Is Carter's 3 months the same as 0-3 months?
Carter's clothing that is labeled 3M typically compares to the 0-3M range in other brands.
| Carter's Little Baby Basics Size Chart | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preemie | Up to 6 lbs. | Up to 17'' |
| Newborn | 6-9 lbs. | 17- 21.5" |
| 3 mo. | 9-12.5 lbs. | 21.5-24" |
| 6 mo. | 12.5-17 lbs. | 24-26.5" |
| Size | Weight | Height |
|---|---|---|
| Preemie | up to 6 lbs / up to 2.7 kg | up to 17 in. / up to 43 cm |
| Newborn | 6-9 lbs (9M)/ 2.7-4.1 kg | up to 21.5 in. / up to 55 cm |
| 0-3 months (3M) | 9-12.5 lbs / 4.1 - 5.7 kg | 21.5 - 24 in. / 55 - 61 cm |
| 3-6 months (6M) | 12.5 - 17 lbs / 5.7 - 7.7 kg | 24 - 26.5 in. / 61 - 67 cm |
If you're buying for your unborn baby, in general it's best to buy 0-3 month clothes, as newborn size can be outgrown very quickly. It's important to never dress them in clothes that are much too big though, especially sleepwear. It could be a suffocation risk.
Newborn baby clothes sizes
Whereas size 0-3 months should fit your baby up to 12 pounds, and you can always roll up sleeves and pant legs for a few weeks while baby grows into the larger size. If your baby is predicted to be petite, or you have a preemie, Newborn or Preemie sizes make a little more sense.
You are far better off returning the newborn baby clothes and purchasing the next size up 0-3 months. Depending on how fast your baby grows, you could get eight to 10 weeks out of this size. Better yet, buy several outfits in the next size after that, 3-6 months.
Here's a quick reference for organizing clothes based on size: Category 1: Sizes Newborn, 0-3 months, 3 months. Category 2: Sizes 3-6 months, 6 months. Category 3: Sizes 6-9 months, 6-12 months, 9 months, 9-12 months, 12 months (these sizes all tend to be very similar)
3-month-old baby weight and length
The average weight of a 3-month-old baby is 12.9 pounds for girls and 14.1 pounds for boys; average length is 23.5 inches for girls and 24.2 inches for boys. Whether baby's close to the average or not, the important thing is that they're growing at a healthy rate.
The longest a baby usually wears newborn is about 1-2 weeks after their due date (even if born early- by the due date they are usually in newborn size). Therefore, for a new baby gift, I would go with a 3M (0-3M) or 6M (3-6M) size to get a little longer wear.
How many outfits does a 3 month old need?
Let's review what I've mentioned throughout this article with this simple baby clothes checklist: Newborn – 14 onesies, 14 sleepers. 0-3 months – 14 onesies, 14 sleepers. 3-6 months – 7 outfits, 7 sleepers.
| DIAPER SIZE | WEIGHT | AGE RANGE |
|---|---|---|
| Newborn | Up to 10 lbs. | first few weeks only |
| Size 1 | 8–14 lbs. | birth–4 months |
| Size 2 | 12–18 lbs. | 3–8 months |
| Size 3 | 16–28 lbs. | 5–24 months |
Most newborn sizes top out around eight pounds, so if you have a bigger baby, they may need 0-3 months sizes from the start. (And if they're on the smaller side, odds are they'll only fit into newborn sizes for a few weeks anyway.)
"It's better to buy 0-3 months - but not too much"
"If going out, trust me, it's better to buy mostly 0-3, but not too much. I've sold most of his baby grows in that range as I had over 20 and I can say now that 12 is more than enough and the same with vests, etc.
Your baby will spend almost all of the first three months sleeping and eating, so you'll want plenty of comfy sleepers, gowns, and pajamas, as well as a few simple outfits and accessories.
| Size | Height (in) | Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|
| Preemie (PB) | Up to 18'' | Up to 2.7kg |
| Newborn (NB) | 18 - 21.5" | 2.7 - 4kg |
| 3M | 21.5 - 24" | 4 - 5.7kg |
| 6M | 24 - 27" | 5.7 - 7.5kg |
2T: What's The Difference? Clothes that are labeled 24 months are made for those who are anywhere from 18 to 24 months. By comparison, 2T clothing is made for toddlers, generally anywhere from 2 to almost 3 years old.
