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My first born Ruben was born in December – the frostiest of winter babies! My worries were all about keeping him warm enough, especially making sure that he didn’t get cold in the carseat, knowing that they can’t wear a pram suit or puffy coat in there to be safe.
But now I’m due any minute with my first summer baby and my brain is full of so many different worries and it’s pretty exhausting. Luckily pregnancy = insomnia so I’ve had plenty of time to research some must haves and don’t dos of having a summer baby!
I’ve invested in another GroEgg so we can check the temperature upstairs and downstairs, a load of rompers for the hotter days, and 1.0 tog sleeping bags for hot nights.
(Obviously not a medical professional etc etc etc)
You can’t put suncream on a baby until they are 6 months old
This was something I didn’t know until I had Roo and I was so surprised. Babies have such sensitive skin and those that are under 6 months old should just be kept entirely out of the sun. Put them in protective clothing and a hat (I’ve got some really cute ones for baby 2 that will keep his face and neck covered!) and sit until a parasol if you have to be outside.
Newborn babies do not need water!
Again, before 6 months your baby shouldn’t need any additional water. It feels so counterproductive as you don’t want them to get thirsty, but one thing that helped me when I was breastfeeding my first, was remembering that one reason a baby may want to breastfeed is for a drink, as well as food (and comfort too of course) and that milk has enough water in it to keep them hydrated. If they’re not taking any milk and/or you’ve noticed they aren’t having many wet nappies and/or you notice their soft spot (how weird is that by the way?!) is sunken in, seek medical advice ASAP.
You can’t put a muslin over your pram or carseat!
You might want to shade your baby from the sun while they’re in their pram, but it’s really important not to use a blanket or even a muslin for this as this can cause the temperature to hugely increase and overheat baby. I was sent this cute watermelon sun shade which can be set to work as a breathable shade from the sun, but with plenty of room for circulation and allowing air to flow through safely.
Babywearing in the heat
We love babywearing for so many reasons – it’s so lovely to have your baby close by (they love it and so do I) and it also means you have your hands free to do other things which is ideal if you have a toddler, like I do. When wearing a sling or wrap in hot weather, consider that as one extra layer when you’re deciding what to put them in to wear. Don’t let them get too hot – keep checking the temperature of baby’s chest and back.
I’m still anxious about what the summer might bring with a newborn, but after a lot of research, I’m feeling a lot better.
Do you have any top tips for summer with a newborn? Let me know in the comments!