Did you know that almost 4 million babies are born in the United States each year?
Aside from love, happiness, and excitement for your new life, there is also a certain degree of fear and concern when you have a baby. That’s because all of a sudden you have a small human to look after and a lot of responsibility on your shoulders.
But not to worry, because there is plenty of excellent baby and parenting advice for all mothers and fathers out there. Keep reading to find out our winter safety tips that will help keep your baby warm, safe, and sound.
Baby Safety Tips: Keep Your Child Safe This Winter
Having a baby anytime throughout the year brings challenges for you to overcome, that you may never have faced before. This is especially true for first-time parents.
How to Keep Your Baby Warm This Winter
One of the challenges is the weather. Every season brings new challenges to face when it comes to childcare. If you have a baby in the summer months you’ll struggle to keep your baby cool and calm, whereas in winter the challenge is keeping your baby warm and content.
Use Layers
Dressing your baby in layers allows you to control their temperature and make sure it is just right for them. Use clothes that can be easily taken off and put back on again, as this will make it easier for you when you need to add or take off a layer.
A good rule of thumb is to dress babies in an extra layer compared to what you’re wearing. For example, if you are in a coat, you need to make sure your baby has three layers on (a snowsuit or a jacket and wrapped in a blanket). This is because babies are more stationary, so they’re generating less heat than you are.
Cover All Body Parts
When dressing your baby before going out, make sure you remember to cover all their body parts.
Place a hat on your baby’s head to ensure heat isn’t lost this way. You should make sure the ears are covered, either with the hat or with earmuffs. And don’t forget about your baby’s hands; put mittens on their hands, so that his/her fingers can bunch together to stay warmer.
Keep Your Baby on You
When it is very cold outside, consider ditching the stroller and opting for a carrier instead. Baby carriers are a great way of keeping your baby close to you so they can benefit from your body heat.
Always remember to not put your baby’s head against your chest or clothing. When carrying your baby you need to keep their airway free. And if you do choose to carry your baby, make sure you are cautious on ice and snow because you don’t want to fall over when you’re carrying your baby.
How to Keep Your Baby Safe This Winter
Weather isn’t the only hazard you need to think about when keeping your baby safe. You also need to think about road conditions when driving and your baby’s health.
Stay Safe on the Roads
Staying safe on the roads might mean you drive slower and more cautiously. Road conditions might be icy and slippy so always make sure you drive carefully, and where possible stick to main roads that are well gritted.
Road conditions aren’t the only thing you need to think about when driving. Driving requires concentration, which means you can’t look after your baby, so you need to make sure that they are comfortable and happy before you set off.
One way to keep them happy is to give them a pacifier to suck on. However, if it falls out you’ll have an unhappy baby, so we recommend you get some pacifier clips. A safe pacifier clip will help to keep the pacifier in place, so your baby can stay comforted and happy during your drive.
Protect Your Child From Germs
Your baby’s health is crucial, which is why winter can be a difficult time to look after little ones. Colds and the flu are in circulation during winter so it’s important to practice good hygiene to keep your baby safe. There are some ways to prevent your child from catching viruses, for example, you should always avoid people who are coughing and sneezing.
You should always make sure you wash your hands after you’ve been out before you touch your baby. And you should also ask those who want to hold your baby to wash their hands before they do so. Where possible try to limit the contact your baby has with other people, as this will help to decrease his/her risk of catching anything.
Limit Bath Time
Another thing that happens in winter is dryness. People often experience dry skin, which also happens to babies too. To avoid this you can limit the bath time your baby has, for example, only bathe your baby when they need to, such as once or twice a week.
You should always moisturize your baby’s skin after bath time too. In fact, it’s advisable to apply lotion to your baby at least once a day. Make sure you choose a lotion that has hypoallergenic petroleum-jelly, as these lotions are thicker and help to moisturize your baby’s skin better.
Follow Our Winter Safety Tips
First-time parents and first-time winter parents need to take extra precautions with their babies, which is why you should follow our winter safety tips. Remember to also follow the advice of your pediatrician and always think about your baby’s safety.
Make sure you check out some of our other articles about Christmas to get the latest tips on how to make your holiday even more special.
