Last Updated on 1 year by Namrata
Are you expecting to be blessed with a baby this winter? The responsibility can be strenuous for a mother if it is the first baby. In the winter season, toddlers are more prone to ailments, but a mother can take full advantage of the products to safeguard his child from getting ill. To some parents, the winter season might not seem to be an issue, and they think they can handle it with a hat and a big snowsuit, but it is not that simple. Since your child cannot communicate with you when they are feeling hot, cold, or grumpy, and to aggravate this problem, every child is good at making things more complicated.
Suppose the snowsuit you bought for your kid makes them uncomfortable, or the baby refuses to wear a hat. His boots are intolerable, gloves never stay on her hand, and the list goes long. All of these can annoy a parent and make them frustrated. But do not fret, as you are not alone in this. As the mercury level starts dropping, parents get anxious for their children. Many parents of newborn children live in a colder climate, and to help them, many small brands and companies make newborn winter essentials to protect the child.
Winter season for a new mother
A mother can take full advantage of the winter season with her baby. Mama gets all palatable food with comfort, satisfying casseroles, warming soups, and whatnot. On top of it, they have a perfect excuse for not stepping outside the home and taking care of the baby. The mother can have a gala time with her baby. But you cannot be complacent when the temperature starts dipping.
In colder temperatures, the mother should take extra precautions to keep her child warm, comfortable, and safe throughout the season. Fortunately, winter essentials for newborns, like baby gear and clothes, make the job easier for the mother.
Why do babies need special care in the winter season?
After reading all these, you must be wondering why a newborn should be kept with the utmost care during the winter season. The following are the reasons for it.
- Comfort
Babies cannot communicate their problems and need to us. So, it is the parent’s responsibility to ensure they give proper comfort to the baby and narrow down the possible issues when they start crying. Keeping your newborn relaxed and comfortable will make the baby’s and your life better.
- Temperature
Newborn babies have less fat, especially in the case of low-weight or premature children, and in comparison, to adults, they lose body heat four times faster. Having newborn winter essentials is vital for the kid as the child cannot regulate his body temperature.
- Germs and bacteria
It is a variety that in winter, there are always more flu and colds around us. Some items help babies to safeguard themselves from bacteria and deal with any disease that the baby might catch.
What do you need to buy for your child in winter?
The newborn winter essentials do not differ much from the summer essential. But unlike the summer, the focus on blankets and clothing is layering up the heat in the winter seasons. Breathable layers are the key to keeping babies warm, making the apparent job easier. If the temperature becomes hot, you can easily take off a layer for the baby’s comfort. Babies have delicate skin, so cotton is recommended for them.
The basic outfit of your baby should begin with a bodysuit. It is a long or short-sleeved top that fits with poppers over the nappy. If you are perplexed about the terminology of baby clothing, do not worry, as we will discuss them in the article. Put a Babygro on top of the bodysuit, which is long-sleeved and covers the feet with legs. In winter, we will recommend selecting clothing that covers the feet. With footless Babygro, you can make them wear socks, but usually, newborns kick them off when they fidget around. Some Babygro tucks your baby’s hands, and they come with in-built scratch mits into the sleeves. These Babygro are the best for your child.
Scratch mits are another winter essential for newborns. If your Babygro does not have built-in scratch mits, you should consider buying one. They come with the double benefit of keeping the child’s hand warm and preventing them from scuffing their face.
You can put a cardigan on top of the previous two layers if the temperature is low inside the house. You can add a light hat composed of cotton to keep the child warm, as most body heat gets lost through the head.
A newborn baby usually sleeps a lot in the crib or in your arms. It is crucial to cover up with a blanket, especially a swaddle blanket like giant muslin. You can also wrap them with a cellular blanket. Adding warmth by layering a blanket is preferable over duvets. Because of their heaviness, duvets are not appropriate for them.
You can also consider a fleece blanket for your baby. They are the perfect choice as they are not too heavy and do not compromise on the warmness. So, you can layer them over a cellular blanket.
Padded pram suits are the best way to keep your little one cozy and warm if you are traveling out of the house. A hat would be cheery on the cake for the outfit. Ensure that the hat is not of any other fabric than cotton to keep their scalp contended. To ensure they are warm, you can layer a blanket over them. Go with an in-built mitten’s pram suit if possible. Otherwise, you can have them separately to keep the fingers and hands warm for the baby.
How to dress a baby on winter nights?
Winter essentials for newborns at night are much more significant than during the day. Sometimes it can be stressful for the parents. Unlike daytime, at night, you do not constantly watch them, and it is crucial to keep the little one warm and snug on winter days. In the early weeks of their birth, they are more vulnerable and more prone to get ill because your baby cannot regulate its body temperature and communicate with you.
In the drowsy state, you might get tempted to layer a blanket on them, but it can backfire, as overdressing the child will make him too hot and exacerbate the situation. It is like a minefield, so you should take every step with utmost care.
One thing that can be of your service in these difficult times is a room thermometer. It will help you have a fair idea of dressing your child according to the temperature. For making the task hassle-free, some thermometers change color depending on the room temperature, so you will not have to fathom the readings every time.
With the help of the temperature, you can decide to layer your baby accordingly when you take him to bed for sleep. In the early weeks of birth, your little one cannot fit in baby sleeping bags or wearable sleep sacks. They are the perfect choice for your baby as they cannot kick them off and become cold at night. The best alternative is to layer your kids with light blankets according to the temperature. It is your responsibility to make your baby’s nights pleasant and cozy with newborn winter essentials.
You can put your baby in a bodysuit and add babygro on top of it to make sure your baby is covered with two layers. Then you can layer them with a cellular blanket followed by a baby blanket. Before going to bed, check on the baby once to know if the room temperature has dropped on the thermometer or if the baby is still cold. If you think the baby is cold, you can add another layer of the blanket over him.
If you want to use wearable sleeping bags for your baby, you can use them from the sixth week onwards. But it is always recommended to check the user manual or guidance from the manufacturer for the appropriate weight before you take them.
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Newborn Winter Essentials
For your ease, clothes are divided by size to give you a general insight into the clothes size of a newborn and how many clothes you will need for them. Just a disclaimer before we start, these are just numbers to get you started, and it is plausible that you might need more babygro and bodysuits depending on the frequency at which you wash clothes for your baby. The dryer is a massive factor in your shopping. If you have a dryer, you can consider buying fewer clothes because air-drying clothes in winter can take more time. So, consider all these factors before preparing the list for your newborn.
However, sometimes it is possible that burping your baby may bring little milk into the mouth, which can get onto the clothes if they are not wearing a bib or have a leaky nappy.
Socks are also present on the list. However, if you get babygro with covered feet, then socks are redundant. Based on your baby’s dressing outfit, you can consider socks when you include footless onesies or trousers in your baby outfit. Consider tights when it comes to dresses.
Trousers or tights are not included in this list because this is a basic list of newborn winter essentials. If you desire to get adorable outfits, you can consider buying these, or your family members and friends may give you these. As you start with the items on the list, you will get a fair idea of adding a few things here and there to keep up with the washing.
The number of clothes also depends on how often you change the baby’s outfit. Most little ones can carry the same dress all day. Many mothers keep their little ones in safe attire the entire day and night if the clothes do not get covered in spit or poop. So, determine whether the outfit will be changed twice or once a day before buying the clothes.
Winter Newborn Clothes
Following is the list of winter clothes essentials for the newborn.
- Bodysuit
A bodysuit is worn over a nappy with poppers and comes as short or long-sleeved. To have choices depending on the weather, you can consider buying a mix of short and long-sleeved bodysuits.
- Cardigan
We will suggest buying 0-3 months and newborn sizes for all other clothes mentioned in this essential list. But for a cardigan, you can purchase a relatively enormous size and put it on your child with rolled-up sleeves.
- Babygro
A babygro, also known as a sleepsuit, is an all-in-one cloth. It is a one-piece cloth that covers the baby from top to bottom. Some babygro also covers the feet of your baby to protect their foot.
- Socks
A babygro that covers your baby’s feet makes socks unnecessary. But you can consider buying them for occasional purposes where your baby will not wear a babygro.
- Socks cover
If your newborn continuously fidgets and kicks off the socks, you can consider buying covers to keep the socks intact. But as mentioned above, it is much easier to go with babygro that covers the foot.
- Scratch mitts
The purpose of scratch mitts is to prevent your child from scratching themselves by keeping them cozy inside a cover. You can also prevent scuffing by trimming your nails at regular intervals.
- Warm pram suit
A pram suit is helpful when you are outside your house with the baby. Most newborn Pram suits are like onesie coats. They have a hood and cover their feet too.
- Hat
Hats are vital in the winter months. Go with a hat that covers the ears and is composed of cotton. While walking out, a hat becomes a crucial part of the outfit, but covering your baby’s head with a cotton hat inside the house is not a bad idea.
- Snowsuit or Bunting
A warm bunting or snowsuit is inevitable when you carry your newborn outside. You might think that you will rarely step outdoors, but we recommend having warm clothes outdoors available. You can go with a fleece bunting if the venue temperature is mild. Coat-like snowsuits are the best choice when the winters are harsh.
- Pajamas
Cotton footie pajamas are a go-to option when the temperature is mild, and for colder climates, you can consider fleece footie pajamas.
These were some must-have winter essentials for newborns to keep your little one safe and snug throughout the winter season. But there is more to add to your shopping list except the clothes to protect your baby from freezing temperatures.
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Other Winter Essentials for the Baby
Let us now check out the additional essentials for the newborn baby to have in winter.
- Blankets
Blankets are essential when you take your baby to bed. Cellular blankets with a mixture of cozy blankets, like fleece, are vital to remove and add layers according to the temperature of the ethos.
- Bedroom thermometer
We have already discussed the benefits of having a room thermometer. It helps to determine the number of layers and what your baby should wear when lying down to sleep at night.
- Sleeping bags
In the initial days of birth, a sleeping bag is essential. It ensures that your baby cannot kick the cover off at night. You can use sleeping bags from the 6th week of birth and check the manufacturer’s guidelines.
- Humidifier
During the winter season, human skins are more likely to get dry. So, keeping the air moist inside the room becomes essential to fight dry skin. A humidifier helps keep the room’s air moist and warmer with an optimal humidity of 30-50%.
- Baby wipes warmer
Imagine how a baby must feel while changing its diaper in the winter. Fortunately, today’s born kids do not have to go through this hardship, as various products are available in the market to make these tasks easier for them. Warming baby wipes will make your baby snug and comfortable during a diaper change. While traveling, you can go with the portable wipe warmer with the car adapters.
- Fleece diaper changing pad cover
The comfort of the baby should be your top priority. Small changes like replacing a normal pad cover with a fuzzy pad cover can make a big difference in the alleviation of the baby while changing the diaper in the winter season.
- Sun protection
Protection from the sun or sunscreen is a no-brainer in the summer season. However, many parents were astonished to learn that proper sun protection is vital in the winter season for their baby. The sun’s rays get reflected off the snow and create a harsh glare that can hurt your child’s skin and eyes.
According to a study by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the best way to protect your baby from the sun is to keep them away from direct sunlight. You can also get a stroller that has a canopy with UPF protection. Adding a pair of sunglasses for your little one is not a bad idea.
So, these were some basic must-have items if you are going to be a mother this winter. These winter essentials for newborns will safeguard your newborn from harmful effects and will make sure to keep him healthy.
Non-Essential Things Not to Buy
In the market, you will encounter a lot of products that claim to be essential for a newborn baby, but they are not. Following is the complete list of newborn winter essentials you do not need.
- Cot bed bumpers
They are not recommended for kids as safe sleep experts suggest that adding something extra to the bed can be risky and suffocate the baby. As a mother, you might be concerned about your baby frequently bashing their head on the cot’s railing, but there is no need to fret as they are fine.
- Baby bathtub
A baby bathtub is just a luxury, and you do not necessarily need it. You can easily find some seats that will support the baby while washing them. In the initial days, the baby can fit in the sink and get a bath.
- Baby shoes
A mother might worry about the chilly toes and feet of the little one when they are going outside, but we have already mentioned babygro and socks as the best choice for your newborn until he starts walking on his legs.
You can consider buying these if you have an extra pocket size, but they are unnecessary for your babies. You can ignore them if you do not find them significant.
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Some Luxuries You Might Give a Chance
Now we should throw light on items one step ahead of newborn winter essentials. The following items are not essential, but they can certainly take some burden off your shoulders.
- Baby swing
A baby swing can rejuvenate you and your baby together. Being a mother for the first time can be arduous, as you cannot step outside quite often and always stay contained with your baby. But a baby swing will give your arms a break, and your little ones will enjoy their time.
- Strollers for all terrains
With a newborn baby, you try to stay in the house as much as possible, but sometimes you might have to step outside during winters when the roads are capricious. So, investing in a stroller that can easily navigate all terrain types, like slush and snow, can make travel easy.
- Booties
They are more like socks, and we have already discussed that if you have covered babygro, then socks are just redundant. But booties are puffier, giving more comfort to your baby. They are even more appealing, which makes your baby more adorable.
If you are taking your baby on a trip or even to a grocery store in your car, you should ensure that the baby stays warm inside the vehicle. We have already discussed how a newborn is more prone to have a cold, so being the parent, it is your responsibility to take adequate precautions by layering the child properly.
- Seat cover of a car
Taking your little one from a car or a heated house to a chilly temperature or wind can be less stressful and demanding with a car seat cover. Choosing a cover on the outside seat is always recommended for safety purposes. You can pick a cover seat as per your locality. If you do not live in a harsh winter area, then a cotton car seat cover will work for you to block some amount of wind. But if you reside around cold winds and snow, a fleece line cover is advisable for you to keep your baby warm.
Ensuring the Good Health of Your Baby
All the above-mentioned newborn winter essentials were about apparel, but only clothes cannot ensure your baby’s good health. So, you need to take some extra steps for it. Following are some tips regarding the same.
- Thermometer
A good quality thermometer is necessary to assess your baby’s health, especially in the winter. Though a majority of pediatricians recommend a rectal thermometer, you can also consider a temple touch one to know whether your child is feeling well or not.
- Pacifier wipes
Fidgeting, and dropping off the bottle is common among newborn babies. To wipe the germs off the bottle, you can use pacifier wipes to ensure the germs do not get carried inside the baby.
- Nose Frida
This particular equipment might seem intimidating, but it is helpful to unclog your baby’s nose if they have caught a cold.
Conclusion
This full-fledged list of newborn winter essentials can be helpful for parents to make their shopping easy and stress-free. A child brings happiness to your home, so rather than worrying about apparel, you should enjoy your time with him. We have tried to include every essential thing to ensure the best and healthy nurturing for their future. It will give you an insight into various options and help you add and eliminate items according to your usage.
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