enlighten me, please

[simplemama]

other than the fact that they look cute, are there any benefits to putting overalls on a baby? i love the way they look, but i've been hesitating to buy any.

aren't they pain in the neck to put on and take off your baby? don't they make your baby uncomfortable in the car seat? are those crotch snaps really work well when changing the baby (i've only used pull-on pants so far)? do they work equally well on prewalkers and toddlers?

i'm just curious.....

[egoldber]

Yes, they are a pain, but they are adorable! I have only used Oshkosh and BabyGap overalls and both are great.

I think they are great for crawlers and walkers.

HTH,

[jojo2324]

I'm dreading the day we only have pull-on pants! Snap crotches are so much easier for me! Especially since he is so squirmy...It would take me half an hour to get a pair of pants back on him! :)

And yes, I think overalls are adorable. Old Navy has cute ones too.

[etwahl]

We got a pair from babyGap from MIL in the newborn size. They are adorable, but I admit, I can already see them being painful to put on and off. After all, it's a pain when I'm wearing overalls and having to go to the bathroom! But I'm sure they'll be good for those moments I want baby to look cute.

Tammy,
Mom-to-be Mar 8, 2003!

[Melanie]

Isn't cute good enough? ;)

I don't find them to be a pain, they are a bit bulky when changing via crotch snaps, that's a lot of fabric to stuff under your baby's back, but I feel the same about jeans, too. When I put Ds in the car seat I just make sure the straps aren't sticking up and bugging his face. He's been wearing them since he was tiny and I haven't noticed any mobility problems. I like them because they tend to be roomier over his cloth diapers. Just watch out, I saw a pair at Old Navy that didn't have the crotch snaps, that would be a pain during quick out & about changes.

Oh, and bonus - the little X in the back from the straps makes a good "leash" when they're running off in the wrong direction and that little hand just gets so slippery! ;) If you trust the buttons, it also makes for a good airplane game, but that's probably more for the daddies out there.


Mommy to Jonah

[macassi]

I think overalls are very useful! My oldest son has no waist and a very little behind, and it was very hard to keep pants from falling down. They don't make "slim" size until you leave the toddler sizes, so it has only been recently that I've found pants (other than sweats) that will stay up.

Also, overalls are great to use in combination with lap safety belts. If you feed the belt through the overalls (eg. at the waist between the child's shirt and overall) then they can't stand up and escape. Very useful function for grocery store carts and restaurant high chairs (can you tell I have a climber).

Unfortunately, my second child was a bit of a wide load, and continuously popped the snaps of his overalls. He's always been a pants and shirt kinda guy because they fit better.

Marci

[nigele]

I don't put DS in them very often - when he is sitting in my lap, high chair, or car seat, they can ride up near his chin and he leans his head down and starts chewing on them leaving a huge wet spot on the front of him! But they are adorable - just make sure you have crotch snaps!

[brubeck]

I also happen to be a Mom who prefers crotch snaps, but I didn't use overalls on my daughter until she was walking. Before then I put her in sleepers or one piece outfits that were easier to change, and also had the snaps.

To sum up: crotch snap issues aside, overalls are only cute on a small baby. They are practical on a walker.

[Sheila]

Another nice thing about overalls is they are warm! I always cringe when I see babies (or even toddlers) in 2 piece outfits w/ no onesie underneath, and it's winter and their bare skin keeps getting exposed every time someone picks them up and their shirt rides up. Brrrrr!

I didn't find them convenient at the newborn stage, but once my daughter was 6 mo or so, we really started using them on a daily basis.

Sheila



________
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[August Mom]

Because that's all that will stay on my little guy. :) I can't find any pants that will stay on because his waist is so small, so overalls are great. Also, I think that he ultimately will get more wear out of them than he would with pants, because you can change the length to adjust to your growing baby by moving the buttons/snaps on the straps up and down. Also, most of the ones I have are made to roll at the bottom when he first starts wearing them and then to unroll as he gets longer. Often, the shortest button or snap is still too long, I so move the fastener higher. Some of the Gymboree straps have a metal slide adjuster that's very nice. I do not think that overalls are difficult to put on my son, but I guess that's what I'm used to. I think diaper changes with overalls are a snap - literally! I agree that it would be a pain to do a diaper change in overalls without snaps, but I've never seen those.

[shopaholic mom]

I have the same exact problem w/overalls - they just ride up and the front part gets chewed on by babies and then with crawlers, they also ride up to the knees. I had 1 pair in 3-6 month size, that I loved because of the cute factor, but that was it.

I also find crotch snaps to be very cumbersome. I know I am in the minority, but I learned very quickly that the stretchies with the snaps by the butt (petit bateau and absorba make great ones) were MUCH easier for me than the ones w/the crotch snaps b/c they have 5 snaps up each leg. With the butt snaps, all you do is lie her down, undo 2 snaps (you can even do it while you are holding her) and pull her legs out to change and then snap the 2 up - either lying down, or can be done while you hold her or roll her to the side or tummy - great way to get tummy time in, too). I moved into 2 piece outfits w/pull up pants very quickly - DD has been dressing like a big girl since 3 months - I personally like the look of it better (twin sets and soft jeans or velour bootleg sweatsuits)- she looks like more of a person - in clothes that I would wear but smaller :-)

[parkersmama]

I always loved overalls for my boys and mourned the day that they started potty training and overalls weren't practical anymore. That said, I'm not sure what it is that I like so much! They are darn cute on a toddler and I really never had any problems with them. Two things that I don't think have been point out yet...it's often much easier to unhook the overalls at the top and pull them off for diaper changes than to deal with the snaps on the legs. They come off easily and are simple to put back on. Plus, my boys enjoyed standing up and putting them on "like a big boy" rather than lying down for me to snap up the legs. Secondly, overalls work much better when you use a snap-at-the-crotch shirt with them. It's really a pain to try to keep a regular shirt tucked in but the onesie type shirts work like a charm and are much more convenient!

Denise
mom to:
Parker, 9/1/1997
Wesley, 3/9/2000
and #3 (a girl!) due 4/29/2003