"Hey, how did you dress E when you brought him home from the hospital?" I got this text from a friend one afternoon. E was born in November. The days following his birth it snowed, a lot. It was really cold the day he came home from the hospital.
This friend was expecting in a few weeks. During the depths of a Central New York winter.
As a new mom, new parent, it's a such a good question. How do you dress babies for cold winters?
Because, when you live somewhere with cold staying in all winter isn't an option. You'd be inside from November until March- sometimes April- if you were trying to avoid the cold and snow.
We've done winter with a newborn, 1 year old, and toddler. So I rounded up all things we've used to layer our son in the winter.
When dressing your babies and toddlers remember layers are the key. You can always remove layers if your child starts to get too warm.
There are a lot of cotton items on this list. I know that cotton isn't the most desirable fabric to wear during the cold months. It absorbs moisture and traps it next to your skin. But, when E was a newborn and 1 year old he wasn't sweating while outside playing. I personally didn't worry about the cotton at those ages. He stayed warm and dry in what we put on him. This worked for our family. Once he turned 2 and was more active outside we did invest in wicking base layers. If you can invest in wool or wicking base layers over cotton that's always a preferrable choice, at any age. Especially if you plan to spend several hours outside in cold weather hiking or camping out.
Listed below you'll find what we used for E over the years, or items that are similar.
Hopefully this will help you layer up and get outside more this winter!
Start with a bodysuit then add a second warmer layer like a thermal set or a fleece romper. Over that add a pram or bunting. Then layer on mittens and a hat. Carriers are a great way to keep baby close and warm while you're outside. If you're putting baby in a stroller consider adding a blanket.
As your child gets older it's great to start investing in gear. Grow with me jackets and snowsuits extend the life your child's gear either using more than 1 year or handing it down to siblings. Waterproof boots and mittens will keep your child warm and dry so they'll be more likely to stay outside longer. When buying winter boots look for boots that are easy to slip on. You also want boots to be a little big, this gives your child's foot room to move in the boot and stay warm.
For items like base layers we buy up a size with the itention of getting two years out of the gear. Snowstopper mittens are so easy to slip on- we've gone through lots of mittens to find ones we like for our toddler. These also STAY on while your child plays outside. Consider buying a fleece neck warmer and trapper hat to keep their ears, neck and face warm and dry. Or you can invest in a balaclava! Tundra boots are definitely an investment but your child's feet will stay warm. Plus the tread on these boots helps your child to navigate deep snow and slippery surfaces.
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