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To maintain my sanity, I need to get out of the house and into the fresh air, but the recent summer temperatures have me worried about my baby overheating. I have plans to take a 45 minute walk with a friend at 9am. I will keep my infant in the stroller with the hood shading him, but are there any other ways I can keep him cool?

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 +1 Good question, totally agree about maintaining sanity with fresh air ! – Emi Jul 29 at 9:02
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 I had the same question about my baby last summer. I liked to carry him next to me in the Baby Bjorn but we would end up on either side of a puddle of sweat. I basically tried to keep him shaded, and he did fine on early morning outings. – Anne Jul 29 at 17:25
Anne: I know exactly what you mean about baby wearing in the heat! There is no way to shade his head, and we both end up sticky and hot. I am excited to use Emi's ideas to make his stroller more comfortable. – johearn Jul 30 at 0:54

1 Answer

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The idea of going out in the morning is great in my opinion! Early evening could be good too, as you are avoiding the hottest hours of the day.

My mother and our pediatrician gave us some regular advice which I found was very helpful during our first summer as parents.

(We took a couple of beach/seaside vacations during her first 6 months and had no problems despite the excessive heat of the Mediterranean during the months of June through to October.)

So to answer your question on "ways to keep him cool...."

  • Dress in comfortable minimal clothing, light colours, and breathable natural fibres like cotton or linen.
  • Check frequently to see if your baby has perspired if so be prepared to change clothes frequently
  • Check nappies/diapers frequently. (we did use up more during the summer months)
  • Bathe frequently with special attention to the areas around the neck, arms, and all other areas where crevices/folds in the skin are visible, because sweating in these areas could cause lesions in the skin.

While travelling with the car or with the buggy/push chair we used a folded linen throw with a muslin sheet on top in her push chair and car seat and we would change the muslin sheets as soon as they appeared damp.

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 Also: give enough to drink! – brandstaetter Jul 29 at 12:52
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 @brandstaetter, Yes you are right, I didn't want to add anything about drinking because it varies so much for each parent and their choices or preferences. We were told breastfeeding during first 6 months was all the baby needed, and I am not too sure if the same applies with formula fed babies? – Emi Jul 29 at 13:37
Emi, thank you for all the ideas. I now plan to line his stroller with a sheet and bring extra clothes. – johearn Jul 30 at 0:52
My pleasure! Enjoy your walks. – Emi Jul 30 at 16:40

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