New parents often worry that their baby is too hot or too cold. It is indeed difficult to juggle temperature changes, particularly in spring when it can be very cool in the morning and bright sunshine in the afternoon. Another important factor must also be taken into account: when a baby is born, he does not yet know how to regulate his temperature well. As it comes out of an environment at 37°C, it is essential to cover it well.
How is the newborn dressed?
“Outside of a period of heat waveso you have to wear a long-sleeved bodysuit and velvet pajamas. The first days we also add a bra, socks and a hat”, recommends Pauline Lotte. As the days pass and thermoregulation improves, you can remove your hat, bra and socks.
“We must not forget that this difficulty in regulating one’s temperature also concerns heat. During heatwaves, babies will have difficulty cooling down. You need to dress him in a way that helps him adapt to the surrounding climate. If it is very hot leaving the maternity wardwe will wear a long-sleeved bodysuit and cotton pajamas, or even less the following days, if it is a heatwave. explains the childcare worker.
Newborn clothes: comfort above all!
The first objective is to allow baby to feel good. He should be comfortable and comfortable in his clothes. “You need to go for simple things, clothes that are easy to put on and don’t require too much handling: bodysuits and pajamas that do not close the front, one-piece clothes, loose clothing that allows baby to be free to move around”, explains Pauline Lotte. On the other hand, we avoid suspenders, belts, clothes that are tight at the waist (and increase reflux and gas) or that are pulled over the head, and headbands.
“Baby has the right to stay in pajamas! There is no obligation to put on a dress, tights, pants or a shirt”, insists the specialist. You can of course choose specific pajamas for the day, in order to make a difference, but it is baby’s comfort that takes priority. In terms of materials, the ideal is to favor healthy, natural and breathable materials such as cotton, linen, wool, preferably organic or OEKO-TEX®. However, it is better to avoid synthetics and less pleasant textures which can make baby sweat and make him hot.
How to dress baby during the day and to go out depending on the temperature?
In spring when it is 20 to 25 degrees
Whatever the temperature, but especially in the off-season, baby can quickly get hot… then cool down when he sleeps. You can then play with the layers by adding a bra, a vest and a blanket on the stroller that can be easily removed to adapt to temperature variations.
How to dress a newborn in summer?
During heatwaves or if it is very hot, you can leave your baby in a bodysuit without hesitation. “Some babies don’t cope well with just being in a diaper, so you have to adapt to what they feel. If they are restless and don’t seem very comfortable going shirtless, you can add a bodysuit”, recommends the childcare worker. When they start crawling, they may be embarrassed to have their legs exposed to trudge around in the park, for example. In this case you can add a little legging, preferable to shorts which cinch the waist.
If it’s cold in winter
“You must be very careful with the wind and temperature changes which can cool the child. To go out in winter, the newborn must therefore be well covered, with a complete suit and well protected ends”, recommends the childcare worker. Here again, for baby’s comfort, you can take several throws or blankets that you add to the stroller or pram and that you can remove depending on the weather. This also ensures that baby is not handled unnecessarily, so he or she remains comfortably installed and warm in his or her suit.
In all cases, apart from extreme temperatures, it is good to take babies out for some fresh air!
How to dress baby while carrying?
Even when it’s cold, babywearing counts as one layer of clothing because of the parent’s warmth. “When we go out, we can therefore leave baby dressed as at home, with only an extra vest plus a blanket or coat. Add an extra layer when it’s cold and remove the layer when it’s very hot”, recommends the childcare worker.
Thanks to Pauline Lotte, childcare nurse in the Paris region.