Must have cold weather gear for your baby

It’s been a fast six months

It is AMAZING how much babies change on a daily basis in their first six months. Scarlett went from a little (very cute) blob who sat with her eyes closed 60% of the day to an actual baby who sits up, reaches for things, eats and babbles. I’m going to start posting some of the questions that have come up for me more regularly but one of the most pressing issues that I just discussed with my friends is prepping a baby for the cold weather!

Stroller gear

We have the Bugaboo Fox stroller and I can’t recommend it enough. It’s very lightweight and has a large storage bin underneath. I also think it looks pretty cool, although I got the silver frame and sort of wish I got the black (yes, I’m a crazy person!) We took Scarlett out of her bassinet and put her into the toddler seat at around 3 months. She is also huge for the record and was in the 95^th percentile for height and weight at that time and screamed every time she went into the bassinet because she loved looking around.
Bugaboo does not make an infant insert for the toddler seat – but the straps can be moved down and made pretty tight. I wouldn’t recommend moving into the seat until your baby has really good neck strength because they will be bopping around in the seat!
For anyone already in a toddler seat or about to transfer to one, I highly recommend purchasing a footmuff to keep them warm. When you go to purchase one, make sure you get one that zips open so you can unzip to let a little air in if they get overheated. Overheating is very much still a thing in the winter because moms tend to bundle up their babies too much. Especially if you are strolling around and plan to make stops indoors, you want something that you can easily take on and off. If you’ve tried to get a jacket on your baby, you’ll realize jackets are actually very difficult to work with! One tip someone recently gave me was to check the color of your baby’s cheeks and the back of their neck. If they look red and the back of their neck is sweaty, they are too hot and you should remove a layer ASAP. I was told not to worry too much if your baby’s nose or hands are cold. A sign that a baby is dangerously too cold, though, is when their lips turn blue. If you notice that at all, it’s time to move your baby into something or somewhere warmer right away.
I ultimately decided on the 7AM footmuff over the bugaboo one because I liked the color! If you want to stay with a matching Bugaboo, I’d recommend the high performance one because it has a hood and a removable down insert for when it is not too cold.
The 7am warmuffs are great to cover your hands, but I’m not sure yet if they are necessary. I think they look cool on the stroller and are a good replacement to gloves (it’s one less thing to remember when you are running out of the house!
Since it t is less comfortable to walk long distances outside with the baby, I have been using my travel stroller a lot more now. We have the Yo-Yo and have taken it on four planes (yes, it really does fit in the overhead bin!) It is incredibly easy to fold up and lightweight making it perfect for getting in and out of a car or taxi. The only negative with the Yo-Yo is that if you are getting in a car you have to bring adapters to put your car seat on top. When you’re moving in and out of a car with all the gear, it’s easy to misplace these. If you are someone who is in and out of a car a lot I’d recommend the Doona which literally turns into a car seat without any adapters/ attachments (totally mind blowing!)
For clothes, the rule of thumb is to dress your baby in one more layer than what you’re comfortable wearing. I am still putting a bodysuit on Scarlett for day and night (although I was told I can probably stop putting her in it at night because we use a sleep sack). I try not to go crazy and spend a lot on the bodysuits because nobody sees them. A few I like are these from H&M, these from Little Me and these from Carter’s that are SO soft and inexpensive. Hats are a must to keep your baby’s head warm! I bought a few different colors to match every outfit (obviously)

What to avoid

There are so many products and options in the baby market so I think it’s important to talk about what not to get. Unless your child will be spending time playing in the snow, or outside of a stroller in a VERY cold environment for an extended period of time, there is no need for a snow suit. I’ve seen so many very cute ones but it seems like they are way too warm for a baby if they are in a stroller and you definitely wouldn’t want to put a baby in a snow suit in a car seat.
Also with respect to car seats – you do not want to put a baby in a jacket in a car seat so if you are in and out of the car a lot it is probably not worth it to invest in a ton of jackets. You are safer putting the baby in a car seat and throwing a blanket over them than putting a baby in a jacket in the car seat.
For nighttime, if you are using a sleep sack you may be tempted to buy heavier ones for the cold months. If you are in a temperature controlled environment you do not need to adjust anything! They make adorable fleece sleep sacks (I bought one) but you really don’t need them if the temperature in the room is not changing. If you do not have your child in a room with heat, however, you should definitely consider one of these https://rstyle.me/n/da87e7btf2f