How to Wear Your Baby In Winter

(This was first published on our FaceBook notes October 22, 2009.)

It's the end of the year and you are heading for a winter vacation with your baby. Congratulations for that well-deserved treat!

Now, we have a little problem..... baby is still young and since we stay in hot humid Singapore, then what should we do with baby to ensure he/ she doesn't catch a cold during the winter holiday? How should we dress our baby? What are the essentials?

If you are wearing your baby, we say - don't fret!

Some tips we at Baby Slings & Carriers want to share with you about winter babywearing:

1) Dress baby and yourself in layers. Remember that you may be going in and out of the cold, so dressing in layers help as you can take off whatever you do not need when you are out of the cold.

2) Baby should preferably be wearing something that wicks moisture away. Long Johns are good in wool blends. Wear an additional layer of clothing that is not too thick. Remember that you will be wearing your baby and body heat can be trapped.

3) Dress the same way yourself.

4) Wear your baby with your favourite carrier (we find that Buckle-Tais & Mei Tais work well as they are quite flexible). Those that are more complicated can be a little cumbersome as it is cold and you want to have your baby on quickly. If baby is young and cannot walk, then we recommend the Sleepy Wrap http://www.babyslingsandcarriers.com/sleepy_wrap_baby_wraps which keeps baby warm & snug and is quick to put baby in. In essence, you have to bear in mind that you will need to adjust/re-adjust the carrier straps according to how thick your clothing is as well so minimizing the adjustment can be a great help.

5) Wear legwarmers (http://www.babyslingsandcarriers.com/product/LW-HGL-PO) as this will help keep baby's legs warm while making diaper changes.

6) Put on a winter carrier cover (these are available at our boutique right now and fits most structured baby carriers or Mei Tais) so that it keeps baby warm and lowers risk of baby catching a cold.

7) Wear your winter outerwear over yourself. Preferably you should opt for an oversized one so that if it gets too cold outside you can always wrap and button around your baby. In essence you will not need a thick winter coat for baby if you wear him or her! :) .................Well, unless you will need to take him or her out of the carrier away from your body heat while it is still cold.

Someone asked: So does it mean then that it is better not to wear the baby in winter? Well, we'll say no.

Putting baby in a stroller will mean that you cannot know how your baby is faring and whether he or she is cold or warm so you may end up over or under-dressing him or her. Having your baby close to you will allow you to judge his or her body temperature and to be alert to his or her cues, without any fuss at all. Having experienced winter ourselves with babies in tow, we know that it can be quite difficult and even impossible to lug the stroller around. Places that have snow on the ground can be difficult and too slippery to manipulate a stroller.

Babies in arms without a proper carrier may also mean that baby will have less skin to skin contact, which is one of the biggest benefits of being able to feel whether the temperature is right for your baby when babywearing.

With these seven tips, we hope you'll enjoy your winter holidays and happy babywearing!

Fleece and waterproof baby carrier winter covers from CatbirdBaby

Available at BabySlingsAndCarriers.com