Winter safety tips for infants

Winters are here! It’s just the beginning – the evenings are cold, but bearable, the mornings are chilly, but welcoming. I am excited to welcome this season, as it’s my first winter with my little daughter. While I keep my sweetie, snuggly and healthy this winter, you can read below to see if you are prepared well for winters with your little one too. 

So first thing is to stock up on winter essentials for your  little one. Now your baby’s winter essentials will depend on how cold it gets where you live. 

• Knitted woollen vests or thermal sets. 
• Warm leggings or woollen knitted socks.
• Woollen sweaters with caps or jackets with hood. 
• Cotton and woollen mittens and booties.
• Body suits or one pieces for sleep time. 
• Lot of soft cotton clothes, as layering is the key.
• Warm blankets – depending on how cold it is or if you have temperature control room. 
• Warm and comfortable shoes, if your baby has started walking. 

P.S Avoid clothes with accessories like drawstrings, ribbons, sequins, mirror work and rhinestones. 

These can come off and may cause  choking. 

So the key is to dress them in layers! Most of us end up over dressing babies in winters with fear of catching cold. The rule is to dress your munchkin as you do yourself, plus one more layer. 

Winter is also known as the sick season, most of the babies get cold in their first winters. Their immune system is still maturing, and they are exposed to lots of viruses. They might gain plenty of immunity-building vitamins and minerals from breast milk or formula, but you can do more.

Get Baby a flu shot. “If she’s 6 months or older, the flu vaccine is one of the smartest things you can consider to protect your little one from any viral infections. 

Also Babies put their hands in their nose and mouth, so it’s important to keep those little digits clean. Use a washcloth dipped in warm water to wipe their hands and feet frequently. 

Cold temperature and dryness in the air can make their skin dry, itchy and scaly. Stock their winter skin care essentials, consider a soap free body wash that maintains the natural oil in the skin, use a thick and creamy moisturiser to prevent skin from dryness, and use a mild shampoo that maintains the hair and scalp. You can also choose to go old School and massage your baby with homemade ghee before bath, and mix glycerine with moisturiser for that extra soft skin. 

If you are experiencing an extremely cold weather, you can skip to bathe the baby daily, and choose to bathe alternatively. Make sure the temperature of water is not too hot as it will further dry or dehydrate baby’s delicate and soft skin. 

Always carry some cotton if stepping out of the house with baby, you can put some cotton balls in ears to avoid the cold wind affect them. Be cautious the cotton ball should not be too small to get in the ear hole. 

Consider co sleeping or baby wearing specially in winters as your body heat will keep the baby warm, You can choose for a comfortable baby sling. Also you can keep a check if  palms and feet are getting too cold or lips turning blue. On the other side, if the neck is warm and sweaty you can figure out that it’s too warm for the baby. 

Winter is the most beautiful season; enjoy the bonfire and beautiful walk on the road in early mornings and late evenings with your little bundle of joy. So by now you should be all prepared to welcome this winter with me.

Also read – Winter is Coming! 5 Tips On How To Take Care of Your Children

Explore the entire collection of articles: Baby Care

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