September has been my favorite month for as long as I can remember.

As a child, it meant back-to-school mornings, slightly cooler air, the anticipation of seeing friends again, and that unmistakable feeling of a fresh start.

Years later, September gave me two of my greatest gifts — my babies, born five years apart.

Both times, I spent the final stretch of pregnancy through some of the hottest days of summer, very pregnant and very ready to meet them. Then September arrived. The humidity eased, a light breeze returned, and so did my babies. In more ways than one, they were both a breath of fresh air.

Since then, September has also become one of the busiest months of my year. Coming home from summer vacation, catching up on work, back-to-school lists, parent meetings, deadlines… and two birthdays.

And still, I love my September like no other.

Of course, along with all that joy came the endless little questions of having a newborn — the sleepless nights, the second-guessing, and trying to figure out so many things at once.

One question I remember especially well was surprisingly simple:

What am I supposed to dress this tiny person in?

September makes that question particularly interesting. Warm afternoons can turn into cooler evenings, mornings begin to feel crisp, and the temperature can shift quite a bit throughout the day. And as newborns are still learning to regulate their body temperature, we moms are learning how to keep them warm enough without overdressing them.

Dressing September Babies: Think in Layers

What I eventually learned is that dressing a baby for transitional weather is less about having more clothes and more about having the right layers — simple pieces you can add or remove as the day changes.

Here, layering is key. Having the right pieces within reach, especially layers that are easy to put on and take off, is golden.

I liked to start with a soft, breathable base, usually a cotton bodysuit or onesie and a pair of pants or easy shorts depending on the weather. These were the building blocks of our fall baby clothes wardrobe, making it easy to add or remove a layer as the temperature changed. Having an easy zipper footie nearby is also a good idea, and I have to say, a light cotton cardigan without a hood will serve you incredibly well. A lightweight blanket and a few muslin essentials were almost always within reach too, whether we were at home, out with the stroller, or packing the diaper bag.

The idea is simple. As one of my pediatrician friends once told me, a useful rule of thumb for young babies is to dress them in one light layer more than you’re comfortable wearing yourself. So if you’re comfortable in a T-shirt, for example, a short-sleeve onesie with a zipper footie on top — or a light cotton cardigan as that second layer — may be all you need.

You also quickly learn to read the little signs: checking whether your baby feels too warm or cool, noticing if their back or clothes have become damp with sweat, and changing a layer when needed. And, of course, keeping track of the nursery temperature becomes part of the routine too. Between the room temperature and your baby’s own cues, you get surprisingly good at knowing when a layer needs to come off, go on, or simply be changed.

Once I understood that, the dressing part became much simpler.

Whether you’re putting together baby girl or baby boy outfits, the same layering approach makes getting them dressed much simpler. The shopping part, however, was another story.

And Then There Was the Shopping…

Long before I figured any of this out, there was the slightly overwhelming task of actually shopping for one of the September babies.

Pregnancy brain fog was very real for me. Trying to figure out what we would actually need, how many of each thing to buy, and which sizes would make sense over the coming months felt surprisingly complicated.

Thankfully, I had two people helping me through it: my mom and a very good-hearted mom friend.

Between the two of them, I had some wonderful guidance on what was truly useful, what I probably didn’t need quite so much of, and which pieces I was likely to reach for again and again.

One thing I learned quickly was the value of good basics that come in multiples. Two-packs, three-packs, even five-packs of the pieces you use every day make so much sense during those early months. Bodysuits, burp cloths, muslin essentials — these are the things that are constantly being worn, washed, changed and somehow needed again five minutes later. I remember being surprised by how often I went back for more of the very same basics.

That same friend gifted me a little layette set very similar to our Woodland Layette Set. It ended up becoming one of those baby boy outfits I reached for again and again. It was comfortable, easy, coordinated, and one less decision to make during days when even the smallest decisions could feel like a lot.

Years later, when we began designing our own layette pieces, I never forgot how useful that little set had been. Maybe that’s part of why I still have such a soft spot for them.

So if you’re expecting a September baby, here is one very non-scientific piece of advice from me: sometime around June or July, find yourself a good-hearted mom friend, link arms, and start shopping for those fall baby essentials together. 

She may save you from a few questionable purchases, and quite a bit of pregnancy-brain math along the way.

A Simple Shopping List for September Babies

If you’re shopping for September babies, here’s the list I wish someone had handed me.

For those first weeks, I would keep things comfortable, practical, and easy to mix and match:

• 5–7 bodysuits or onesies. A mix of short and long sleeves depending on your climate.

• 4–6 zipper footies or easy one-piece outfits, especially useful for home, naps, and cooler mornings and evenings.

• 2–3 light layering pieces: Cotton cardigans, pants or simple tops that are easy to put on and take off.

• 2–3 lightweight blankets or swaddles to keep around the house, in a stroller or diaper bag.

• A few muslin essentials for feeding, burping, stroller time, and all the little newborn moments in between.

• 1–2 wearable blankets or cotton swaddles — if you plan to use them for sleep.

• A couple of soft cotton hats, a must-have on cooler days.

• 2–3 pairs of soft mittens. Those tiny newborn nails have a way of finding their little faces.

• Plenty of burp cloths. However many you think you need, somehow there is never one nearby when you actually need it.

And I wouldn’t go too deep into newborn sizing just yet. Some babies stay in newborn clothes for weeks; others seem to pass through them almost overnight.

Start with enough to make those first weeks easy. You can always add more once your baby arrives and you begin to discover what you actually use.

What I Wouldn’t Overbuy

I’m all for stocking up on the basics you know you’ll use, especially a good value pack. But if I were shopping for newborn essentials again, there are a few things I wouldn’t get too carried away with.

Newborn sizes.
You simply don’t know how long you’ll use them. Some babies stay tiny for a while; others seem to grow out of newborn clothes almost overnight, which is one reason I wouldn’t buy too many fall baby clothes before you know how quickly your baby is growing.

Too much future-size planning.
This is where my pregnancy brain really got a workout. I remember shopping for 6-month, 12-month, and even 18-month sizes, trying to calculate exactly what season my baby would be in by the time each one fit.

Buying ahead can absolutely make sense — especially when you find a great basic or a really good deal. But I wouldn’t try to build an entire wardrobe several sizes ahead. Babies grow so differently. Some move through sizes quickly, some stay in them much longer, and height and weight don’t always move at the same pace. That perfectly calculated winter outfit may fit beautifully in November… or sometime in March.

Complicated baby outfits.
There will be plenty of time for those. In the newborn days, the pieces that are easy to put on, take off, and change tend to win.

Very heavy seasonal pieces.
September can still bring beautifully warm days, and even as the weather cools, I found lighter pieces much easier to work with than one very heavy layer.

Hoodies and very bulky cardigans or jackets.
I know. They are incredibly cute. But newborns spend so much time lying on their backs that I always found a hood behind that tiny neck to be an unnecessary bunch of fabric. The same went for very plush, thick cardigans and jackets — adorable on the hanger, but not necessarily the pieces I reached for in real life.

I much preferred soft, flat layers and a light cotton cardigan. When we were heading outside and needed an extra layer of warmth, a soft cotton hat was much more practical for me than adding something bulky. It was easy to keep nearby and just right for those in-between September days. Once the weather gets properly cold, of course, you’ll want a warmer outdoor hat instead.

My Favorite Formula

If I were preparing for September babies again, I would make it much simpler:

A breathable base + an easy layer + something cozy within reach.

That’s really the formula.

I wouldn’t try to predict every temperature change, buy for every possible scenario, or perfectly plan what size my baby would be wearing months from now. I would focus instead on the baby registry must-haves I know we'll actually use, stock up on the basics I know I’ll use, and leave a little room to figure out the rest once my baby arrives.

Because that may be the biggest thing I learned the second time around: you don’t need to have everything figured out before you meet your baby. You learn them. You learn what they’re comfortable in, what you reach for every day, and what makes life a little easier for both of you.

And if you can do all of that with a good-hearted mom friend by your side, even better.

September will always feel like a fresh start to me. And perhaps that’s what I love most about having a September baby, too — you don’t have to know exactly what the season ahead will bring. You just need a little room to adjust, and time to grow in it together.

With Love,

Bige Ayan Ulusoy
Founder of My Little Zone