Keeping Babies Warm- Help!

mkross123

I have just been lost in the Google rabbit hole for an hour trying to figure out a plan for us to keep our new little babies warm this winter. We live in New England, so winters can be pretty rough. From what I've read, I now know NOT the put bulky coats or suits on babies going into carseats. I did just scope out some of the better reviewed car seat covers, but I just feel lost overall. Anyone who has had a baby in winter and had to take them outside in cold weather regularly (let's say 20 degrees on average, though it can be warmer or cooler), what did you do? How many layers did you dress them in? What did were the layers comprised of? Any brand/product recommendations--keep in mind we do not have money to waste, fear they'll outgrow things, and have two coming so have to purchase double everything. Also, to clarify, I am planning for short trips in and out of the car, errands, etc. Thank you!

erinboehme

I put mine in the carseat and layer them with blankets, cover the carseat with a blanket, and put the baby in the car. Hats, socks, etc. I haven't had a child freeze yet.

casserole27

I think a good rule of thumb is one more light layer than you need. It's good to do light layers so you can easily add/remove items as needed.

ChariZae

I would do a onesie under clothes. Hats, socks, hoods, etc. I got one of those carseat covers that fits like a shower cap and would put a blanket in the carseat with baby. I took off cover and sometimes blanket once in the car to avoid overheating. I only did a coat if we were going to be outside for more than a few minutes.

LiveNLove44

I'm in the upper Midwest, so I hear ya about the cold in winter! DD was very little in the cold winter months, and we dressed her in a long sleeved onesie, long pants, socks, shoes, and a zip-up sweatshirt. We put mittens and a hat on her in the carseat for in and out of the car, plus a blanket for the crazy -40 wind chills. I took the blanket off for the car ride, but it's accessible. We had a carseat cover to top it off which really just helped to keep her out of the wind and snow more than anything! I would definitely recommend a good carseat cover more than anything. The rest will be easy to figure out when you get there. Good planning!

KLHauck12

Any recommendations for where to get a quality car seat cover? I've only seen the ones you get a coupon for at motherhood maternity (carsear canopy) but have no idea if they are good....or if there are better ones out there. I llive in MN & it can get cold. I need a good cover!

eat111315

My daughter was born October 21 and we live outside of Boston so hopefully this will help.

Like others have said: layers are best. I have the car seat canopy (the one you get inundated with free advertisements for) and it worked well. The routine was dress baby for however you want her to be for inside, strap her in car seat, warm hat, couple of blankets on top then flip the canopy over. It made kind of a tent with the warmer air from the house trapped inside. Then when we got in the car flip it back up and take off one of the blankets and usually the hat.

We had an adorable Hatley one piece snow suit that I literally used once to take pictures of her after her first snow storm. Winter coats and snow suits for babies that little are a definite "skip".

Celestron2000

I registered for this one https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00511J6BM/ref=br_it_dp_o_nS_ttl?ie=UTF8&colid=2MOYWNFJ1R4IG&coliid=IJB6J3Q1428Y1&vs=1

amberrmariee20

We use a bunting bag ... It goes in the car seat, it's super warm, and zips over the car seat ! Here's a screen shot of some. I can't find the one I had with my previous son but I loved it !! He was born September 22, so I used it from November-March here ! Our winters are really cold in Canada !

bgriest

We live in New England as well. My mom got us this bundleme for the car seat. My sister in law had it for my nephew and she loved it! It kept him warm and zips up over the straps/harness so that the baby is still snug and secure.

I have a few friends who have also used it and swear by it.

There were times when my nephew was actually so warm that he was sweating and we had to unzip it a little to cool him off.

rizzlig

I am so thankful to have recently learned about this very thing since I now have a little one on the way.  I am a Child Passenger Safety Technician.  I hope none of you take this as I'm a know it all or anything like that.  Just passing info along.

It is not recommended to have anything (blanket/material/lining) between the baby and the actual car seat.  This is because those items were not crash tested with the car seat and could impair the effectiveness in a crash.  However, anything can go over the baby once the baby is properly harnessed in the seat.  And it is great to see that a lot of you know that the puffy coats/suits are a no no.  A think layer of fleece is a great option.

Hope this helps.

aah1013

I had a Bundle Me with my daughter, although, like @rizzlig mentioned, they are not recommended for carseat use as they are between baby and the seat. I was able to cut out the back panel and sew it closed so that it still covered baby the same, but eliminated the safety risk. The shower cap type covers weren't really around when DD1 was born. I think I will still use my Bundle Me with the modifications, unless it looks bad when I pull it out of storage. I may look at it and say, "what was I thinking?!". I did also use a thin/light fleece jacket as well over my child's clothes. 

DeeGreer

I never even thought about covering the car seat with anything other than a blanket. I may have registered for a rain cover but nothing to keep baby warm in the car. It seems like such a "duh" thing now but this is my first so I've had a lot of those moments. @amberrmariee20 those look cozy! And probably much warmer than a blanket or sweater. I do live in Georgia though so my winter is probably equivalent to some springs for some of you. Last winter it snowed and the entire city shut down. Seriously.

ChariZae

This is the one I have:

https://m.toysrus.com/skava/static/product.html?type=TRU_product_us&url=/product/index.jsp?productId=11756816&cp=2255957.2273443.2256187.3225213.3225217&parentPage=family&domain=http://www.toysrus.com&productId=11756816&cp=2255957.2273443.2256187.3225213.3225217&parentPage=family

MamaOwl15

I grew up in New England, so I am familiar with the winters even though I didn't have kids there . . . I agree with what PP's have said.

I had one of those free car seat canopies for DS, though we didn't really use that to keep warm as much as to keep the sun out. What we used in winter (in VA so not quite as cold as NE most days), was a bunting bag kind of cover. The one I have is JJ Cole and I bought it from BRU. This, plus some extra blankets over baby and under the bunting bag, would help keep baby warm, plus a car seat canopy to keep out the wind.

If you babywear, you can buy covers that go over your carrier to keep baby warm, but also body heat helps with that.

As for clothes, layers, layers, layers.

amiejl

MN mama here of 3 with #4 on the way, so 20 degrees is warm for us We do similar to some others. Dress baby in long sleeves with layers, hat and mittens, tuck a blanket (or 2!) around them snugly after they are buckled and then either a canopy or other car seat cover. No one has frozen yet!

amberrmariee20

@rizzlig I was told not to put a jacket or snow suit on my son when he was born either ! But was told a bunting bag is okay, because it's only thin behind the baby and the straps still go against the baby not against the bunting bag itself ! Great advice.

MamaOwl15

I loved the bunting bag we have because it goes over the whole car seat, so baby is securely strapped in and then has an added layer of warmth. I just wish I knew of something similar for the convertible car seats.

crbpjb

I second the carseat canopy. Near Chicago everyone has them and they're perfect for winter. They're also much easier to get on/off than the bulkier things. I just found one at a consignment shop on a trip to Wisconsin for $8!! They are $50 online, but apparently you can get them for $20 or under and free shipping with coupons and timing. Good luck!

sugarplum513

My daughter was a little older in the winter months, but this worked great for us. It is thin enough that the car seat straps did not need to be adjusted for her to wear this in the car seat.

Carter's Sherpa Pram (Baby) - Ivory-6 Months https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MWQHEN6/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_G92JvbJZPB2D5

MariahOBrien

I've been wondering this EXACT same thing, too! I'm also a New Englander. May I ask what part you're from? My mother told me that when my sisters and I were little she just dressed us in lots of layers with blankets. Wool socks, hats, mittens, etc are always a favorite in my house.

LiveNLove44

The more I thought about it and noticed some other people posting pics of canopies they're buying or considering, I realized that I have an additional recommendation. I highly recommend a canopy that has an elastic around the car seat instead of one that hooks up onto the car seat handle. It's way more manageable with your hands full and when you have your own heavy coat on. Mine has a peek-a-boo window like this one:

https://www.amazon.com/JJ-Cole-Seat-Cover-Graphite/dp/B00511J6BM/ref=sr_1_70?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1435523419&sr=1-70&keywords=carseat+canopy

JaqiDec04

I would absolutely never put a blanket, thick clothing, or jacket, between your baby and the back of the car seat, or between the baby & belt buckles.  This is extremely dangerous in the event of an accident.

I would recommend warm clothes, blankets tucked around the baby, and a car seat canopy to keep out the wind, rain and cold.