Why should we dress babies in old clothes? – In India, there is a tradition to dress baby in old clothes during the first few days/weeks. Usually, clothes of an older sibling or a cousin are handed down for this purpose.

In fact, many people consider it inauspicious to do any shopping for the baby before the baby is born. This belief stems from the fact that these old used clothes are soft and less likely to cause any sort of irritation or allergy to newborn baby’s delicate skin. The same was told to me as well, when I was expecting my child. I did ask my sister in law to send me some olds clothes of my nephew’s and she very kindly did too. I however, could not resist shopping on my own and shopped quite a few clothes myself too.

What if you do not have access to old clothes for baby?

In current times, with more and more nuclear families, it is not always possible to get old clothing. If you too are in similar position, then feel free to buy new clothing for baby and wash it a couple of times to ensure clothes are not new and fabric is softer on baby’s skin.

What kind of clothes should one buy for baby?

There is an amazing variety of clothes available for babies in the market, but it is best to stick to basics when it comes to shopping for baby’s clothing.

Some points to remember when buying clothes for baby?

• Buy only cotton clothes for newborn baby.
• Stay away from synthetic clothing however, cute they might look for new born baby.
• Wash the clothing at least twice in warm water and remove any dirt, bacteria and starch.
• Dry baby’s clothes in sunlight, as much as possible. Sunlight is natural disinfectant and deodoriser.