Carrying in the Cold

With the weather getting colder by the day, we have been having lots of questions about to wear in the cold. So here is our guide to carrying your baby in the cold.

Sharing your body heat with your baby is the safest and easiest way to keep you both warm. You can make any existing sling or carrier winter safe very easily. You can use any carrying position to keep yourselves warm, and always wear appropriate footwear.

Lots of thin layers is key. Remember that nappies count as one and your body heat counts as two. When your child is being worn they should be in the same number of layers as you. Your sling is at least one layer, and stretchy wraps are three, so we need to keep this in mind when we are thinking about adding any additional layers.

How to Stay Warm Together

Include your baby in your layers by using an oversized zip up hoodie around both of you and your sling. There are lots of baby wearing coats out there on the market if your budget allows, however they are not essential. Carrier covers are a great way to keep baby warm in the cold without having to purchase a whole new coat for yourself. These carrier covers from Olivita are fantastically warm and water proof can can be used with most carriers. You can also use an umbrella for when it's raining, as after all, your hands are free!

Here's some of our most frequently asked questions about carrying in the cold:

Can my baby wear a snow/pram suit in the sling?

No! The clue is in the name with these items, snowsuits are for snow, when they are actively in contact with snow, (which we don’t get much of here in the UK) And pram suits are for prams, when babies are in prams they do not have the benefit of the caregivers body heat and therefore need thicker layers.

Babies can easily become overheated when wearing snow and pram suits in carriers, they trap too much heat and don’t let any out.

Another risk of wearing snow/pram suits in slings is that it can be really hard to get baby in the correct position to ensure their safety, your carrier may have more slack, and be loose, which can be uncomfortable for the wearer, but more importantly increases the risk of baby slumping down in the carriers, meaning they are at risk of positional asphyxiation.

This applies to car sets also!

Does my baby need a hat?

The head is where we lose most of our body heat, so it is important not to cover babies head unnecessarily, to enable to them to cool down if they are getting too hot.

This depends on a few things, if you have a newborn in a stretchy wrap, you can tuck their head in to one of your shoulder passes meaning they will not need a hat.

An older child will benefit from wearing a hat on colder days, and is a great option for keep them warm without adding layers to their trunk.

You know your child best, but remember to always remove the hat when indoors.

My baby has cold feet, do they need more layers?

Babies bodies have tiny tiny blood vessels, meaning their extremities always feel cool to touch. However, this is not indicative of their internal body temperature.

The best way to check babies body temperature, is to place two fingers on their chest or their back. If it is cool to touch in these areas, then add some more thin, breathable layers. Thin fleecy jumpers, light knit wool leggings such as our Blade and Rose leggings here are sufficient.

To keep babies legs and feet warm, layer them up with extra socks, and booties. You can check out our range of gorgeous handmade MooMo leg warmers here.

Can I wear a scarf whilst my baby is in the carrier?

You need to be careful when wearing any material that is clothes to babies face and airways. We have a very mild climate here in the UK and when wearing your baby you will generally find that the heat from their head on your chest is sufficient to keep you warm in that area.

However, if it is a particularly cold day and you feel the need to wear a scarf, there are a couple of things you can try. Snoods are a popular choice of some seasoned baby wearers as they are compact and can be tucked out of the way of babies airways. Another option is to tie your scarf on backwards so the excess material is away from babies face.

Avoid overly fluffy or chunky scarves and keep them as lightweight as possible.

Do I need a different carrier for the winter?

No! Because we layer up around caregiver and baby, your existing carrier can be made safe and warm for the winter!

As long your baby is in a well fitted, ergonomic carrier, which supports them from knee to knee, there is absolutely no need to get a specific carrier for the winter.

If you are thinking of sizing up, or have your eye on a particular carrier, you can browse our online shop here, to see what we have in stock,

If you are unsure about using your carrier safely, or if you are not finding it comfortable, book a consultation here, either online or in person, and we can get you safely and comfortably wearing your baby for the winter!

We hope you find this post useful!

Remember, never cover babies airways and keep monitoring your babies temperature whilst they are in the carrier, add or remove layers as needed.

Happy Carrying!

Love,

Stella | MotherRucker