That chill in the air is just coming in. You’ve spent the summer keeping your baby cool and protected from the sun, but a whole new challenge is on its way. How do you keep your baby warm?
Baby winter clothes present challenges as you try to layer them properly, fit your baby in a car seat, and of course, keep your baby warm enough. Babies have trouble regulating their temperature, so they rely on you to keep them warm.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the warm clothes options and want to make sure you’re doing it right, keep reading for our winter baby dressing tips.
1. Layers Are Key
The trick to keeping anyone warm in cold temperatures is layers, layers, layers. Not only can you adjust layers to meet the requirements of the temperatures as you encounter them, but layered clothes are also more insulated.
Keep items in a few baby clothes sizes so that it’s easy to pull larger clothes over smaller clothes. Start with a base layer of a thinner onesie. Then put a fleece onesie or shirt and pants over that. The final layer is a coat, and that should be enough for most temperatures. Those cute boutique baby clothes might get covered up while you’re outside, but don’t forget to take all those layers off inside for your baby to cool down.
Make sure that the baby’s feet are well covered in either a footed onesie or booties. The right baby clothes make all the difference.
2. Add One More Layer
A general rule to follow when dressing your baby for cold temperatures is to dress them in one more layer than you would yourself. Always keep them one step warmer.
Why? While you’re likely walking around and expending energy to keep yourself warm, your baby is either being carried or sitting in a stroller. They’re moving around a lot less and creating less energy to warm themselves with. Babies’ bodies also haven’t fully gained the skill to regulate their body temperatures yet, so they need extra help.
If you’re wearing a fleece, put your baby in a coat. If you’re wearing a shirt, put your baby in a fleece. There’s a wide variety of kids winter coats and fleeces available online, so be sure to stock up so your baby is ready for any temperature.
3. Sleeping Temperature
There is one circumstance for babies in which a little colder is better. Babies sleep better in slightly cooler temperatures, and if you keep your baby too warm, they are at a higher risk for SIDS.
While you want to avoid loose blankets for at least the first year of your child’s life, you can get a thicker article of clothing called a sleep sack to snuggle them at night. But unless you live in truly freezing temperatures, allow your baby to be a little cool at night. Some countries even let their babies sleep outside in the cold!
If you practice co-sleeping, your baby will need even less. The warmth of your body will be more than enough, and they won’t need more than a simple unisex baby clothes onesie to sleep in.
4. How to Tell If They’re Warm
Most parents are always checking and double-checking every scenario for their child’s safety. Everyone wants a way to be sure that their baby is in the best condition. So even if you layer properly, you may be left wondering if you’ve done enough.
Luckily, there’s a way to check a baby’s comfort in the cold. When you come inside from the cold, you can feel a couple of key spots to see how well you did in dressing them. If these spots are a little off, it’s okay! You’ll just know to dress them in more or less next time.
Start with your baby’s feet. They should be a little cool to the touch but not freezing. The extremities are where heat escapes, so it’s natural for them to be cooler, but truly cold to the touch is a sign that not enough blood was traveling there as the baby got colder.
Next, feel the baby’s belly. This spot should be very warm to the touch. The only way the belly can be too warm is if it’s sweaty. You never want the baby to get sweaty because as that water settles and meets the cold air, it will cool down the baby too much. A cold belly means you need to add another layer!
5. Staying Warm In The Car
While layers like coats work for holding your baby or in the stroller, you’ll want to peel them off in the car. First of all, the car warms up like inside the house, and you don’t want your baby to sweat in there.
Second, the straps in car seats aren’t as effective over a puffy winter coat since you’ll have to loosen them. Take your baby’s coat off when you put them in the car, buckle them up, and then cover them up with snug blankets until the car warms up enough.
6. Warm Accessories
Accessories for winter can’t be overvalued. Heat escapes at the head and hands, so you’ll want them covered just as much as your baby’s core.
Get a hat with a chin strap so that it’s harder for your baby to remove and cover those hands with warm mittens. You can also get a full winter playsuit that covers the hands and has a hood.
This final layer is a great opportunity to show off your baby’s style. While most of the cute baby girl clothes will be under blankets and coats, a cute baby hat can never go unnoticed.
Baby Winter Clothes You Can Trust
Nothing is more precious than your baby, and you want them to be comfortable and safe in the winter. With the right layering techniques with baby winter clothes and knowing how to check for your baby’s temperature comfort, you can trust that your baby is kept just warm enough this winter.
Are you a parent who likes to know all the tips and tricks for child-raising? Check out our Kids Things articles for more!