How to keep baby warm in winter

Hey! Winter is here! It is the time you want to keep warm and stay at home all day. But, you and the baby need fresh air. Going outside helps the newborn baby to acclimatize to the seasons, and it calms them whenever they are fussy. The advantages notwithstanding, first time moms need to take precautions. You need to ensure that the temperature is above freezing. Once it is below freezing, don’t take your infant out.

Infants, do not control their body temperature like adults. This makes them lose heat faster than adults, so they find it difficult to cope with cold. This can lead to cough, cold and flu.

So, your baby relies on you to keep them warm.  In this article, you will learn how to keep your baby warm in winter.

What temperature is safe to take baby outside?

Having a baby for a new mom means staying inside the house for some time until the baby gets older. However, most parents yearn to go outside with the baby and take fresh air. But the thing is, know what temperate is safe to take the baby outside before you take the step.

During the winter, a lot of the days are cold and can be dangerous to take the baby outside. Watch out for any temperature that is below freezing (32 degrees Fahrenheit). You should not be with the baby at such a time. However, you can go outside when the temperature is between 20 and 32 degrees Fahrenheit but stay indoors if it is lower than that.

When the temperature gets too hot (between 80 degrees Fahrenheit), don’t go out with your baby. The baby will find it difficult to cool down. Babies can have heat stroke and be dehydrated faster than adults.

How to dress a baby in winter

Winter is a very cold month, so you need to do all you can to keep your baby warm. Below are tips that will help you.

1. Cover your baby’s head and hands: Babies lose heat through their heads and hands. So you want to make sure you cover their heads with a soft baby cap and lightweight mittens to keep them warm. You can keep the feet warm by using a pair of socks and an undersock.
2. Remove the baby’s coat in the car:  If you are going out during the winter and you want to use the car seat for your baby, ensure you remove the coat. It makes it difficult to buckle the baby into the seat. Also, the fabric can prevent getting a snug fit on the straps. In case of an accident, the baby could fall out of the seat. This can cause serious injuries. So temporarily remove the baby’s coat in the car. Don’t forget to get a car seat cover for your baby. It will help to protect your baby from wind, snow, ice, and rain.

How to dress baby to sleep in winter

Winter nights are especially cold. What you can do to keep your baby warm are:

1. Preheat the crib before baby your baby in it.  If the night is very cold, you can heat the baby’s crib with a heating pad or water bottle for about 30 minutes to make it warm before you put the baby to sleep. Remove it before you put your baby down to sleep.
2. Use a good mattress:  There are different mattresses for babies. Use a firm baby mattress with a fitting waterproof mattress protector sheet. Ensure it is soft. It will help to keep the baby warm at night.
3. Check the positioning of your mattress: Ensure your mattress is placed far away from air vents, windows, fans, and the walls.

Now to the dressing essentials

1. Use a sleeping bag / wearable blanket: Most nights in winter are very cold. This is not the time to use onesies for your child. Use a sleeping bag or a wearable blanket to keep your baby warm through the night.
2. Use the right layer of clothing: Most first time moms would want to ensure that their baby is well dressed to protect them from cold. So, they use lots of layers to ensure they are warm. This is unnecessary. You should dress your baby in one or layer than you. That way, your baby wouldn’t look like an Eskimo. Also, it is difficult to change diapers when there are many layers of clothing to remove.

Taking baby for a walk-in cold weather

Even though winter is a cold month, you may need to go out to get supplies or take a walk to get fresh air. Taking a walk, especially for fresh air can be good for you and the baby. But it can also be dangerous. You need to know how to dress your baby for winter walks.  Below are tips you can follow.

Dressing baby for winter walks

1. Bundle up your bundle of joy. The baby needs to be very warm. So you need to dress them up for the cold outside. The clothing you use depends on the time you are taking for the walk and the temperature outside. To avoid over-layering your baby, you can use your dressing as a measurement. Just add a layer of dress to what you wear for the baby. Ensure that their chest is well covered and warm.
2. Use a bodysuit with a snug like leggings. Add a layer of pants and a long sleeve shirt. Add a baby coat or jacket to help keep your baby warm. Ensure you use breathable fabrics like cotton and muslin.
3. Use hats, mittens, and booties: Hats are every essential for babies in winter. You need to protect the little head to ensure they do not lose heat. If they lose it, then the body will be cold. Hats protect their head and ears from the winter wind. Mittens are also good because most babies get cold in their hands. Keeping it warm in a mitten is a good practice.
4. Use a snowsuit or bunting: When you finish dressing your baby in his outfit, you can wear the snowsuit or bunting before you go out of the door. The snowsuit is good because it has form-fitting legs and arms and they have hoods. While buntings look more like sleeping bags, with a seam between the legs to make stroller snap-ins easier.
5. Use a stroller with a blanket or bunting.  When you are going out for a walk, use strollers with covers fitted to allow proper air circulation. You can also put the baby in a jacket, hat, mittens, and booties and carefully put them under a blanket to keep them warm while in the stroller.
6. Use baby carriers:  With a baby carrier, you can use your body temperature to keep your baby warm. Keep the head and feet covered so they will not lose heat. An ergo or Tula carrier is highly recommended.

Things to do with a newborn in winter

Winter can be a cold and dry month. To make it more lovely, below are the activities you can incorporate into your daily life.

1. Take the baby out to the library, gymnastics studio, parks, training museum, etc.
2. Take your baby for a walk in the shopping mall in the neighborhood
3. Arrange for a play date with friends who have babies
4. Go to Movies Theater with baby cinema with your baby
5. Visit family members
6. In warmer temperature, take a 15-20 minutes’ walk.

Protect your babies during the summer by following the tips above. Also, you don’t have to be indoors all winter because of the cold weather. There are several places you can visit with your baby as mentioned above.  

Make this winter a memorable one for you and the baby.