Being from Alaska, you would think I would love cold weather. But honestly, I hate it. I am always cold, nay freezing. It could be so hot you can fry an egg on a sidewalk, and I’d probably still be bundled up with the heater on at my desk. If I get too hot, it takes nothing to make me cool again. I blame reptilian blood.
However newborn babies can’t tell you if they are too hot or cold, but there are ways to check.
Place your hand across your baby’s back underneath their clothes, or on the back of their neck. They should feel warm, not hot or cold. Feeling a baby’s hands and feet is not an accurate way of telling whether they are cold or hot, as a baby’s hands and feet are usually slightly cooler than the rest of his or her body.
grobag® egg™, the colour changing digital room thermometer is another clever innovation from the people who brought you grobag® baby sleeping bags.
Room temperature
One very useful item to monitor the temperature on your baby’s room is the Egg by Grobag. The patented grobag® egg™ glows yellow if the room temperature is within recommended guidelines (16-20 °C). If the room temperature is outside this range the colour changes and can be used as a guide for parents or carers to take action to cool or heat the room, or to adjust the baby’s bedding or clothing.
As a general rule, your baby needs one more layer of clothing than you do. For example, if you are wearing a t-shirt, then your baby will need a singlet and t-shirt. In very hot weather, your baby may need less clothing. Cotton clothing is great for summer newborns, as it is light and breathes well.
Solarsafe Net Stroller and Playard - Protects against harmful UV rays and insects. Provides 85% UVB and 82% UVA protection. Fits on most strollers and playards.
Sun protection
Your newborn’s skin is soft and raw, and offers no protection from the sun. Use specially designed sun shades, or a cloth nappy or blanket over the car seat or pram to protect your baby from the sun when out and about. When at the beach or park, try to choose a shady area to sit, or take an umbrella or pop-up tent to offer your baby shade.
Bebe Au Lait: Can be used as a nursing cover, a blanket, or even a sunshade to protect baby’s fragile skin from harmful UV rays.
Hydration
If you are breastfeeding, then your breast milk contains both fore milk to quench your baby’s thirst, and hind milk which is your baby’s food. Your baby should not need any fluids other than breast milk, but you may need to give shorter feeds more frequently to keep your baby hydrated. If you are bottle-feeding, you may need to offer your baby cooled boiled water from a sterilized bottle or teaspoon to ensure that he or she has enough fluids in very hot weather.
jj cole muslin blanket - Lightweight wraps ideal for swaddling or receiving. Deliciously soft and naturally breathable..
Sleep
On hot, sticky summer days and nights, you may find that your newborn has trouble settling to sleep. Open some windows in baby’s bedroom to keep the room cool, but be sure that baby’s cot or bassinet is not in a draft. If you can’t open windows, you could try using an electric fan in baby’s room, once again making sure that it does not create a draft on baby.
If you wrap your baby when he or she is sleeping, remove one layer of clothing before wrapping to ensure that your baby does not get too hot. Muslin is great for wrapping summer babies – it is very light and breathes well.
