Phew, what a scorcher! Summer has decided to arrive. But while some of us love the high temperatures, babies and heatwaves are usually not a great mix. Young ones are not so good at regulating their body temperature so it’s important to ensure they don’t overheat. Hopefully, these 5 top tips to keep baby cool in the heat might help.
1] Keep Baby Cool in the Heat ~ A room thermometer
Baby’s room should ideally be between 16-20ºC. Parents might not find it easy to keep baby cool enough to get a good night’s sleep in the hot weather. A room thermometer will help you decide what to dress them in and if you need to change the temperature in their room.
2] Keep Baby Cool in the Heat ~ Dress appropriately
Even if you have some seriously cute summer outfits for baby, don’t be tempted to overdress your baby in the heat. This applies particularly at night.
Don’t swaddle your baby in the heat.
If the room temperature is 20-23ºC make sure their sleeping bag is a summer weight one, a 1 tog is ideal. If the room temperature is higher use a 0.5 tog sleeping bag. Or use a cotton sheet or giant muslin instead.
If the room temp is higher still, baby might be more comfortable sleeping in just their vest and nappy. Or even just their nappy.
Keep checking baby’s temperature by feeling the back of their neck, to make sure they are not overheating.
3] Keep Baby Cool in the Heat ~ Out & about
Keeping out of direct sunlight is one of the simplest ways of keeping baby cool. That’s not always possible and you might want to try to create some shade. But it is really, really important to avoid placing a blanket over their pushchair or pram. It may stop the sun’s rays from harming their skin but it stops the air from circulating and makes baby even hotter. The pushchair might have it’s own in-built sunshade. Otherwise, use a parasol or, ideally, keep them in the shade. Pop a sunhat on them. If you pause for a moment, just turn the pram around so baby is not facing the sun.
For babies over 6 months old, use a sun cream with factor 50 or higher. If you’re heading to the beach, a UV baby tent is a great idea.
4] Keep Baby Cool in the Heat ~ Close the curtains
Help keep your baby’s room cool all day by keeping blinds or curtains closed. This keeps the hot sun from beating through the window and the room shouldn’t heat up as much.
Think about investing in blackout blinds if you can. Not only do they shut out the light, but also help to keep out the heat.
At night, keep their bedroom door open to let the air circulate as much as possible. Pop a fan on, but don’t direct the air straight at baby. The temperature will drop during the night and they won’t be able to move out of the cool air.
5] Keep Baby Cool in the Heat ~ Think about moving
Heat rises. Upstairs bedrooms can trap the heat. If you have a two-storey home, move baby’s basket or cot downstairs. It will be cooler there. Those couple of degrees might make a difference.
If your car has air con, think about taking baby for a drive. It usually works to get them to drift off to sleep.
Keep baby cool in the heat
There are plenty of attachable sunshades available online, essential to keep baby cool in the heat when you’re out and about. This Made For Mums article gives a good round up of sunshades for prams and pushchairs, at affordable prices. Worth a quick read.
If you are venturing out in the sunny weather, woodlands provide great natural shade. We are so lucky to have so many in the beautiful county of Sussex. I know of many great family walks in Sussex.
Would you like to book in for a session?
Have a look at the Family Photography page on my website for further info on this type of session. Or if you simply wish to discuss locations then please email info@samphirephotography.co.uk or call me on 07989 594236. I look forward to hearing from you xx
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