While most of us are rejoicing at this sudden arrival of Summer, for those with a brand new baby or very little one there is suddenly a new thing to worry about!
1. Open the windows during the day but keep the curtains closed ALL DAY. This should keep the room shaded and therefore a little cooler.
3. Do not be too proud to ask another Mummy if you can borrow some of their suncream. WE have ALL had those days when we've run out of the house and left stuff behind! Mummies are always happy to lend sunscreen to another baby!
Baby's can't regulate their temperature very well and so need to be kept as cool as possible. If your baby room thermometer says it's too hot there's not much you feel like you can do.
Here are some simple tips I tried a few summers ago when DangerBaby was very very young:
1. Open the windows during the day but keep the curtains closed ALL DAY. This should keep the room shaded and therefore a little cooler.
2. Move the baby to a cooler room! North facing gable rooms tend to be quite cool.
3. Fill up a bath with cold water, as it tries to 'heat up' to room temperature it 'cools' the air around it (this also works inversely so leave a bath of hot water to cool and it heats your upstairs).
4. Put washing up bowls with cold water / ice in the same room (do not sit or step on them when going in tired for a night feed tho'!).
5. Use a light cotton blanket to wrap baby in. Dress baby in as little as possible and layer light cotton blankets if baby feels cool.
6. Invest in a fan, moving air helps dissipate the heat a little.
7. Move the moses basket to the floor - heat rises so it may be a little cooler on the bedroom floor.
8. Keep calm, if baby is sleeping and isn't distressed by the heat then it's OK to relax a little about the room temp.
During the day, there's the extra stress of the delicate new skin in harsh hard sunlight. Mine has sensitive skin and doesn't function well to this day if the thermometer reaches the heady height of 24C (she is half Welsh after all). So don't be afraid to experiment with children's sunscreen until you find the right one for you.
Here are some tips for keeping baby cool during the day -
1. Those cotton onesies are perfect for baby - cotton breathes with the baby! They don't need leggings if it's hot!
2. Hats will rarely stay on (pesky children take them off again) so invest in some shade producing accessories - perambulators, muslin cloths with pegs etc... anything you have to hand.
3. Do not be too proud to ask another Mummy if you can borrow some of their suncream. WE have ALL had those days when we've run out of the house and left stuff behind! Mummies are always happy to lend sunscreen to another baby!
4. Try to keep your baby out of direct sunlight, seek the shade of a tree / hedge / building when out and about.
5. Be sure to have lots of fluids for you and baby! It's important that Mummy is hydrated as well as baby!
6. If travelling by car make sure windows are shaded so that baby isn't in the direct sunlight, you may want to put the AC on or open the front windows.
7. Invest in one of those little hand held fans, if you're lucky you may find one that squirts water as well! Mine loved to be gently splashed with cool water it was a good game! When it gets really hot a tepid paddling pool is the best place for Mummy and Baby to be!
8. Don't panic! Being sensible about the weather and taking precautions should mean that both you and baby can enjoy the weather!
We hope that you enjoy the weather with your little one and in a few Summer's time you'll have something else to worry about...
STAYING DRY!!
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