When Do Babies Start Wearing Bibs?
A bib is one of the important pieces of baby cloth you must purchase and you will need it sooner than you think. When I was shopping for baby items for my son one of the items I forgot to buy was a bib. Once he was born I quickly realized what a ‘ huge’ mistake I had made.
So when do babies start wearing bibs? Babies typically start using bibs on their newborns as early as 1 or 2 weeks after birth. This is because they come in handy while you are breastfeeding, bottle feeding, when they drool, spit up or worse vomit.
This way you avoid getting stains on your baby’s clothes or baby getting wet and having to change cloth. But now you are probably wondering whether bibs are safe for newborns. Read on to find out.
Table of Contents
Are bibs safe for newborns?
Bibs pose a suffocation risk for newborns which means you must exercise caution while using them. Your newborn should never sleep in a bib. When they have one on while awake keep an eye on them to avoid it covering their faces.
Do not place an oversize bib on your bib, it should be correct size. Lastly, the material should be breathable and light. Keeping this in mind will ensure your baby is safe.
See also best bibs for baby led weaning
What kind of bibs are available today?
Breastfeeding bib.
These are put on babies who are breastfeeding or bottle feeding to catch all the spilling milk from reaching their sleeves. They help in keeping their clothes free from stains and that awful smell which comes from spilled milk on clothes. Check out this breast feeding bib by Tomme Tippee.
Drool or Teething Bib.
Most babies drool and the saliva soon drains their clothes making them wet. And when they start to teeth it gets worse. A drool bib which should be highly absorbent will help keep the dry.
Bandana Bib.
Bandana bibs are beautiful, functional and stylish bibs which are triangles in shape worn to catch baby drool or as a style item. They are perfect to catch baby teething drools to keep them baby dry and prevent drool rash. The biggest bonus is that they snap which means the baby cannot pull them off.
Feeding Bib.
These are bibs you will use when you introduce solid foods. Most of them are made from food grade silicone material which is easy to clean by wiping and features a pocket to catch all the food particles and spills.
Long sleeved Bibs.
These are great for baby led weaning and toddlers. They cover their sleeves and feature pockets to catch all soup spills. They will keep their clothes free of stains and save you on a whole lot of laundry detergent.
Disposable Bibs.
Disposable bibs are great for travelling as you only need to use and then throw away.
How many baby bibs will you need?
Now that we have covered the different types of baby bibs which are available. You need to know how many you will need to purchase.
This will depend on the number of bibs you go through in a day and the frequency in which you do your laundry. You can go through 4-6 bibs per day if you are bottle feeding or your baby is teething. In such a case, you should have at least 12 pieces of bibs to go through 3 days or so.
When you start weaning it is advisable you buy easy to clean bibs such as silicone bibs and 2-3 are enough because you old need to wipe them clean with a wet piece of cloth or in the kitchen sink.
How do you care for baby bibs?
You will need to take good care of your baby bibs and this will depend on the type of material.
- Waterproof bibs are good because they are easy to clean and machine washable.
- Silicone bibs clean off in the kitchen sink with mild soap and water.
- Cotton bibs will require more care. Do not wash stained ones in hot water. You need to wash them in cold water to prevent chances of staining.
Alternatives to baby bibs
As a mommy you never want to find yourself without a bib in your diaper bag or while on the go. Luckily there are alternatives you can use, such as: burp clothes and baby wash cloths.
See also Do newborns need bibs
FAQs on When do newborns start using bibs
Do babies wear bibs while breastfeeding?
Babies do need bibs while breastfeeding because babies are messy and they can spit up any time without notice. This will save you cloth changes and on laundry.
Consider putting one on to keep stains off baby clothes and keep baby dry.
Should you wash baby bibs before use?
You should make sure you wash all baby items you purchase before using it on your baby. This includes baby bibs which the baby can touch or even put in their mouth. And we would not want to introduce any germs to their not so strong immune system or worse cause diarrhea.
When do babies stop wearing bibs?
This one will highly depend on individual babies but typically when they are 2 years of age. And if you have a messy eater in your hands they might need to wear bibs till they are 5 years of age. It’s no shame though because even as adults we use table clothes on our laps to catch any strays.
Conclusion
Bibs are essential baby items and newborns start using bibs when they are about 1-2 weeks old. It can be earlier especially for bottle feeding babies. For breastfeeding babies, bibs come in handy to keep them dry when they spit up.
Nonetheless, you must exercise caution when using bibs for newborns because they pose a suffocation risk. So your baby should never sleep in a bib and you should be keeping an eye on them when they have one on to avoid it covering their faces.
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