How to keep your baby cool in hot weather

At the time of writing we are at the start of some warmer weather and love it or hate it, the hot weather can be tricky with a new baby around. There is some great general advice out there around safer sleeping with your baby and this link (https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/safer-sleep-advice/) is a great place to start, but as always, if you are worried about your baby give your GP or health visitor a call. In the meantime, we have put together our top tips - on how to keep your baby cool in hot weather.

Check the temperature in baby's room

Dig out a room thermometer, then take a look at the chart below for some guidance on how to dress baby at bedtime in the heat. This is handy information but you know your baby best so this is intended as a guide. Usually baby's room will cool down as evening turns into night so it might be worth checking the temperature again before you go to bed. It is best to check baby's temperature by gently touching the back of their neck or their tummy, it is normal for a baby's hands and feet to feel cool to the touch but this doesn't always give you an accurate indication of how warm they actually are.

Just whilst the weather is particularly warm it is worth removing any waterproof mattress cover as the plastic retains heat and can cause baby to sweat.

Cool down baby and nursery

Create as much of a breeze as possible, open the windows but draw the curtains two thirds of the way across to keep out the sun. Open a loft hatch if you have one and some of the hot air should escape upwards.

At bedtime, a quick, tepid bath before bed should cool baby down and placing some large (one litre or more) frozen bottles of water in baby's room overnight will cool the room as it melts. If you have a fan in the room, placing the bottles (or a large bowl of ice) in front of the fan will cool the air.

Tips for cooling baby in the daytime

In the daytime it is best to dress baby in loose cotton clothing with a wide brimmed hat and any baby under 6 months old should be kept out of the sun as their delicate skin has less melanin than older children and so they will sunburn much more easily. As very young babies do not perspire effectively they can overheat very quickly so care should be taken not to leave them for too long in a very hot room or car.

If it is very warm and humid and baby gets a bit sweaty they may develop a little bit of heat rash, which looks like tiny red bumps around the neck, groin, back of the knees or crease of the elbow. If you cool baby down and remove any tight clothing this should just disappear by itself, but again if you are concerned give your GP or health visitor a call and they can give you more tips on how to keep baby cool in hot weather.

Watch out for dehydration

Dehydration can be an issue for little babies in the heat and it is worth keeping a check on how many wet nappies your baby has. A breastfed baby does not need additional water, but will probably need to feed more often, so make sure mum gets lots of cool drinks. A bottle- fed baby can have cooled, boiled water throughout the day and night in addition to their normal feeds. Again, if you think your little baby might be dehydrated, have a chat with your doctor.

We here at Babyblooms HQ hope these tips help baby (and you!) get a bit more sleep during those long, hot summer nights and show you how to keep your baby cool in hot weather. Stop by again soon for more baby life hacks and new baby gift ideas.

 

Baby Bedtime Nursery Temperature Guide.