It is a joy to watch babies grow and discover the world around them. And grow they do! Your little one gets bigger everyday and outgrows their clothes quickly. Can you get one more wear out of that favorite outfit? Judging sizes can be difficult. How should baby clothes fit? Here’s a brief guide to finding the right size baby clothes and when their clothes may be getting too small.
How to Tell If Baby Clothes Are Too Small | How Should Baby Clothes Fit | Baby Bling Street
Lemon Loves Layette “Calla” Baby Girls Clothing in White
Baby Clothes Sizes Explained
For the most part, baby clothes sizes fall into roughly three groups; Infants, Babies, and Toddlers. These groups are determined by the baby’s age. A baby is considered an infant when they are between 0-6 months, bigger babies are considered between 6 to 12 month and Toddlers are 12 months and up.
When shopping for clothes for a baby, you will often find that the clothing sizes refer more to the baby’s age in months rather than a “size”. Which sometimes can be very confusing.
How do Sizes Really Work?
Baby clothes sizes explained
According to Care.com, baby clothing sizes are largely based on their weight and length. Typically, new parents know the baby’s length right after birth, but it is not realistic to continually measure your baby every time you or a friend decide to go clothes shopping for your baby.
Another great way to figure out your baby clothes sizes is to use their age as the determining factor. This method is much less accurate as a baby can grow at different rates then what is projected for their sizes.
Below is a sizing chart that consists of a few typical baby clothes sizes by weight.
Age Weight Height
Newborns 7lbs / 3.175kg 19in / 48.26cm
0-3 Months 7-12lbs / 3.17- 5.44kg 19-23in / 48.26-58.43cm
3-6 months 12-16lbs / 5.44-7.26kg 23-27in / 53.43-68.58cm
6-9 months 16-20lbs / 7.26-9.07kg 25-27in / 63.5-68.58cm
6-12 Months 17-22lbs / 7.71-9.98kg 27-29in / 68.58-73.66cm
12-18 months 22-27lbs / 9.98-12.25kg 29-32in / 73.66-81.28cm
24 Months / 2T 28-32lbs / 12.7-14.5kg 32-34in / 81.3-86.4cm
3T 32-35lbs / 14.5-15.9kg 34-38in / 86.4-96.5cm
4T 35-39lbs /15.9-17.7kg 38-40in / 96.5-101.6cm
Hand-Me-Down Time? How to Tell If Baby Clothes Are Too Small
l When baby clothes are too small, it can cause rashes, irritation, and even digestive issues. All of this leads to a fussy, unhappy child. Which means tired, unhappy parents! Your baby’s clothes are too small if:
l The leg snaps pop open
l You take off your baby’s pants, and there is a line where the elastic or buttons irritated the skin
l Shirts roll up over the belly
l When you push the sleeves up, it cuts off their circulation
l Your baby cries when you put these clothes on (of course this is not definitive – but if it’s consistent, then maybe look at the sizing)