How to dress a newborn when coming home from hospital in winter

The "coming home from hospital outfit" is a significant moment in any new parent and newborn babes’ life. When packing your hospital bag for your unborn baby, it's the outfit you fold neatly with excitement and nerves all rolled into one cute little package. Most parents will remember precisely what they dressed their wee new baby in for many years to come (I do, and you will too). It's the outfit that officially (unofficially) starts your life as a new or bigger family.

Before you leave the hospital on your big adventure into parenthood, we need to share a golden formula when dressing your babe for sleep. As you figure each other out, you can dress your new mini in a 0.2 Long Sleeve Layer and a 1.0 TOG Cocoon Swaddle Bag. We've done the research for you, and this is the ideal combination to dress your baby in for sleep that will keep them warm and snug in most hospital temperatures.

P.S. You can sleep baby in the Cocoon Swaddle Bag and Long Sleeve Layer when you return home. If your house is a little cooler and your nursey gets below 21°C opt for a 2.5 TOG Cocoon Swaddle Bag and a 1.0 TOG long sleeve Layer. If you’re completely confused by a TOG, don’t worry I was, too. Learn all about TOGs and winter dressing or shop our Autumn/Winter sleepwear collection.

And for you, mama, the must-have Matchy Matchy Robe. Ideal if you have any visitors and want to feel comfortable yet look chic at the same time.

The all-important coming home outfit

You want to go for a little bit of style (photo op) functionality and comfort all spun into one adorbs outfit. Plus, you want to dress your baby in organic cotton and natural fibres; their new delicate skin is incredibly sensitive, so dressing them in these fibres is a parent-to-parent hot tip. They will live in onesies/layers for some time to come. You'll need a few thanks to the number of poo explosions you will experience. #truth

1. A Long-Sleeve Layer

Ideally, in winter baby will be dressed in the 1.0 tog style as this is the warmest option on the market. Our Layers are made from a deliciously soft, stretchy organic jersey cotton for comfort and warmth during sleep and daywear. The breathable, natural fibres help regulate body temperature and prevent overheating.

Full of handy features such as 3-way zips for easy nappy changes and dressing, foldover hand and foot cuffs, and zip guards. Our GOTS certified organic fibres are skin-friendly and sensitive to eczema and dry skin conditions. All ergoPouch fabrics are dyed with non-toxic water-based dyes and come in trend-driven prints and colours to suit any nursery And all our prints are designed in-house, now all you have to do is decide between six different prints (hard, I know).

2. A Singlet/Bodysuit

You can't go past our adorable Singlets and Bodysuits. Perfect for added warmth when bringing your angel home. The Bodywear Collection is a range of gorgeously soft, ribbed organic cotton basics for your mini to dream away the night and play during the day in comfort.

The Singlet features a slim-fit and stretchy design, making it a comfortable and light layer to wear under any ergoPouch Pouches, Layers or Pyjamas for warmth when needed. A higher neckline gives more coverage to help keep chests warm, and the long length in the body and drop-hem at the back to prevent ride up.

The Long Sleeve Bodysuit features a slim-fit and stretchy design with long sleeves, making it a comfortable and warm layer to wear under any of our Pouches or Layers. Dressing your wriggly worm is made easier with envelope shoulders and press studs at the crotch.

GOTS-certified ribbed organic cotton is breathable to help regulate body temperature, non-toxic, and oh-so-gentle against your child's sensitive skin.All ergoPouch fabrics are dyed with non-toxic water-based dyes and come in trend-driven prints and colours to suit any nursery.

For the Gram/home

If you have older children at home, you could create the cutest first family photo wearing matching PJs or Layers. Just imagine, new baby in Layers and bigger kids matching in their PJs or Layers #dreamy.And we promise PJs all day is a thing; they will live in their new PJs at home during winter.

Don't forget to add a little cardi/jumper, beanie and socks for the journey home. Ensure that their outfit isn't too bulky or padded as this isn't safe in the car, and they could overheat. Make sure you take the beanie off when putting the baby down for the first sleep at home. I guarantee you'll watch baby the entire time. Hot tip have someone (i.e. friend, partner, grandparents, neighbour) turn the heating on, so when you do arrive home, you and bubba are comfortable and cosy.

Winter babies mean lots of indoor snuggles, warming meals and time to get to know this tiny human you've just birthed. There will be plenty of staring at them and milestones for you and bub. If you have other children at home, you'll be navigating a whole new journey. It's a magical few days when you bring your baby home, leaning on your tribe (family, friends, neighbours, a doula, grandparents, and so on) will help you navigate those first few weeks. Don't be afraid to ask for help.

Finally, it can be super confusing to know what to dress a baby in during those first few weeks in winter (trust us, we have been there). We've written a handy blog that addresses all your questions about dressing a baby for sleep in winter, plus if you're not sure what a TOG is and how to swaddle we've got your back. You can check out how to safely swaddle. Alternatively, you can always reach out to our beautiful Customer Service team for any extra advice.

Which ergoPouch product is right for my child?

As your child grows and develops, so too does their style of sleeping. ergoPouch products are designed towards the age, developmental milestone and physiology of children aged newborn – 6 years old, and the different sleep needs and challenges your child will have during this timeline.

We can suggest an ergoPouch product for every milestone in the first six years and beyond. Use our handy Milestones Chart to help you decide which products are best for your child at their current age throughout all seasons. The green flags indicate a typical journey through the range based on standard developmental milestones. 

Good luck.

P.S. It truly goes so quickly, soak up every second.

With love,

eP X

ergoPouch AU 

  Raising a little human isn't easy. From well-meaning friends, to experts and baby brands comes a slew of advice and information, some of it misleading and some downright dangerous. ergoPouch work with experts in the field of sleep solutions to offer your family no-nonsense help and support along your sleep journey from birth to five years. If there is a topic that we haven’t covered and you would like some advice, please let us know.