When To Get Medical Help
Trust your instincts. You know your baby well and will know what usual behaviour is for them . So if you think your baby is seriously ill, even if there are no obvious symptoms, call your GP, NHS 111, or call 999 in a medical emergency.
Get medical help immediately if:
- your baby has a high temperature that doesnt decrease with ibuprofen or paracetamol or if they have a temperature and theyre under eight weeks old
- theyre crying constantly and inconsolably in a way that doesnt sound normal for them
- their vomit is green
How To Dress A Newborn In Summer Safely
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If you need some newborn summer clothes ideas, want to know how to keep baby cool in hot weather at night, and want my general best tips on keeping baby cool in the summer, this will help.
Well, youve got a newborn baby and you are knee deep in that newborn sleep schedule.
Youre probably feeding what feels like every hour or two. Or maybe youve already figured out your newborn feeding schedule.
Bedtime Clothing For Warm Weather Babies
If you live in a warm climate or have your baby in the spring or summer, you may want to choose pajamas snug enough to lull a newborn to sleep but lightweight enough to keep them cool. Try layering a cotton or muslin swaddle blanket on top of a short-sleeved cotton bodysuit. If your little one doesnt like to swaddle , a cotton footed pajama will make them feel safe and secure.
If your newborn is wearing lightweight clothing but is still too hot, inspect the bedding in your childs bassinet or crib. Consider swapping out thick sheets for a lighter 100 percent cotton fitted crib sheet. If you choose quality baby boy and baby girl bedding, the material will still be feather-soft. Cotton sheets come in nearly any pattern, so youre sure to find one to match your childs unique nursery style.
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Dressing Your Baby In Hot Or Cold Weather
In hot weather dress your baby in loose, light clothing such as a singlet and nappy or loose top. If outside, ensure they wear a sun hat and sunscreen.
In cold weather dress your baby in layers so you can remove some clothing when you are in a warmer place. Babies lose heat faster than adults, particularly as the surface area of their head is relatively larger, so ensure that they wear a hat. To prevent overheating, remove the hat or hoodie as soon as you get indoors or into a warm car, bus or train, even if this wakes your baby up.
How To Dress Your Newborn In Winter
Newborn babies have a harder time regulating body temperature than adults. Thats why it’s important to make sure that your baby isnt exposed to extreme heat or extreme cold, and you adapt their clothing to the temperature.
Dressing your newborn baby for cold weather is all about layering up and protecting their heads, fingers and toes. Wind combined with freezing temperatures makes it even colder, and a windy winter day can be much colder than what it says on the thermometer.
What clothes to dress your newborn in on a chilly winters day
- Layer closest to the body bodysuit and long underwear, preferably wool.
- Middle layer fleece or wool trousers and top or overall so there wont be any gaps.
- Outer layer overall in windproof material.
- Head helmet-style wool cap is enough if the baby is in a sleeping bag or thick overall.
- Feet wool socks, fleece slippers or booties in outer layer material.
- Hands hands are usually down in the sleeping bag. If its really cold, mittens may be needed. Polarn O. Pyrets overalls have folding cuffs at sleeves and legs for little hands and feet.
- Buggy sleeping bag or combined overall/sleeping bag that works both in the buggy and in the car seat. Two zips make it easy to dress and undress the baby in the buggy
How to tell if your newborn is too cold
Infants need to wear a hat outdoors year-round to protect them from cold and sunlight.
Winter Coats and Overalls for Babies
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Should Newborns Sleep Under A Blanket
While you want your child to be warm and cozy, it’s wise to use a swaddle only. If you choose to use a blanket to swaddle them, it’s critical to ensure the ends are snuggly tucked. The reason for this is so that your infant doesn’t choke or get twisted up in loose bedding as a result.
Learn More:Sleep Sack or Swaddle Blanket
Should I Worry About My Baby Being Cold
To reduce the risk of SIDS its better for your baby to be on the cooler side, rather than too hot. Premature babies may have more trouble keeping warm, so it is appropriate to dress them a little more warmly. By contrast, when your baby has a fever, resist the urge to turn up the heat or add extra clothes.
Avoid using hats or anything else that covers the babys face or head, as your baby regulates temperature by releasing heat through the head. You can monitor for overheating by touching your babys chest or checking for telltale signs such as sweating, flushed cheeks, damp hair, a heat rash, or rapid breathing. Dont worry if the hands and feet feel colder than the rest of the body.
The AAP does not provide an exact temperature range for the bedroom, but its best not to keep the room too hot. If you use a fan, adjust it so that the air doesnt blow straight at your infant.
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Soothing A Crying Baby
To begin with, your newborn babys only way of communicating is crying. If your little one is crying it can be helpful to run through a quick checklist:
- Are they hungry or thirsty?
- Do they need a nappy change?
- Are they too hot or too cold?
- Are they tired or overstimulated?
- Could they be ill?
- Do they simply need to be held and comforted?
If your baby is crying continuously, or their cry changes to a high-pitched or an unusual cry, seek medical advice.
If your baby cries a lot but is otherwise healthy, your GP might say they have colic . Take a look at our article about how to cope and keep calm with a crying baby. Excessive crying can be tiring and emotionally challenging so try to remember that there is help available and its important to seek support.
Tips For Dressing Your Baby
The video below, from Raising Children Network, gives you some ideas about how to put clothes on your baby. It’s important to be gentle, even if your baby is wriggling.
- Put your baby’s singlet over the back of the head first, then the face. Do the same in reverse when taking it off.
- Don’t pull your baby’s arms because they will pull back. Gently guide the arm through the sleeves.
- For long sleeves, bunch up the sleeve and stretch it to create a wider hole. Then reach through the hole to gently grasp your baby’s hand and slide the sleeve on.
- Do one arm first, then gently roll and slightly lift the baby while sliding the rest of the outfit underneath. Then do the other arm.
- When babies are older they move and fidget more so reassure and distract them with something they can play with, singing, making faces or a nursery rhyme.
Video provided by Raising Children Network.
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Lighten Up On Summer Nights
On warm nights, keep it light and breezy a basic short-sleeve cotton or organic-cotton bodysuit or T-shirt with a muslin or cotton swaddle or sleep sack layered on top is fine.
A bodysuit or tee on its own is also OK if its particularly sweltering. Of course, if you have the air conditioner pumping, you can probably stick with cotton long-sleeve pajamas with footies.
How To Dress Baby For Sleep In The Summer
Evelyn was born in Mid-may, which is a time when its already getting pretty hot here in Northern California. Even though it gets up to 100°+ in our peak summer months, I still found myself thinking that babies wanted to be bundled up while sleeping. It took some trial and error to realize thats simply not trueits an old-school way of thinking and we need to put it to rest!
More importantly, the most recent research shows that you need to keep your baby from overheating because it has been linked to a greater risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome .
When you consider options for dressing your baby for sleep in the summer, pay attention to where they are sleeping in relation to air conditioning vents, ceiling fans, or plug-in fans. If any of these are aimed at your baby while theyre sleeping, theyll probably be more comfortable with at least one thin layer covering their whole body to keep them from feeling the cold air on their skin. A lightweight, full length long-sleeved pajama set might work best.
If they arent sleeping with cold air blowing on them, your baby may be perfectly comfortable sleeping in just a short-sleeve onesie.
And if you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of facing 85°+ temps indoors where baby is sleeping, dont hesitate to let them sleep in nothing but a diaper. Our air conditioning once gave out on us during a multi-day heat wave and that was the only way our daughter could get comfortable enough to sleep!
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How To Dress Baby For Sleep: A Complete Guide
Every year in the United States more than 3.7 million babies are born. This is a wonderful and exciting moment for most parents and their loved ones. And, of course, new babies are often showered with gorgeous gifts.
Beautiful and novelty baby clothing is a huge market in the United States. In fact, new parents spend an average of $60 a month on cute baby outfits for both day and night. So its easier than ever to keep your baby looking gorgeous around the clock.
However, knowing how to dress a baby for sleep isnt just about fashion or comfort. It is also an essential part of keeping your baby safe at night. So what do you need to know?
Read on to find out everything you need to know about dressing a baby for sleep and choosing the best baby clothes.
Room Temperature And Sleep
Ensuring your baby is the ideal temperature is not just to do with what theyre wearing or how many layers of blankets they have tucked over them, but is also largely down to the temperature of the room at night. Its important to remember that room temperature is often the best guide as to what your baby should be dressed in to go to sleep.
Room temperature is often the best guide as to what your baby should be dressed in to go to sleep.
According to The Lullaby Trust, a room temperature of 16C to 20C is ideal keeping a simple room thermometer in the room where your baby sleeps is a good idea and can help you determine what you should dress your baby in for the night. At this ideal temperature, your baby should wear a vest, a sleep suit and then a lightweight blanket or a lightweight, well-fitting baby sleeping bag.
Of course, dressing your baby when the room is at the ideal temperature is all well and good, but what about when the weather gets cooler or warmer?
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How To Dress Baby For The Car Seat
Fitting newborns into car seats isnt too hard when the weather is mild. Usually all they need to wear is a onesie with a light blanket placed over them once theyve been buckled in. A pair of pants or shorts for hot days can help provide an extra layer of protection against pinching from the buckle.
But what about during winter, when baby is outfitted in his lovely new puffy Patagonia snowsuit? There are strong recommendations about not using any puffy attire in the car seat, Price says. Thats because the extra air between baby and the coat could be dangerous during a car accident. Its important to take it off and put a blanket on top of the straps, she says.
What Baby Should Wear For Summer Sleep
Should we still use sleepsacks? Yes, you can still use them in the summerand you should! There are many lightweight sleepsacks available, but I actually really love a wool sleepsack in the summer. I did! Wool is a great body temperature regulator, both in the cold months and the warm ones. Though wool sacks are definitely on the pricier side, they are a great investment, in that they can be worn for a few years, are high quality, and hold up very well over time with the proper care, making it unnecessary to invest in a bunch of other lower quality ones. Woolino and Merino Baby are two excellent brands.
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How To Dress Baby For Winter Sleeping
Winter. The months where we hibernate indoors and share plenty of cuddles with our minis. It’s about this time of year that we get many questions about how to keep baby warm in winter at night, and rightly so, it’s confusing. You don’t want to underdress or overdress them. If just that sentence has you spinning, we got you.
What Should Your Baby Wear To Bed In The Winter
Babies tend to run warmer than adults as their metabolism is working hard. They are growing and so their metabolism is constantly at work.
Most of the books and articles that I read when my baby was going through this said that my baby should be in one more layer than me.
However, I find kids run hot and my baby was always more comfortable in one LESS later than me.
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Leave Baby Alone In The Crib Or Bassinet
Baby should sleep alone on her back without bumpers, stuffed animals, blankets or pillows.
Its okay to start using a pillow and blanket when your child is a toddler and old enough to move out of a crib and into a toddler bed ideally between 2 and 3 years old.
If youre worried about baby being too cold at night, then consider a wearable blanket .
Are crib bumpers safe? Its best to avoid crib bumpers altogether. Like pillows and blankets, bumpers can increase the risk for suffocation and strangulation in younger babies. There’s no solid evidence that they actually prevent injuries in the crib, either.