As the summer begins to creep up on us and our time out in the garden increases, so does our baby’s chances of getting restless, irritable and dehydrated in the summer heat. If there is anything that I have learnt over my 12+ years of being a mum, alongside my 23 years of childcare experience, it’s this: I love to be in the heat, basking in the sunshine and getting all the vitamin D into my skin as possible. It is probably the easiest way to make me happy! Babies, however, are not so easy to keep happy in the warmer weather.
Babies are often tougher than they look but they do have very delicate skin. They often like to be at a certain temperature, fed at certain times of the day and they like to rest at the same time each day. That is their routine and I think we all know a routine is the absolute holy grail of motherhood....well, it was for me. You know when your baby needs feeding, when their bedtime is, when bath time is: you have their routine in line with your life as well. A cohesive lifestyle that suits both you and your child. It works, it’s great! Amazing in fact! You think you have your new found motherhood down to a tee, it almost feels, dare I say…easy? But then, just as you think you have it all sorted, in walks the summer heat: a new obstacle to figure out how to get over!
As I faced this obstacle with both my children (and the many other I have cared for over the years), I learnt that the heat can throw everything out of whack! I know that with both of my girls, as they got hotter, their temperature would go up, making them feel hot and sticky. They felt irritable and they cried a lot, even though they weren’t sure themselves on what they wanted. As I breastfed Rose during her first summer, the shared body heat between us made her very uncomfortable. It was a very stressful situation for both Rose and I. However, you soon learn after a lot of trial and error, along with one hell of a lot of perseverance, how to help your little one cope. But it can take some time and time is something I have found, as a mum, you don’t tend to have a lot of! Which is why I have complied a list for you containing some key factors on how to keep your tiny tot happy in this heat!
My first rule of thumb is to pick the right clothes! This is probably the most important factor to remember when keeping your baby cool in warm weather! If you’re indoors, a loose fitting and light weight garment made out of cotton is the best item for your baby to wear, as cotton absorbs sweat and perspiration better than synthetic fabrics. If you’re outside, then it’s also best to dress your little one in a light coloured garment. This is because darker colours hold in more heat, so dressing your baby in something that is dark purple or a deep blue colour is probably best to avoid during the hot summer days. You should also dress your baby in a long sleeved top and long trousers to ensure that they’re well covered, as we all know just how damaging the sun can be to our own skin! It is also a great idea to put a wide brimmed hat on your baby so that their faces are shaded from the harmful sunrays. On Rose, I also use added protection in the form of sun cream! I use a factor 50 uvb + 5star uva sun cream, as this is the best way to prevent any long or short term skin damage. I normally use the Boots Soltan Once, which is also water resistant and hypoallergenic!
My second way that I keep my baby cool in the heat is ensuring that there is good ventilation. This is because baby’s can’t sweat as effectively as us grownups do, meaning they can over heat much faster. This is why your baby should never be left in a hot room or parked car, even for a few minutes, as it can cause their temperature to spike, which can be very dangerous! I found that setting up a fan with a frozen bottle of water in front of it can help to keep your baby cooler, as it means that cool air is being blown around the room.
Another factor to consider is your baby carrier. By this I mean you should ask yourself “is my baby carrier summer friendly?” The reasoning behind this is because body heat and a confining space is a bad mix. It can make your baby really hot in minutes! Something no mum wants is their new born crying in their baby carrier because they’re too hot and won’t settle! You should check the fit of your baby in their carrier. Ask yourself: does your baby look like they have some room to move around in, or are they constricted? I would also suggest you have a look at the fabric that your baby carrier is made out of! Preferably, you would want a carrier which is made out of a lightweight nylon material: rather than a heavy fabric, to help your baby keep cool. Just remember that if your baby begins to look or feel flushed, then you should remove them straight away to avoid your baby overheating!
Another important fact to remember is that hydration is key to keeping your baby happy in the heat! Well, what I’ve learnt is that you can battle your baby’s dehydration through feeding your little one more frequently. This just helps to replenish the fluids that your baby has perspired. Your baby should take in more fluid than usual during the summer months. Here is a list of warning signs to look for to tell whether your baby is becoming dehydrated: a flushed face, warm skin to touch, rapid breathing, restlessness and dry nappies. I conquered Roses dehydration through a number of ways. I would feed her little and often all day and all night, because keeping on top of your regular milk feeds helps to fight off dehydration. Also, depending on your babies age, you could offer then some cooled down boiled water in between their feeds, just to help restore their body fluids.
The next rule of mine is one which has come in handy when needing to compromise. During the hot summer months, my eldest daughter, Grace, is at the age where she still loves to go to the park and play! After having Rose this became slightly more difficult, as I was aware of the impact the warm weather can have on my baby. I know from my many years of looking after children that, it is best to keep babies out of any direct sunlight between the hours of 10am and 2pm. These hours are the warmest time of day and are also the times of day that the sun does the most damage to both our skin and our baby’s. I found that planning our outdoor excursions around these peak times meant that we still got to go out of the house without Rose getting distressed! However, if you are outside during these times of the day, then just ensure to keep your little one in the shade as much as possible. You can use a sun shade on your buggy to help achieve this if there are no natural sources of shade available, such as trees. Just remember the cool loose fitting cotton clothing, sun cream and extra fluids! Please just remember to not cover up your babies buggy using a muslin or a blanket, as the heat inside of the buggy will rise extremely quickly and this can cause your little one to become very unwell! You should always ensure that there is good air ventilation around your baby.
My last main tip for how to keep your baby happy in the heat is through ensuring you give them heat soothers. If your baby sweats profusely in the heat, you may notice red bumps appear on their skin, particularly in areas such as the neck; groin and the skin folds in backs of the knees and elbows. To help alleviate the discomfort, remove their hot and sticky outfit they’re in and replace that with light cotton clothes, or even just a plain dry nappy to help cool them down! You can also apply some corn-starch baby powder to the affected area. Then keep your baby in a cool and well ventilated room. Try closing the curtains 2/3 of the way to keep the sun from heating the room and open a window to let fresh air in. I must say though, one of the best things I ever did with Rose was buy a supportive baby bath! When she was 3 months old, we experienced a really hot May, so as a solution, we filled the baby bath with some cool water and sat Rose in there! Obviously, we never left her when she was in the bath! She spent most of her time in there and it kept her happy and cool! She loved it!! Another thing which she loved was the frozen milk lollipops that I used to make her! To do this, I would use an ice cube tray and place some of my breast milk in the tray and then sick a dummy in it, creating a nice little cool lollipop for her to lick and keep her cool. This would also work with formula milk as long as you ensure that it is thoroughly cooled down before freezing! Just remember to sterilise the ice cube tray first! Once frozen, you can then put them into freezer bags with the date they were made on them! Just ensure you check how long frozen milk lasts!
So there you have it! Your quick fix guide to keeping your baby cool in this heat and most importantly, happy! I hope you enjoyed reading this blog post and that you learnt a lot from it! If you haven’t already then make sure you sign up to my weekly newsletter, so that you can be updated when my next post comes out! Now go and have fun in the sun!
Love,
Rachael x
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