Recommended for babies born in autumn and winter! A heartwarming experience of receiving a [poncho/cape] as a childbirth celebration gift ♡

2022.12.13 published

Gifts I Was Happy to Receive for My Baby's Birth ♡

Hello, this is Nagisa from marry.

My child was born in October last year, and it has been a year now.

I recently had a chance to meet a friend who is pregnant, and I asked if she had any requests for baby gifts. She said she wasn't sure what was needed, so she wanted to know what gifts were appreciated or what might be useful!

Every gift I received was, of course, appreciated, but after a year of thinking seriously about "which one did I use the most? Which one has been the most useful?"...

I realized that I found the [poncho] to be very convenient and useful! So I decided to tell my friend and give a poncho as a gift.

I received various baby gifts, but I'll share the reasons why I think a poncho is great.

Ponchos Can Be Worn for a Long Time!

After a year of having my child, the reason I believe a poncho is a good gift is that...

Ponchos don't have specific size regulations, so they can be worn from newborns up to about 2 years old for at least 2 seasons (ideally 3 seasons).

My daughter used the poncho we received almost every day during the fall and winter of her first year, and she's still using it this year.

Among the clothes we received as gifts, the only items she still wears now that she is over one year old are the poncho and the feeding apron dress (though that might not exactly be considered clothing…!).

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Newborn clothing sizes tend to be either 50 or 60 cm. They are small and incredibly cute, but before you know it (in my daughter’s case, in less than six months), they can no longer fit. Even if they don’t size out, they can’t be worn as the seasons change after six months.

By the next season (a year later), they will be around 70–80 cm, making the newborn sizes of 50–60 cm quite impractical.

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It’s common to hear that since newborn clothing is quickly outgrown, gifts in sizes around 70-80 cm are better!

Indeed, clothes in the 70-80 cm size can be worn for a longer period than newborn sizes, and for some children, they might be able to wear them for more than a year.

However, due to the individuality in growth rates, it’s not guaranteed that they will actually wear them for over a year. In fact, my daughter is quite tall; by the time she turned one, her height exceeded 80 cm, and the 80 cm clothes we received as gifts were already too tight for her to wear…!

(She wore 80 cm for about six months, from six months to a year.)

Given that there is significant individual variability in growth, deciding which season’s clothes to give can be a tricky size choice.

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By contrast, since ponchos don’t have specific sizes (most are either one size or marked as 60–90 cm), they can be worn from newborn to about 2 years old for a long time (they can definitely be used for 2 seasons!), making them quite valuable ♡

Most clothing like underwear, rompers, shirts, pants, and coats have specific sizes; however, ponchos do not, allowing them to be worn for an extended time.

Versatile Use is a Plus ♡

Additionally, I think ponchos are convenient because they can be used in various ways.

You can wear them normally (like a cape) without putting your hands through, and many ponchos come with snap buttons on the arms, allowing you to wear them with your arms through as well.

They can also be used as a substitute for a blanket.

Depending on the product, the poncho I received has a strap at the neck, making it easy to attach over a baby carrier or stroller, which is quite handy!＊

➡ I received a poncho from Petit Main ♡

This is what it looks like when used over a baby carrier!＊

How Is the Size Actually?

Here’s a picture of my daughter wearing the poncho we received.

For outings from November to around April for my daughter, who was born in October, this is how she looked.

With the poncho and its hood, plus a blanket, she was warm and cozy even during the cold winter! ♡

This autumn (around her first birthday), she is wearing it like this. Since the sleeve buttons are fastened and she is wearing it with her arms through, it appears to be three-quarter sleeves, but when worn without fastening the buttons, it reaches just about her wrists.

I remember the editor-in-chief of marry, Haruno's son, also wore a pure white poncho, which was incredibly cute.

Born in August, he wore it a lot during his first autumn and winter! ♡

He also wore it the following autumn and winter (around one and a half years old). The sight of him walking in a pure white poncho was truly adorable! ♡

In the next autumn and winter (around two and a half years), he still wore it, but I felt he wore a coat on many days. When I asked Haruno, she mentioned, "Now that he runs around, using a poncho makes it difficult for his arms to move, which can be dangerous…".

Size-wise, it would still fit, but it feels like the situations in which he could wear it were getting limited.

I feel like ponchos are the only children's clothing items that can be worn for three seasons (without feeling too baggy or too small)…!

If You Want to Give a Poncho as a Gift...

I looked around to decide which poncho to gift to my friend and found some that I thought were great! Let me introduce them.＊

The Mikihouse poncho looks stylish like a duffle coat. The inside is fluffy and looks warm, and it has cute bear ears!

➡ Available at Rakuten! ♡

Gelato Pique's bear poncho ♡

➡ Available at Rakuten! ♡

The North Face also offers ponchos. You can have matching outfits with your child! ♩

It seems perfect as a gift for couples who love camping and outdoor activities! ♡

➡ Available at Rakuten! ♡

The Comsize Um poncho comes with ears and pockets!

➡ Available at Rakuten! ♡

Popular baby ponchos on Rakuten. You can choose from various materials and styles like cable or quilt, and you can also have a name embroidered on the hat! ♩

➡ Available at Rakuten! ♡

Ponchos Are Highly Recommended as Baby Gifts ♡

I believe there are many options for baby gifts, including clothes, toys, and towels...

However, since I received a poncho and it has been so useful, I think it will surely be appreciated by others as well! ♡

Ponchos that can be worn for 2 or 3 seasons serve as regular outerwear, baby carriers, and strollers. They probably won’t overlap much with what others give either! ♩

Please consider adding them to your list of baby gift ideas for babies born in the autumn and winter! ♡

➡ Search for ponchos on Rakuten! ♡