Baby clothes sizing

[alotofyarn]

I want to start knitting some items for the baby, but I can't decide how much to do in newborn sizes, because I know a lot of babies grow out of them quickly. Any advice?

[diggitydot]

I wouldn't do much in newborn sizes. Some babies are never even in that size category as newborns.

[alotofyarn]

That's what I'm worried about! Mostly I just want to do a couple of super cute outfits for baby to come home in. I'm 5'1", so I can't imagine they'll even let me deliver a baby that's too giant. What I really want to start is a little wool coat, which, given our location, the baby won't be able to wear much anyway - it's just SO cute:

DSC_0414_medium2.JPG

[v-girl]

I'm 5'1", so I can't imagine they'll even let me deliver a baby that's too giant.

That's cute little mama. My 5" tall 89lb when not pregnant mom had a 9lb kid. Her easiest delivery.

[alotofyarn]

That's cute little mama. My 5" tall 89lb when not pregnant mom had a 9lb kid. Her easiest delivery.

I can dream!! We'll ignore the fact that my husband is 6'2". And I'm most certainly not under 100lb! His mom said he was around 8lbs, I think, and my brother was 8lbs as well. I was 5lbs, but there were two of us, and we were born at 35 weeks, so we can't use me as any kind of example.

[GreyhoundsRUs]

Plus, any estimates they give as far as baby weight are pure speculation. The Dr. said that DD would be 8/8.5# - she was just shy of 7#

I would say to make the coat in 0-3 and roll the sleeves! FWIW, DD was a Nov. baby, and didn't have any kind of jacket for the first winter in the Midwest (NTSB and APA advise against use of coats while in the carseat, so we just kept DD in a onesie and PJs with blankets over her).

[diggitydot]

The size of your baby is pretty unpredictable. Our very average-sized friends just had a 9+ lbs. baby.

If you're going to hand make a going home outfit, maybe make something that can be worn for a while like a sleep sack?

[alotofyarn]

Is 0-3 bigger than newborn, or the same? 0-3 or 3-6 is what I was considering. The pattern says 0-3 is 16" around and 3-6 is 17".

I'll definitely be making blankets too, but I already had yarn for this sweater and wanted a quick little project to start. I don't see this as something to be worn often, but at least once for a super cute picture.

[diggitydot]

Sizing sometimes varies drastically from one brand to another.

[GreyhoundsRUs]

http://www.ebay.com/gds/Carter-apos-...3977057/g.html

This is obviously one brand's chart, but just as an idea I totally agree with DD - a friend's baby was 20# at his 2 month appointment, and our peanut is 20# at 19 mo!

[GreyhoundsRUs]

NB and 0-3 are different. "3 months" = 0-3.

[spotty_dog]

I have a notebook around here somewhere where I kept track of some of my kids' and my friends' kids' measurements. I'll try to dig it up. Generally, kids grow more slowly in girth than in length, so making adjustments like knitting the smallest size but adding a bit to the arms (rolled cuffs are always cute!) can give an item a few extra seasons of wear. For a special coming-home item I'd do a 3 months size (baby things go so darn quick!) but for regular wear you might get more use from a 6 months size.

There is a pygmy tribe in Africa where mothers average 4 feet in height, their babies average 8 pounds in weight. Flexible pelvis + flexible baby skull = if you can gestate it, you can probably birth it.

[GreyhoundsRUs]

There is a pygmy tribe in Africa where mothers average 4 feet in height, their babies average 8 pounds in weight. Flexible pelvis + flexible baby skull = if you can gestate it, you can probably birth it.

That's interesting!

[spotty_dog]

OK, Alot, my little notebook says that for an average-sized newborn I was making pants with 14" waists to fit right away, 15" waists and a drawstring to fit for a few months. This worked well on my 7-3 and my 8-4 newborns, as well as a handful of other babies I knit for. Babies' waists are pretty close to their chests, but for a coat you'll want several inches of ease. I looked up the pattern, and the smallest size is 20" finished. That sounds just right, if not big, for a newbie. So I'd do the 0-3.

Now, Alana Dakos did the Baby Sophisticate for her little guy...she did a 0-3 size that was a finished 16", in a worsted weight; he was about 8-9 pounds at birth, and it fit him *perfectly*: http://nevernotknitting.blogspot.com...u-that-on.html

[SoonerTexan]

Haha T&S needs to weigh in on Miss D's birth weight.

My 9 lb 2 oz monster fit into newborn for 2 weeks. After that she followed my in laws predictions of her wearing the size for double her age...

6 months old? 12 month clothes. 18 months old? We are about to jump into 3T