Dressing your winter baby – 7 tips!
Winter, snow, and cold weather. Hopefully, you have a warm and cozy home for your newborn baby, but how should you dress your child when it's time to go for winter walks? Here, we give you our best tips on suitable clothing for your winter baby.
Read time: 3 m
Newborns and infants have a harder time regulating their body temperature than adults, so be mindful not to take your baby out in extremely cold weather. Depending on where you live and the type of cold weather (dry or humid), you have to decide when it's too cold. High humidity and wind can make it feel much colder when it's windy outside in winter. Dry cold is often perceived as milder.
It's easy to think that newborns need lots of clothes to avoid freezing. The trick is not to overdress the baby but instead use the layering principle. Feel the back of the baby's neck – if it's sweaty, the baby is too warm, and you can remove a layer. If the neck is cool, you need to add more clothes. Hands and feet are usually a bit colder than the rest of the body, so make sure to keep them warm with mittens and socks or booties.
Tips for good winter clothes in three layers:
- The first layer consists of base garments closest to the body that should keep the baby dry and warm. Opt for a bodysuit and leggings/trousers in wool.
- The second layer is clothing that will keep the baby's body warm when it's cold. Consider a jumpsuit or pants and a sweater in fleece or wool.
- The third layer is the outerwear that should protect the baby from weather and wind. A warm winter overall in windproof material that protects against cold, wind, and moisture is perfect.
In addition to the three layers, where you can add or remove the second and third layers depending on the outdoor temperature, your baby needs a hat, mittens, and booties or warm socks for their feet.
Hat: A wool helmet hat works well if the baby has a thick overall that covers the head, or if the child is in a stroller bag.
Mittens: The hands might already be protected if the overall has foldable sleeves or if the baby is in a stroller bag. In that case, mittens are not necessary. But assess how you feel the cold – if it's really chilly, mittens might still be appropriate. Attach them with mitten clips.
Booties or socks: To protect the little feet from the cold, you can get a pair of wool socks, fleece slippers, or booties. A tip is to secure these with mitten clips as well.
It's always good to have a few extra blankets with you when you go out to guard against unexpected cold, as well as an extra hat and mittens that can easily come off as the child gets a bit older, perhaps without you noticing.
Written by Preggers
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