Caring For My Baby During The Winter

Winter has definitely hit where I’m at so I’m caring for my baby girl a little differently than I would during the hotter months.

I currently reside in Texas where the weather is all over the place.

And where winter usually only comes around for about a month and then it is hot for the rest of the year.

Usually, temperatures drop right about now in January and it will stay cooler for the rest of this month and will start to heat back up in February.

As much as I would like to keep my 6 month old out of the cold as much as possible, I know that I’m going to venture out with her at some point during this month.

So I want to make sure I’m prepared and protecting my baby from the cold and dressing her appropriately.

My first daughter was a little over 3 months old when winter had arrived and I took note of what I did with her when it came to caring for her during the colder season.

As a first-time mom at that time, I did everything I could to make sure she was warm and figured out what I needed to care for my baby during the winter.

And of course, I want to share what I do and use with you all.

Here is how I’m caring for my baby during the winter.

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Can You Not Take Your Baby Out During The Winter?

Before I get into what I have been doing to care for my baby during the winter, let’s address this question.

Can you not take your baby out during the winter?

Of course, you can.

If you make sure that your baby is dressed appropriately and protected from the cold outside, then you should be ok if you have to take outside for a short period of time.

But there is such a thing as it being too cold to take a baby out in.

Babies are more sensitive to colder temperatures and cannot regulate their body temperature as well as an older kid or an adult can.

According to Motherly, the extreme cold becomes a factor when the temperature drops below 32 degrees and you shouldn’t take your baby out at all if the temperature is below 20 degrees.

This is because babies are susceptible to developing hypothermia.

The most common sign of hypothermia that you see in babies is the changes in skin color.

When babies are suffering from hypothermia, they will either turn bright red, blue, or gray.

Other signs include:

• slow breathing
• weak pulse
• low energy
• loss of conscious

If you notice any of these symptoms in your babies, then you need to get them inside and somewhere warm as quickly as possible and call their pediatrician or 911.

Now that we know when it is safe and not safe to take a baby out during the winter, let’s get into what I do and use when caring for my baby during the winter.

Caring For My Baby During The Winter

Make Sure Your Home Is A Ideal Temperature

The first thing I do is make sure our home is at an ideal temperature while we are indoors and at night while we are sleeping.

When the season change and it starts getting colder outside, most of us will likely switch over from the AC to the heat.

And on those colder days, you will be tempted to crank the heat up but I advise you to not crank it up too high.

As I mentioned earlier, babies cannot regulate their body temperatures as well as we can and they become overheated if you have the heat cranked all the way up.

This is especially true at night.

In order for us all to be comfortable in our home, we generally keep the thermostat between 72 to 74 degrees in our house during the winter.

Keep Baby Moisturized

Colder weather means dryer air and dryer air means dry skin.

I know as an adult, I tend to use a thicker moisturizer in the winter versus the summer so my skin stays moisturized during these dry winters.

So I do the same for my baby.

After her bath every night, I follow up with a lotion that moisturizes her skin.

I love using the Shea Moisture Coconut Oil Baby Lotion on my baby girl to keep her skin hydrated and moisturized.

Have A Humidifier Handy

Another item that comes in handy during the drier season is a humidifier.

Humidifiers are great for keeping the air moisturized and also great for diffusing essential oils as well.

During the winter, the chance of someone being congested goes up more much more so I will diffuse an oil that has mint or eucalyptus in it to help relieve congestion.

The humidifier that I have is this on by Safety 1st.

It also doubles a night light that works great in the girls’ room.

Dress Comfortably For Bed

The next thing I do when caring for my baby during the winter is to make sure she is dressed comfortably for bed after she has been moistured.

With the temperatures dropping at night, it can be tempting to pack on the layers when putting your little one to bed.

But you don’t want your baby to overheat with so many layers on.

So I typically dress my baby in one layer that consists of sleeved zipper cotton pajamas.

If you read my post on the newborn essentials that I use my baby, then you know that I love the Carter’s 2-Way Zipper Pajamas.

And I still do, but I was recently gifted these Baby Sleepers from Solly Baby that I have quickly fallen in love with and want to recommend to you all.

The quality of these sleepers is incredible and keep my baby nice and cozy at night.

I also have the matching set that I bragged about in my Christmas gift guide for second-time moms so I can attest to the quality and comfort that these baby sleepers provide.

If you are interested in these baby sleepers, I was also gifted a coupon code for Solly Baby that you can use.

If you use the code JASMYN10, you can save 10% off your purchase using my link here.

Utilize Wearable Blankets

Along with wearing warm comfortable pajamas, the next thing I do is utilize wearable blankets or sleep sacks as some people will call them on those colder days.

This was also an item that you probably saw that I had gotten my baby for Christmas.

I love these wearable blankets because you don’t have to worry about your baby covering their face from a loose blanket that you may be tempted to put over them.

You simply place your baby in this sleep sack with their arms out and zip it up.

It is strongly discouraged to put anything in the crib with the baby when they are this little, so this is a great solution for keeping your baby warm.

Many of you all know that I bedshare with my little one and I still currently do with her being 6 months old.

I don’t put her in a sleep sack when she is in the bed with us but she does take her naps in her crib during the day in which I will put her in one to keep her warm.

I like the ones from Carter’s brand.

Don’t Overdo The Layers In The Carseat

And the last thing I do when caring for my baby during the winter is layer her up in the car seat but I don’t overdo it.

As I have already mentioned here above, I currently live in Texas where we do experience colder temperatures but not for long.

If the temperature drops below freezing, which is rare and random, I just will not leave the house that day with my baby.

But on the days where it might be 50 or 60 degrees, I will venture out with my baby girl.

And when I say venture out, I’m talking about her being outside for just the amount of time it takes me to get her out of the car and into the stroller to push into the store and vice versa.

So she is not outside long at all.

When I know that I’m going to get and about on a cold day, I will layer my baby girl up in this order:

1. Long sleeve onesie
2. Long pants
3. Fleece socks
4. Hat
5. Mittens
6. Fleece Blanket

As you can see, I keep it simple and basic so I don’t overdo it.

You are probably wondering why I didn’t mention a jacket and that is because of how unsafe it is for a baby to be in a jacket in a car seat.

If I’m going to be outside longer than just taking my baby in and out of the store, then I will put her in a jacket.

But since I barely stay outside long on cold days, I just ditch it and get to where I’m going as quickly as possible.

Your Turn

Well, that is everything that I have been doing and my winter care essentials when I’m caring for my baby during the winter. Now I want to hear from you all. What are some winter care tips that you all use when caring for your little ones during the colder months? Let me know in the comments and while you are still here, check out my previous post below. Until next time!

• Read More: New Year’s Resolutions To Make As A Family

Love,

Just Jass