I swear winters never used to be this cold?! It was just a few weeks ago that I was walking around barefoot all day long and now I’m dressed up like an eskimo and I’m still frozen :( Getting out of bed in the morning feels like crawling out of my own cold grave and lets not talk about night time feeds (exactly when do they sleep through…???)
And then there’s the babies. Trying to keep them healthy at this time of year can be quite a challenge, almost everyone I know seems to have some sort of flu or sniffly nose and my little guy has just made it through 1 dose of croup and then another dose of 5 new teeth plus a cold. Good times! We did it all without a trip to the doc and no antibiotics either – so I’m quite chuffed with myself that I managed to make him better naturally.
But thankfully it’s not all doom and gloom and I’ve learnt some little tricks along the way. To make sure your little one stays warm and healthy this winter, check out my cold weather survival guide below!
1. Layering
Keeping your baby warm in winter can be tricky because the more you put on them, the more you need to take off them again for a nappy change. I like to layer the top half of my baby with a little t-shirt to start, then a long sleeve vest over that, then a thin jersey, and then the thickest layer on top of that, which is usually a zip up hooded top or jacket. It sounds like a lot, but if the bottom 3 layers are relatively thin, they still allow baby to move around without feeling too bulky. Then if baby gets too warm, I can just remove the top layer and there’s still plenty layers of warmth below, this is especially handy if you have a baby that sweats in the car seat. Then it’s easy to pop the top layer on and off without annoying them too much. For the bottom half all you need are a few good pairs of leggings that you can quickly pull down for a nappy change, and if it’s freezing cold you can even put a pair of track pants over the leggings. Leggings are also perfect for babywearing because they don’t bunch up under babies knees like a pair of pants or jeans would.
2. Keep their feeties warm
My favourite part about winter is taking my cold feet and putting them directly onto my human heater next to me in bed… although he doesn’t enjoy it as much as I do :) My favourite shoes for babies and toddlers alike are ShooShoos, they have the cutest winter boots at the moment, a tad pricy but totally worth every penny.
3. Nut Butters
** Make sure your baby does not have any nut allergies before giving nut butters. I have no idea how you make sure of this, but I thought I better put this warning here! Maybe someone can leave a comment and let us know how you’d test for this?**
For babies who are over 6 months and starting to eat solids, smearing some nut butter onto thin slices of apple, a little biscuit, or anything really – will make your little one drool more than they already are. It can be a bit messy, but that’s part of the fun, and nut butters are packed with nutrients and a naturally sweet nutty taste that your baby will love.
4. Turmeric spice
Turmeric is a magical spice that you can incorporate into many meals and drinks and it’s so super good for the whole family. Spice a little into your scrambled eggs mixture before cooking and it will turn then into a bright yellow orange colour, which is often more exciting for baby to play with anyway. They love colourful foods! A lovely warm drink for a toddler as an alternative to hot chocolate is a cup of warm milk with some cinnamon and turmeric spice and a dash of raw honey for some sweetness.
5. Keep them close
Winter baby shnuggles are the best – if I’m really cold and my toddler is slightly tired or grumpy, I put him in his carrier and put on some Mumford & Sons and we have a little dance in the lounge to warm up. He loves it and it forces me to get moving and have a little workout at the same time. At night, no matter how warmly I dress him and tuck him in, 1 hour later and those blankies are all off and he’s sleeping on top of the covers. His body is always warm, but his little ears and nose tend to get cold – the only way I can solve this problem is to bring him to bed with me when I go to sleep. I keep him warm, he keeps me warm, I love it, he loves it, Dad doesn’t love it as much coz he gets the kicks in the face ;) but at least we’re all warm and cozy!
Do you have any warming winter tips for us? If so, please leave them in the comments area below, I’d love to hear them!
This is lovely. So many wonderful little tips!
Glad you enjoyed them Pearl. x
Try a sleep bag / sleep sack, no blankets needed then. You get them with or without long sleeves. Best is a 3.5 tog one which is the warmest but in South Africa you will only find max 2.5 tog (just layer baby/toddler up more for a 2.5 tog). A UK brand Gro Company sells Grobag sleeping bags up to 3.5 tog, cheapest retailer for them is Amazon UK (£20). You can find local importers and other brands in SA but they will either not have 3.5 tog or be more expensive than buying on Amazon and shipping to SA from the UK.
Another option is to leave a humidifier on in the room, if you don’t mind the humidity.
You can also put a woolly sheepskin on top of the mattress for baby to lie on, it’s cozy and warm for winter and cool for summer. Baby boutique shops sell them at a fortune, I got mine much cheaper here: http://oskava.co.za they are huge – about the size of a large cot mattress.
Thanks Liezl, I like the idea of the sheepskin, definitely going to checkout that website, thanks!
Legwarmers under their leggings or tracksuit pants. Makes nappy changes a little more comfortable so their little legs aren’t bare.
Great tip, thanks Soraya!
Where do you buy legwarmers?
Pipapo Textiles sell them, they are from 4 months to toddler, so last a while ;)