Dressing babies in the winter

[PeterPan]

Am I doing something wrong? It seems like I have to put him in a zillion layers to keep him warm, and this is indoors! We have the heat cranked up to 71, and yesterday I put him in a cotton sleeper, fleece sleeper, socks, snap-up (like a onesie), and a hat PLUS using a blanket while I rocked him! And how do you know if they're warm enough? I heard it was the ears, but sometimes the ears are warm and the hands not, etc. I don't remember this being an issue with dd, possibly because she was older when winter came.

 

And what's the deal with boys pants?? Do they really think a pair of corduroy pants (baggy and loose) will keep a little baby warm? I'm having to put little knit straight pants on under them to create an extra layer and keep him warm!!! Am I doing something wrong, or is this just normal and I didn't realize it? Seems kind of silly to pay for clothes and then put more underneath, lol. Of course these were all gifts. He's a regular fashionista these days. Today he has a snap-up, long-sleeve knit shirt that snaps at the crotch, another flannel shirt that buttons up over that, knit pants under a pair of corduroy pants, socks, and a hat! That, plus a blanket and some snuggling, got him warm. Wowsers!

 

Any thoughts? Should I just be cranking my house up to 75???

[abbeyej]

I would be a lot more worried about *over*heating him in the house. He should be in about the same number of layers that you, your daughter and your dh find comfortable in the house -- not more.

 

Outside, of course, it can be a challenge to keep a baby warm (as it is with any of us), but inside the risk of SIDS goes up with overheating, and babies simply don't need to be significantly more bundled than children and adults.

 

I'd be sure to keep a light cap and socks or slippers on him, but beyond that the risk is simply greater from overheating than under-dressing. 71 degrees in the house should make a light footed sleeper and a cap plenty. You can throw a sweater on on top if you want, but I wouldn't do more than that as long as his tummy is warm and his feet and head are covered.

[Merry]

one who was born in March in Minnesota where there was still snow on the ground. What I did was to go by the clothes the family was wearing to judge how warmly the babies needed to be dressed. Maybe a bit warmer than that if the babies were sleeping most of the time but then again they would be under blankets for the naps. Babies have the same need for warmth as older people but the difference is that they lose body heat faster than us due to their small size. I think a good way to tell if they're cold is to go by how their arms and legs feel.

[mchel210]

WHat a difference a few thousand miles makes...I keep my ac at 78 or so all year...if I drop it to 75 we are freezing...LOL. So 71 would be bundled up for us. Thats Florida for you.

 

Ok...so what I have heard is whatever you are wearing is what your baby should be wearing. So if you have on a sweatpant type bottom and tshirt with socks...your baby should have about the same. Or if you are wearing a jacket and hat...your baby would have the same ...plus a blanket in my view.

 

I saw a family yesterday in church and it was cool outside...but at least in the high 70s in the church and the baby was in the same outfit you are talking about with a fleece blanket wrapped all around him while sitting in a hot car seat. I think he was cooking.

 

I would think a nice pair of socks, long onesie with a thin hat would be enough inside.

[rafiki]

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[Ellie]

And what's the deal with boys pants?? Do they really think a pair of corduroy pants (baggy and loose) will keep a little baby warm?

No pants; overalls. An undershirt, shirt, overalls, socks, and he should be fine if the rest of you are fine. Overalls for this age snap on the inseam so you can do diaper changes easily. My dds wore overalls--very cute girlie ones, of course--until they were 2-3 yo. Keeps their tummies warm :-)

[TraceyS/FL]

WHat a difference a few thousand miles makes...I keep my ac at 78 or so all year...if I drop it to 75 we are freezing...LOL. So 71 would be bundled up for us. Thats Florida for you.

 

I keep it 79-80 in the summer, and for financial reason have to keep it 68-70 in the winter. I'm FREEZING in here today. I don't do the cold. I can't afford to have the usage go up since i heard Progress got their rate hike :glare: (for the record people it's 45 out right now, cold coming thru my single pane windows).

 

Anyway, mine just always wore about what we wore :D

[dirty ethel rackham]

I always found that dressing my babies in one more layer than I was wearing kept them comfortable, unless I was wearing them next to my body since I was sharing my warmth with them. I was always told that babies should use their energy for growing - body and brain, not for keeping warm. If they are not moving around like the rest of the family, they will not be getting warm. I always checked their necks for overheating.

 

here is a good link on dressing a baby.

[jenniferlee]

They just need one more layer than what you are wearing - like a onesie underneath whatever would be keeping you comfortable. Don't go by toes or hands - those are always cold.

Jen

[Lolly]

What is making you think he is cold?

 

My babies I just dressed in similar layers based on what I felt comfortable wearing. I did usually have a little cap on them in the winter though. Mine were fall preemies. Those little lightweight caps really help babies to hold their temps. steady.

Edited November 17, 2008 by Lolly

[Tammyla]

Those little hands can be covered in baby mitts. If any part of him was cold to the touch, I'd find a way to keep him comfy. I know when pregnant or with a young baby, my body thermostat seemed to go hay wire....Hot...I was just hot all the time. Noses, hands and feet along with their tummies was where I checked.

He sounds like a little bundle of love.:grouphug:

[swellmomma]

I have had 3 fall babies(all prems) so they were all small when winter hit. I always just put them in 1 layer more than we were all wearing. SO a onsie under their clothes, and socks or booties on the feet to keep them warm even though the rest of us are usually barefoot indoors and a little cap if needed.

 

Dressing in that many layers I would be worried about overheating which some speculate can lead to sids. I always check the back of the neck, if it is cold I add a layer, if it is hot/sweaty I remove a layer.

 

Even going outside I did not worry too much, I used a cuddle bag int he carseat, so I would dress them in a light sweater over their clothes and put the min the cuddle bag and they would be warm. On really nasty days I would add and extra blanket. Most babies are fine with just the corduroy pants, just if you are worried you can pick up a package of babylegs, which are basically leg warmers for babies to wear underneath, which feel more comfortable for baby than 2 pairs of pants.

[3lilreds in NC]

I do a onesie under regular clothes. Honestly, when the Snort was tiny, he wore mostly one-piece, footed outfits with a onesie and socks. I didn't mess around too much with the pants and shirts because it seemed silly, and I am lazy. You have to change too many diapers to mess with all those pants, LOL! He didn't like hats, but if your little guy doesn't mind them, you could put one on if he seems cold.

 

At night, though, his room stayed chilly so he would have one of his cotton one-piece footed things under a fleece sleeper with socks. I felt like he had a hard time keeping warm for the first few months, too. It sounds like you might have a few too many layers on. :) What's the temp in your house?

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

Based on my experience that is a lot of clothing for indoors. Now if you like to keep the house "chilly"...

 

I had the onesies for all three kids but only used them for extended outdoor periods. One child was raised very far north in a cold zone and the other two in the Mid-Atlantic. I think you have to judge day and night differently. I might add a onesie at night if I have a cooler house since babies rarely keep their blankets on. Also, if you are wearing a sling or the like, the baby is getting a lot of body heat from you.

 

Remember too hot is a problem just like too cold.

[newlifemom]

My dr once told me that you cant tell accurately by the hands. He told me to check the back of the neck. If that was warm then good. When I see a baby with a ton of clothes on and bright red cheeks I feel so bad. They're hot IMO and I just want to strip them. Ask my girlfriend. I routinely took clothes off her kids. They were sweating for goodness sake!

 

My $.02.

[Unicorn.]

I would be a lot more worried about *over*heating him in the house. He should be in about the same number of layers that you, your daughter and your dh find comfortable in the house -- not more.

 

Outside, of course, it can be a challenge to keep a baby warm (as it is with any of us), but inside the risk of SIDS goes up with overheating, and babies simply don't need to be significantly more bundled than children and adults.

 

I'd be sure to keep a light cap and socks or slippers on him, but beyond that the risk is simply greater from overheating than under-dressing. 71 degrees in the house should make a light footed sleeper and a cap plenty. You can throw a sweater on on top if you want, but I wouldn't do more than that as long as his tummy is warm and his feet and head are covered.

 

:iagree: Dress him the way you would dress, meaning if you're wearing a single, lightweight layer, then that's what you put him in. I always feel sorry for babies that I see that are way over dressed.

[neesek]

I just read an article on this in the Columbus paper. It is still available on-line here.

 

They say to check the back of baby's neck to check body temperature. I thought that was interesting.

[In The Great White North]

Cotton is a poor insulator and fleece just makes them sweaty, not warm. If you think he's still cold, try some wool.

 

http://www.nordicwoollens.com/c188943.2.html

 

Although they seem expensive, compare them to the price of oil if you raise the temp in your house and then they aren't so bad.

[catalinakel]

Ah, you're making me all nostalgic;) We always had a more chilly house because I hate running a heater. So my babies always wore cotton tights under their sweat pants or overalls, and a turtle neck, slippers and a hat. That kept them warm, that and all the scooting around they did. Not long ago I actually had my boy(now 10) wear some cotton tights under his jeans to keep warm on a winter trip out of doors-he didn't fight me as this was always our practice when they were little. I have always had turtlenecks on them both too, so they wear them now, and always hats, so they are comfortable wearing them too. And always socks or slippers for the feet.

[PeterPan]

Sorry I took so long to get back!! Thanks for all the replies! I didn't realize it was so necessary to wear a hat. We just started (oops), and it does seem to help. The sleepers are big, so they pull over his hands a bit. And you're right, it's when he's off me, especially in the swing, that he gets cold. We spend a lot of time in our basement, which feels a bit cold even when the heat is up. That's probably why I'm having trouble. And no, I'm not overheating him. I'd at least recognize that, lol. That's a good tip to check the back of the neck. I had read ears, and they just didn't seem reliable. The neck makes a lot more sense.

 

I'll check out those woolens and the tights and leg warmers. As you say, I think I'm running hot and that's why he needs a bit more layers than me. I'm in short sleeves right now and quite comfortable. ;)

 

Thanks for the tips!