Newborn babies from 0-6 months will benefit from regular and drool bibs since they drool and spit-up. Also, helpful when you’re breastfeeding them to clean any spillage. Once you start giving them solid food, from 6 months onwards, you will want to switch to feeding bibs since they will be spilling food a lot. These can be used for as long as necessary.
You don’t get to know the importance of bibs before you have your baby. While most newbie parents wonder why it is essential to get bibs, others might wonder when the right time to start using them is?
Bibs are essential to protect your baby from getting dirty and wet and keeps their clothes dry. Otherwise, without them, all you’ll be doing all day long is washing clothes of your baby they dirtied due to eating or other activities.
Importance of bibs
Bibs come on the list of essential items when you’re expecting your baby. One thing that babies know at this time is how to make a mess. They can easily create a mess while eating and drinking.
You might think you can handle these basic activities, but things like burping, drooling, and random spit-up will definitely want you to need a bib.
With all these activities going on all day long, you’ll keep changing their clothes and washing them all day long if you don’t use a bib.
With a bib around their neck, you can just change it, saving you time changing your baby’s clothes. Plus, using bibs can keep your baby’s clothes dry and keeping them happy.
When do babies start wearing bibs
Most parents keep thinking about when is the right time to start using a bib for their baby.
| Newborn baby (0-6 months old) | 6 months and older baby |
|---|---|
| As soon as you start breastfeeding is an excellent first step towards start using a bib. | This is the stage when you start giving your baby some solids apart from breastfeeding them. |
| It will keep your baby clean during feedings, as they might have problems at first with latching onto your breast. | This is a stage when they need to use waterproof bibs. |
| Any drip, leaking, and spit-ups can be easily cleaned with a bib around their neck. | While feeding them, they will easily spit out food, drool them out, and not eat properly in the beginning. |
| From 0-6 months is the best time to use drool and dribble bibs, ideal for this stage as your baby will just be breastfeeding and not eating solid foods. | Bibs in this stage will usually come with added pockets at the bottom to capture any spilled fluids or food that drips out during mealtime. |
| Using drool bibs can save you from constantly changing your baby’s clothes in a day. | They come in handy, especially when you’re out traveling, saving you the hassle of changing their clothes. |
Two types of bibs based on baby’s age
Drool bibs
All newborn babies drool. Not yet in control of their motor activities, it is a given that your newborn baby will drool for the next 2 years.
This drool helps them digest their food. And they also drool when teething. For this reason, bibs are an essential part of this stage.
Advantages being:
- Bibs will keep their clothes dry
- Prevent neck rashes.
- Easy to wipe away excess drool around their mouth, stopping a mouth rash.
The bib you are looking for should be smaller in size at this stage, as they aren’t having solids yet. The primary purpose is to cover the front of their clothes, around the neck, from getting wet.
Bibs are made to be quite absorbent so that you can use them for as long as possible. Their material is soft, easy to wash, and dry quickly.
With various designs available, you need to choose a comfortable bib that is an excellent fit for your baby. A buttoned bib is helpful so your baby can’t pull it away.
Feeding time bibs
Starting from when your baby turns 6 months old, you start feeding them solids. Towards this next phase, it is important to change their bibs to fulfill the requirement too. This means going for a bib that is larger and wider for better coverage.
Advantage being:
- Easy to wipe off or clean after one meal and ready for the next meal.
- After using them for a day, you can put them for washing.
- They come with an added pocket at the bottom to catch any spillage of food.
These kinds of bibs at this stage of your baby usually come in waterproof material, making it easier to wipe of solids from its surface.
Your baby will start grabbing onto stuff at this stage and might hold onto the food and make a mess. You might want to opt for a bib that provides as much coverage as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How many bibs do you need for a newborn?
Just as you wonder how many pairs of clothes are sufficient for a newborn, the same is the case for bibs. There is no right quantity. But keeping in mind they will start using feeding time bibs after 6 months old, you need to have at least 10 bibs as a start. This might seem like a huge number right now, but you’ll be surprised how many bibs you’ll end up using in a single day.
Should babies sleep with bibs on?
It is advised not to cover a baby with a loose sheet while they sleep, as they can easily suffocate. The same goes for bibs. There is no use of a bib while they sleep. It is safe to remove them while they sleep.
Can a 2 week old wear a bib?
Your newborn baby will need to wear a bib as early as 2 weeks. While starting to feed, they will end up having trouble latching on to it. This will cause spillage, leak, spit-up. So, you will need a bib handy, and it is advised to shop for one before your baby come.
What is a teething bib?
A teething bib is for when babies start teething, and they produce a lot of salivae. They might also want to chew on anything in sight. These bibs come with a soft cotton top layer and a teething chew attached to the bottom for your baby to chew on.
Should you wash baby bibs before use?
Yes! It is advised that you wash all the bibs before your baby arrives in a gentle detergent. Not only will it kill all the germs, but it also makes it easy to absorb anything. Not just bibs, you should wash all new clothing items before your baby arrives.
To summarize
Many parents wonder why it is crucial to purchase bibs and when is the right time to start using them.
Before their first child, many parents often wonder if they would even be needing bibs at all. But once your baby arrives, within 2 weeks, you’ll know how crucial they are for your baby and for your sanity.
As a newborn, your baby will drool a lot, so the bib will keep their clothes dry. And as they start having solids, they need a bib to prevent their clothes from any food spillage.
Getting themselves dirty is inevitable, be it through drooling or spilling their food. But if you don’t make them wear bibs, you will keep changing their clothes all day long.
This is why it’s better to be prepared beforehand. You should get a bunch of bibs, available in beautiful and cute patterns or designs, and make sure to wash them all before your baby’s arrival.
