Keeping Baby Cool in the Summer and Hot Days

It's 90 degrees outside, and the urban asphalt is sending the heat waves right back at you with barely a breeze to be felt and barely a tree for shade.  Here are some tips for keeping baby cool in the hot summer months.  

1) Don't forget the sunscreen - apply, even when you worry that your babe looks more like a white zombie than and little human - baby's first experience in the hot sun could turn sour with a horrid red burn.  Little skin is super sensitive.  Mustela makes a nice sunscreen for babies with 50 spf.  

2) Make sure your little one has a sunhat and/or you have your canopy down in the stroller to offer some additional shade.  

3) Offer extra fluids. If your little one is old enough for water, keep a sippy cup on hand.  Otherwise, you may need to offer a little more breast milk or formula if your baby isn't producing as many wet diapers in typical pattern.

4) Breathable cotton is key - loose fitting light weight clothes are best for baby.  Tight leggings or pants will trap heat.  Same for socks.  Leave baby's feet bare in the hot summer and skip the Trumpette Socks however perfect they are for your outfit.  

5) If your baby is teething, frozen teething toys are great to bring with you on a stroll outside.  

What to Do When Baby Hates Her Stroller

My daughter and her stroller did not have a happy start.  She was born in November and I had a difficult labor.  I couldn't take her out for walks for the first month after delivery, and then we had a frigid winter this past year.  Whenever I would take her out, she would scream nonstop from the moment I put her in her bundling.  She now just cries when the sun gets into her eyes and below is the series of steps for how we finally got to this point:

1) Assess your stroller.  We have the Cameleon and also a Snap N Go to use with our Graco Snugride carseat.  We also bought the Bugaboo carseat adapter which I recommend because the Snap N Go, while it folds quite easily is tough for long walks because the wheels just stink.  Anyway, I digress.  For the first few months, it's recommended to use the Bassinet feature on the stroller so your baby lays flat on her/his back.  That's fine for most babies who are content to lie there and stare off into space but as soon as your little bundle starts to crave visual stimulation you are in a dilemma.  My daughter hated being flat on her back and preferred the car seat as her stroller.  She would still cry but would at least be manageable in a more seated position than flat on her back.

2) Use a portable mobile by Tiny Love (blogged about here) which saved many a walk for us.  This can be clipped on to the canopy and is a wonderful distractor for many a baby. 

3) Bring lots of pacifiers.  If you believe in binkies, by all means use them here. 

4) Distract baby while putting on layers of clothes.  No baby likes to be restricted and bundled.  I dress mine on my lap while bouncing her and that seems to do the trick.

5) Go for a mini run with baby and the stroller.  My daughter started laughing hysterically as I ran her up a short hill.  She momentarily forgot she was being taken outside for a walk and was calm the rest of the time.

If you are in a situation as I was where baby hates bunting, take heart.  The weather gets warmer and it's one less hurdle to overcome. 

For me, I also switched to the toddler seat on the Bugaboo as soon as I could - it has a recline position which works for infants (take care to still buckle them up) and baby could still gaze out much more than in the bassinet. 

What to do when Baby Hates the Carseat

This will be the first of a two part series of entries, the other being What to Do When Baby Hates the Stroller...Both issues have affected our ability to leave the house with our 4 month old.  I'm not sure if she hates the carseat or just the car in general, but I have tried almost every technique to no real avail.  All you can do, is try these techniques and hope for a partial breakthrough or, 15 minutes of silence...

1) Try to time your car rides after baby has had her bottle, or breast.  My little girl's best demeanor is after a feed.  We usually get a 30 minute period where almost anything goes.

2) Make sure you are a pro at the initial process of getting baby into the carseat.  We really struggled with understanding the latch and release.  It doesn't have to be difficult if you understand how to release the straps so they are very loose and then pull down in one motion to make them tight.  Also, try to put the baby in the carseat while still in the house and then carry her out.

3) Try to time your car rides during nap times or when baby could use a nap.  Mine doesn't mind the carseat in the house when she is unbuckled, so if she is sleepy I try to put her down in the seat (benefit is most rock) and then buckle her and take her into the car.  

4) Offer lots of distractions, smiles and songs.  This has worked for us but is EXHAUSTING.  How many little piggy noises can a girl make?  I already sit in the backseat next to her and listen to her every complaint making a 20 minute ride seem like 2 hours, I barely have the energy to constantly jabber at her...

5) Use a mirror in the back.  We haven't tried this one yet, but I ordered one from Amazon last week.

6) Just keep trying...eventually she has to calm down...we try not to get discouraged and still take her somewhere every weekend otherwise we would be housebound...

Pears as First Baby Food

This past weekend, after getting sign off from our new pediatrician, we gave my daughter her first taste of solids - mushed up pear compote which we made with a baby food cooker.  The reason we chose pears was because of the following:  Rice cereal which is usually the recommendation is actually very low in nutrition.  It may as well be the Wonder Bread of baby food.  On the other hand, apple sauce can cause constipation in your little one.  So, we thought pears was a good starter food.  This coming weekend I think we will introduce sweet potatoes.  We made sure to give our little one just a tiny amount and really, I wasn't sure she really cared or loved it.  She smacked her lips and did open her mouth a bit the second go around so I think she is interested. 

Babies and Blizzards

What do you do with a 3 month old on a cold and snowy day?  Not much!  I have an urge to bundle her in thick brown bunting and let the snowflakes fall on her chunky little cheeks but for now, I am still sitting in my pajamas having been unable to shower yet.  Here are some tips for winterizing your home and your baby that I have found.

1) Monitor your little one's nose, feet and hands throughout the day.  In NYC, the heat from the radiators in most buildings is unbearable and requires constant turning on/off.  It's either too hot, or too cold at any given moment.  

2) Make sure your baby has a one-sie on or undershirt under her outfit.  These are good for absorbing sweat if she/he gets too warm and adds an extra layer if baby is too cool.  Also, try layers.  For example today my little bub is wearing a velour track suit (yea, she likes to chill in her track suits) and has a long sleeved onesie underneath.  I have taken the velour hoodie on and off a few times already.

3) Humidify - our apartment is so dry I constantly have to apply lip balm to my lips, so always have at least 2 humidifiers in the house.  

4) Clean crusty nasal passages with saline solution and/or wet swabs / aspirator.  The solution can be annoying but on dry days at least I know her nose is moist instead of having dry blocked mucus up there.

5) Socks - put on a pair of cosy warm socks.  By the way,  I think Gap makes the best fuzzy socks that don't cut off the circulation in my daughter's chunky feet.  The only downside is they slip off easier.