Babywearing Coat~ Do I really need one?

[P.J.]

I'm a new mom, this will be my first winter with a baby. Now that the weather's cooled down a bit, I realize it may be kind of awkward carrying my baby around this winter using the regular winter coats I've got. Besides, I gained a lot in pregnancy ~more than just a belly~ and am still losing some of that weight so I don't even know if my old coats still fit me!

I was thinking of getting something like this. But they are pretty expensive~ more than $200!! This one can be used as a regular coat as well, so I guess that makes it more worth it.

I wanted to ask more seasoned babywearers: do I really need something like this? If not, how do you wear a baby in really cold weather and still keep warm? I figure you can always just leave the front of your coat open, but it gets very cold here, below freezing, and I'm not sure that would be warm enough, even with the babywarmer! TIA!!

[SilverFish]

we live in montreal, so it is COLD! and i don't plan on getting one. i will probably just wear warm layers under an open coat or wear the baby in a snowsuit over a zipped coat... but mine will be almost a year during the coldest part of the year, so i'm not as worried about keeping her warm as i would be with a younger baby. if i'm finding that none of those options really work well, i will get a mens or x-large winter jacket to use over both of us... either borrow, thrift or on sale. there are lots of options out there besides an overpriced "babywearing" jacket, IMO.

[*farmergirl*]

I agree with silverfish- however that said babywearing coats are awesome. I finally got a suse's kindercoat. it functions as a raincoat (the baby even gets a supercute rain hood) then has a zip in layer of fleece to make it warm or wear the fleece by its self- like 3 coats in one. i find it warm enough with all the layers- plus baby can be almost too warm. when not babywearing you can unzip the extra flap and its like a regular coat. plus you can use it from newborn on up.

[RiverandJulie]

I just wear my husbands jacket, it zips right over us. but those mama coats are CUTE!

[Carrruth]

If you can afford one, get one! I'm sure you'll love it. That being said, I just used an over sized coat and zipped it up over me and baby. Your neck/chest area is exposed, but you can use a scarf, blanket, or even a special babywearing cover like the ones made by Hoppediz to keep you warm. So there are lots of options out there.

[shnitzel]

I had a coat that was a bit big and I just zipped it over us and it worked perfectly. I do think you probably need a babywearing jacket if you are doing bsck carries

[lifeguard]

If you're only doing front carries than a big jacket open would work just fine. For myself I wasn't able to carry ds on the front by his second winter 'cause he was almost 30lbs & a back carry with him in a snowsuit & me in a jacket was pretty impossible. I made a babywearing jacket. It was a little bit tricky but it was a cheap (ugly) jacket I had lying around unused & I got a TON of compliments on it.

[DisplacedYooper]

I bought a vintage A-line coat that I usedm while I was pregnant and to front-carry my January-born DS the winter he was a newborn and his one year old winter. It was fitted in the shoulders but flared out quite a bit from the bust down, and fit perfectly over DS when I left the top button undone.

[copperfox]

I was lucky enough to snag a aiska poncho on sale. I'm not sure they're being sold in the US anymore. It seems that all the retailers were selling their stock. Anyway... It's super warm and so nice to be all cozy while babywearing!

[Asiago]

Last fall and on warm winter days I just wrapped a light wrap blanket (like a Pashmina) http://www1.macys.com/catalog/produc...tegoryID=31479 over my baby in the carrier and then tied in in a knot on the back of my waist. It molded nicely and stayed put over his body and legs. It was so easy and it worked really well. I have several different weight wraps, the thick ones also worked for this.

I had purchased a fleece sack that also fit over him and the carrier but the blanket worked better, plus it covered his arms.

I like the idea of the coat though for very cold weather.

[cchrissyy]

I would just wear my usual coat and get a carrier cover for baby (about $40)

photo

[EdnaMarie]

They are really cool but in my opinion not necessary. A poncho and a front-carry with your own coat unzipped, and a good bunting, should be fine. Anyway that's what I did, and we had to walk miles in below-freezing weather for several months here in Germany.

It would have been nice to do a back carry, but then, in the cold weather, I like to keep my eyes on her face, too.

[ABO Mama]

Last winter, when my baby was bitty, I just wore DH's jacket over both of us. This year, since our winters aren't too bad, I'm looking at this Monkey Pocket. I like that I can get one in wool...

[Mom2M]

I like that Monkey Pocket, it looks perfect for us!

[ChetMC]

DH Bought Me

DH bought me a kindercoat when our first DS was a baby. A agree that a babywearing coat is not a necessity. There are lots of other solutions to explore. I did winters with our first two without any type of special coat.

I do feel that the coat has been worth the money for us though. I can't drive, and we don't have a car now anyway. We walk a lot, and we recently moved to Montreal. Winters here are colder and longer than any of the other places we lived, they don't do a great job clearing the sidewalks, and we have to go out in really bad/cold weather sometimes. With three other kids and no car we can't just decided to stay home when we might want to.

Last winter baby DS didn't need any special clothing inside of my coat when I was here with him. If you have a babywearing coat you don't usually need to buy outwear for the child. Your coat, and the heat from your body are typically enough even in very cold weather.

My experience has been that a baby wearing coat is more worth it for back carries. I do mostly back carries now since it gives me better mobility to deal with our other kids, and in the winter, I'm less nervous about slipping on ice with the baby on my back.

Anyway, if you buy a $200 baby wearing coat, but save $100 on not buying any winter outerwear for a baby or toddler, and than sell the coat for $50 when you're done, you won't have done badly at all.

[aikigypsy]

I have a Suse's kindercoat, too, and I wore it all the time for about a year with DD. We lived in a town, had no car, and I used back carries most of the time at that point. During DD's first winter, when I had her in front carries all the time, I just wore my regular acket (a big-ish men's harris tweed blazer) buttoned over her, plus a scarf or shawl.

Now, we go most places by car, so I don't know if I'll use it as much with DS (a newborn, now), but I'm glad I have it. The coat in op's link is gorgeous, but I can't tell if it would be good for back carries, which are what you really need a special coat for.

[redvlagrl]

I made a BW coat too out of a wool coat I already had. i did it a lot liek lifeguard's but I used the belt to make the gussets so it all matches.

I also have an Amauti.

to me, it is essential to have one because it gets cold here too (below freezing for months).

We have also worn DD over the top of our coats in a Beco (she was in a snowsuit) for cross country skiing.

[lifeguard]

redvlagrl - I'm curious where you got your amauti - I'd love to get one if I have a winter baby next time.

[redvlagrl]

I bought it second hand on thebabywearer.com
You can have them made - www.amautibaby.com

[junipervt]

I have an older version of this coat
http://childrensneeds.com/suse_s_kinder_coat.html

I live in VT, so winters are long & cold. I'm not sure how I would have gone out w/ DD when she was a babe without it. I definatly got my $ worth out of it & knew we'd have more kids & would use it again. I didn't fit into my prepregnancy winter jackets anyway, so was going to have to buy something. My DH is not a very big guy & only had 1 warm winter jacket, so using one of his was not an option.

I'm due w/ babe #2 in Nov. I plan on wearing my kindercoat as my main winter coat this year.