Cold outside- what do they wear?

[Astraia]

It is quite cold outside right now, and I just got back from a long walk with my little one in her wrap and our dog. I was cold (so cold I hurt in some places) and i kept worrying Nigella was cold even though she was totally conked out.

I had her in a onesie, a sleeper, in her fleece sleepsack wrapped in a fleece blanket, inside our home-made cotton wrap (just a big strip of material, works great!), and both of us inside my husbands coat, zipped up to the back of her neck, and her fluffy winter hat. When we got home her face was a little bit pink but she didn't feel overly warm at all, so I know she wasn't overheating.

Maybe this is stupid, but is there a way to tell if she's too cold without getting her unbundled? How many layers would she need? It's about -20 Celcius right now.

[Hobie]

Just feel the back of her neck, you don't want her chilled or sweating. And really, your body heat adds so much to her warmth.

[lucifugous]

I agree, your bodyheat goes a long way! I'd try to have as few bulky layers as possible between you and baby, and as many as possible around you both. My daughter (<5 months) gets on the hot side when I wear her close to me w/ 2 layers on her (a long sleeved onesie & babylegs under a romper, plus a hat) and 2 (baby blanket & huge fleece zipup) around the both of us. I haven't taken her out like that under about 0 celcius, but we are in Chicago near the lake so it's quite windy. The fleece is big enough that I zip it up higher than her head during the windiest parts of our journey and can still see her face through the unzipped part (if that makes sense). She keeps me soo toasty!

[~patty]

I think my babe likes the cold better than me. I usually put her in a fleece bunting with a hat inside the hood and she is usually pretty good. I usually check her over after we return to see if there were any cold spots. I know she will tell me too if she is uncomfortable (she usually just falls asleep though). For the rosy cheeks, I tried putting Lansinoh on them and it seemed to help protect them (I don't like using Vasoline).

[VanessaS]

Sounds like you overdressed her. All the fleece could be a problem as it would insulate her from your body heat. As a PP said, try to limit the amount of material between you two. We used to walk outside in -10 degrees Celsius and I'd dress them in:
Onesie, sweater, thick tights, warm socks, hat
and then wear them in the wrap under my DH's thick winter coat. It makes the most sense to wear a bigger, warmer coat than to add more layers of clothing. Later, I made a babywearing coat that worked like a charm for back-carries.

[tanyam926]

Vanessa, that coat is the coolest thing I have ever seen!

[VanessaS]

It really was great! I stole the idea from someone else and posted the directions on here a while back.

[brooklynbabymama]

Originally Posted by VanessaS

It really was great! I stole the idea from someone else and posted the directions on here a while back.

I just inquired about your coat on another thread. This Is Genius!! I have a big green army coat that's miles too big anyway. I was thinking to just cut and line a neckhole. Think it would work?

[MamaKalena]

Wool underclothes! Especially a balaclava, is a great base layer. Nova Natural has some great infant underclothes. We purchased a set for our son two years ago. They run big but have cuffs, so he was able to wear it for two years so we really got a lot of use out of it. He's an active little boy so bulky winter clothes would not have worked as well.

[FelixMom]

VanessaS, that is an awesome BWing coat!

Hello from a fellow quebec mama braving -20C weather:

I splurged in 2006 to get a Felix Pera BWing coat when DD was born, and it has been worth every penny, being pressed into service for its 3rd winter! I put DS2 in a onesie, fleece outfit with feet and hood, he wears a hat inside the hood, socks and moccasin/sock things. He is worn on my back directly against me inside my coat. If there's a lot of wind, I drape a scarf around his head to keep the drafts from reaching his face.

If you happen to live in Montreal, we run a BWing group that meets roughly twice a month. Next meeting is Wed Jan 28 from 10h to 11h30 at CLSC Petit Patrie, next to metro Beaubien.