature baby clothes purchased by parents later on.

Clothing When It’s Time to Leave

Leaving the hospital is when clothing becomes a real issue. If a baby has not gained enough weight to be able to work well with full-term clothing, parents have to be prepared with premature baby clothes. Thankfully, there are enough channels out there to build quite a little wardrobe for the premature baby heading home.

In all likelihood, parents of a premature baby will receive at least one or two outfits as a gift from the hospital. Those gifts are made possible by a number of charities whose sole focus is on supplying hospitals with premature baby clothes and burial gowns, along with blankets and additional small gifts to be given to parents. Such care packages are a good starting point for when it’s time to take the baby home.

Beyond that, some charities are more than happy to supply parents with numerous pieces of clothing to get them through until the baby reaches full-term size. Perhaps the most challenging part of this is knowing how long that will be. Premature babies tend not to grow as fast as their full-term counterparts and, if some sort of developmental disability is present, growth may be extremely slow. Such cases may dictate that parents go out and buy clothing to supplement what is provided by charities.

There are retailers that sell a limited inventory of premature baby clothing. You can find them online simply by searching the right terms using your favourite search engine. Between department stores and specialist providers, you should be able to find everything you need as the day to take your baby home approaches.

Important Things to Remember

First and foremost, the premature baby will grow and add weight as time goes on. Some babies grow very quickly while others do not. Therefore, parents need to be careful to not to spend a small fortune on clothing and other accessories baby will eventually outgrow. Parents may want one or two special outfits they plan to keep as a reminder of those precious early days, but most of what is purchased will eventually be outgrown and donated to charities, hospitals, or other parents in need.

Premature baby clothing, like the clothing for full-term babies, is sold by weight and/or age. Common sizes include:

  • 3 pounds and under
  • 4 pounds (premature)
  • 5 pounds (tiny baby)
  • 7.5 pounds (baby)
  • 10 pounds and more.

Using weights to classify clothing is probably the best way to do things, for obvious reasons. But parents should not stress over it. If something in the 5-pound range is appealing even though a baby only weighs 4 pounds, this should be accommodated. Parents should use the opportunity to purchase clothing as a means of self-expression and completing the separation from the hospital. There are no rigorous rules here.

As the parent of a premature baby, you have a lot to think about. Hopefully, you have access to the support you need to help you through this challenging time in your life. All being well, your search for premature baby clothes will be more a search of love than labour; hopefully, you will find everything you need through a combination of hospital donations, charitable organisations and retailers.

When your baby no longer has need of the specialist clothing purchased, perhaps you will consider donating it to your local hospital or a charity specialising in helping parents going through the same thing. Being able to give back goes a long way toward supporting the entire community of parents with premature babies. The premature baby clothes you have cherished for your child would be just as cherished by other parents in the future.

The size of clothing is measured by the weight of your baby.  The average size clothing is between 3 lbs and 5 lbs.  However small size clothing is available online, these sizes are between 1.5 lbs and 3 lbs.

You can buy premature baby clothes in most supermarkets in the UK, but due to small demand they have limited stock.  Buy the clothes online with a reputable supplier such as premature babies.

Your local NICU or SCBU hospital will accept premature baby clothes.  However we accept donations, Go to our get involved page for more information.

Yes, premature babies can wear clothes but mos of the time in a incubator, babies just wear nappies due to the tubes and instruments required to help the baby breath.

Length of premature clothes is around 5 – 10 inches in diameter for a baby delivered between 32 – 36 weeks.  Your babys height will be approx 16 inches.

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