Cold weather and January baby

[Deleted User] · August 2013

Is anyone else terrified of the cold? We live in New York, about an hour north of the city. It can get freezing in our parts. My DH loves to keep the house at 60 during the winter despite my daily protests. I've talked to him about raising the temperature up when the baby get here and he just shrugs it off saying he will raise it to 65!!!! Ahhh and then I also think that this poor child won't be able to really take a walk outside with me until at least April. That's almost 3 months inside the home.
Am I overthinking it?

vstevens · August 2013

Yes. Babies are born in Siberia, too. There's no way I would make it three months inside - I live in NY also. Tell your husband the heat will need to be turned up. Invest in a good snowsuit & some blankets. Tale that baby for a walk! The Ergo with the infant insert, a big coat, and many layers for your LO would work perfectly. this is definitely not something to fret over.

cpm1223 · August 2013

We live in Boston so we probably have similar weather as you do in January.

I'm hoping to get out to the mall or somewhere similar to get some walking in before its nice enough to walk outside.

I asked about this a while ago and the halo sleep sacks were recommended for keeping baby warm at night.

adunkin · August 2013

It probably won't be that big of a deal. The baby's room isn't actually supposed to be that warm. My friends who BF actually complain in winter that they wish the recommended temp for baby was warmer so they didn't freeze so much during feedings.

And FWIW, in Denmark (and some other northern countries) babies are left outside on balconies all winter long for afternoon naps. We have a few friends here who do this and honestly their babies sleep loads better during their naps when they are bundled up outside. I think a walk will be fine.

kilbs · August 2013

DD is also a January baby. We live in PA in a very old house with poor insulation. I made a very warm swaddler and that kept her cozy while sleeping. Infant cat seats are very warm so when we'd go out we just draped a blanket over it. And I agree with PP about warm layers and using an infant carrier. Between that and your body heat your baby will stay plenty warm.

knottie3c0525a8a3c64eaa · August 2013

The nurse at the hospital told us to keep it at 70. She explained to the dads in the room how babies can't regulate their body temperature Etc and my husband was very understanding (even though he loved to keep the house in the 60s before). Our son was born in February. Talk to him and show some facts and he will give in

hurricanekb · August 2013

I live in MN, talk about cold. I hate cold weather myself, so probably won't be walking the baby outside. Luckily, mall of America is a hop skip and a jump away, so I plan on walking the mall. They even have walking/stroller clubs.

I was discussing this with my mom, who answered with "you were a January baby! You were constantly outside as a newborn!" Apparently mom forgot I lived in Houston Texas as a baby and child haha.

ShhItsASecret · August 2013

I live in MI and a typical winter day here is 0 or in the negatives. Last winter we had two solid weeks of -10 and it was awful but I am still not worried. We typically keep the house around 70 and I tend to hibernate in the winter anyhow. Just try to stock up on things to keep yourself entertained, magazines, good books, crafts and pinterest projects etc. The first month or so you probably wont want to go anywhere anyhow, you will be adjusting to the newborn and getting in as much sleep as you can.

baby2ra · August 2013

I have a 2 year old DD so there is no way we are going to be cooped up in the house even though it will be cold out. They make warm covers that go over the infant carseat. As far as in the house, I plan to have layers on the baby. I think you are over thinking this a little.

DamnPrecious · August 2013

I can't handle the cold, so I doubt we'll get out that much.

yvonka.row · August 2013

We are near Cape Cod. I just pray there is no blizzard the day the baby decides to come!

Jackapatamus · August 2013

We live even further upstate! This would be a great question for your pediatrician! And maybe (Fx) we will have a mild winter again!

.

LimeDrops · August 2013

I hear different answers for this all the time. We keep our house at 64 on winter nights and bundle up, but I was told to turn it up to 70 for the first month or so until baby can self regulate better, then we can drop back down and use fleece sleepers/sacks.

Firefly9 · August 2013

We will probably keep our house slightly warmer than we usually do in the winter--we usually keep it at 68 when we are home during the day and cooler at night. (I'm also a MI girl, and it gets COLD here). My biggest winter worry is that on the west side of the state, we get a TON of lake effect snow and I don't want to drive anywhere! Our road is not a take-a-walk sort of road, especially in the winter, and we have no sidewalks. If we walk, I guess it will be around our yard!

mrsjenni · August 2013

I'm in Jersey and we have really cold winters here as well. I'm sure there will be random nice days to go out for walks and we can certainly take the baby for trips to Target.

mommygrams0730 · August 2013

Kaleigh1289 said:
I live in MN, talk about cold. I hate cold weather myself, so probably won't be walking the baby outside. Luckily, mall of America is a hop skip and a jump away, so I plan on walking the mall. They even have walking/stroller clubs.

I was discussing this with my mom, who answered with "you were a January baby! You were constantly outside as a newborn!" Apparently mom forgot I lived in Houston Texas as a baby and child haha.

I'm live MN too and my son was born in nov. I took him everywhere. I'm not one to sit inside.

With my dd she was born in the summer.

This one due jan (obviously) and I will be going back to work pretty early so the baby will have to go out to get to daycare, even so I'd be going out and about even if I didn't have to go back to work.

Unless there's extenuating circumstances I think it's a little silly to stay cooped up inside....that doesn't mean I'd traipse outside during a blizzard, lol.

neptunebljc · August 2013

I live in Southern Ontario, so our winters are bad but not too bad. We keep our house around 70 only because it keeps the windows from going all sweaty.

In terms of going outside, the only thing I would be concern about is the wind chill factor. If you go on weather network if will give you an overview of how long you should be outside. I know at the daycare we don't go out if it is lower then -15C but I wouldn't over think it

juliasmama2010 · August 2013

Tell your hubby to sack up and deal with the heat bill.

MrsGraham06 · August 2013

I live in MN, talk about cold. I hate cold weather myself, so probably won't be walking the baby outside. Luckily, mall of America is a hop skip and a jump away, so I plan on walking the mall. They even have walking/stroller clubs. I was discussing this with my mom, who answered with "you were a January baby! You were constantly outside as a newborn!" Apparently mom forgot I lived in Houston Texas as a baby and child haha.

*********

I live in Iowa, and I've had a November baby and 2 March babies. We've had temps in the negatives and negative windchills (which we usually stay inside those days). We lived in a horrible apartment when we had our 1st, it was drafty and he always woke up cold. We had to move where he was sleeping, and find different clothes for him to sleep in, since he was Houdini with EVERYTHING, hated swaddling and anything too close (apparently didn't like being cramped). After that experience, my husband was much more willing to 1) move and 2) keep the heat warmer.

Galaxy8227 · August 2013

I live outside of Boston so we definitely get cold here. I figure she'll be in the carrier or bundled up with the car seat cover and a blanket over her to keep warm. We might not go for as many walks outside but that's what Target and the mall is for

Shayliz · August 2013

Nope, not concerned! I live in MN, the day we brought DD home, it was -30 with windchill outside. Shower cap style car seat covers, blankets for going out .. Halo sleep sacks for nighttime sleeping - she stayed warm.

We keep the house at 67 in the winter.

mommabird77 · August 2013

I also live in NY. 60 is too cold for me, we usually do 68. Get some nice fleece sleep sacks and fleece pjs and baby will be fine. Even my summer baby lived in soft pjs with zippers. So much easier!

miam4 · August 2013

I live in Miami and my AC is always around 76/78F. DH sleeps with a fan in his face... I am always cold and he is fine about giving up on the AC... the other day I was reading about keep the temperature on 72F for babies and I tried so I can get used to the idea... and well, it is not happening! lol
I can go to 75F now because it is summer here in Miami, but after that I am struggling!
I love cold... for about 5 min and I am done! lol
When temperature hit around 60's here, people put all their jackets, boots, hats, gloves... I am glad we have the winter, and even more glad that winter here is short! Lmao

nbbride06 · August 2013

I'm feeling a bit spoiled here in Los Angeles. I'm cold when it gets into the high 50s here. We keep the heat at 68 in the winter and DD has always been perfectly happy.

JaneW2 · August 2013

I was born in late December, in Minneapolis, and the winter of '80-'81 was much much harsher than anything our babies will face in these warmer days. It was far below zero when I came home from the hospital, and I was wrapped up in clothing that weighed almost as much as I did. The nurses had to teach my mother how to cover my face with a single blanket, to keep out the bitter air without smothering me.

And it didn't do me any harm, nor any of my age-mates. No, your baby probably won't go out much until springtime, but really, newborns don't play outside much anyway. Just practice getting baby into carseat quickly, and when it's very cold, warm up the car before you bring him out.

And of course, flu shots and TDaP for you and for everyone who the baby will be around.

Lena122 · August 2013

DS was born in January last year and it really wasn't an issue. I think I remember our pedi telling us to keep the house around 70 and to dress baby in one layer more than I felt comfortable in. I had no desire to go for a walk before 3 months so that wasn't an issue for me.

MioBambino · August 2013

Also live in MI like PPs, and DS1 was born in November. We had a lot of snow that winter, which is not out of the ordinary but I REALLY noticed it, being that we were in-between houses and didn't have a garage at the time. I would bundle DS up in lots of layers and put a fleecy blanket over his carrier while I would scrape my car off, got it running and cranked up the heat. We spent our days mall walking or doing a little creative project at home. Also, I don't typically subscribe to a gym membership, but I did for the weeks I was home on maternity leave and it was totally worth it for me. I would put him in the Moby or baby carrier and walk laps. Winter is not the greatest with baby, but in all honesty, if you don't know any different you can (and will!) make the best of it.

rowanthefrog · August 2013

I've been thinking about this a lot too, since my older boys are both summer babies. Thankfully I live in Atlanta (though we lived in NJ with our first was born.) Didn't go out too much, but when we did we would take walks around the mall, things like that.

I'm more concerned about having a newborn, without shots, at the height of flu season, with two older siblings at different schools bringing home different sicknesses.

A

2Dash · August 2013

adunkin said:

It probably won't be that big of a deal. The baby's room isn't actually supposed to be that warm. My friends who BF actually complain in winter that they wish the recommended temp for baby was warmer so they didn't freeze so much during feedings.

And FWIW, in Denmark (and some other northern countries) babies are left outside on balconies all winter long for afternoon naps. We have a few friends here who do this and honestly their babies sleep loads better during their naps when they are bundled up outside. I think a walk will be fine.

If anyone has seen the show Call the Midwife they show people putting babies outside on the porch all the time. My mom said it was popular in the 50s and her parents used to do that.

I live in Ottawa it also gets cold - I'm not too worried - if it's sunny and not too cold I will walk no problem, malls are a good idea too. If it's really cold an indoor snuggle will be all you feel like.

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