Babywearing in Cold Weather

[Laurski]

The temps are dropping here, and I have a question for you veteran babywearers--what do you do to keep your little one warm when you're outside? I walk my dog every evening, and I'm trying to figure out what the best method would be to keep la bambina warm.

I'm of two minds right now. One would be to put her in a bunting outfit over her regular clothes, like this one, although her hands would still need to have something on them to keep them warm, since they're like icicles.

The other option would be something that went over the carrier itself, like this.

I've been carrying her mostly in my hotsling on walks (I've putting her in warm clothes then partly closing my fleece jacket around her, with a small blanket tucked in top--this will work for now, but not as it gets even colder), but could transition to the pikkolo if it makes keeping her warm easier.

Any thoughts/suggestions/recommendations?

Gracias!

[bwaybaby918]

In my pikkolo I use my catbird baby fleece cover...it snaps onto any SSC, really. In my sling, I've used her carseat poncho and I zip it open from the bottom up to make it all work. A big coat closed up around the carrier works for a lot of people, and then there are special bw coats/vest/jackets like the Mcoat, Suse's Kindercoat, Peekaru vest, etc. as well as some really nice looking ones on etsy. Good luck and stay warm!

[Oliver's Mama]

Old Navy sells buntings that are two layers of fleece as opposed to the one layer of the carter's one you linked, though it's still not bulky, and it has flip-over mittens. Twelve bucks!
http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/produc...scid=771648012
That's what I plan to use with my SSC. I really don't have the budget to buy one of the babywearer coats or an extra large coat, considering I would likely only need it for this one winter.

[lemonapple]

How old is babe?

My lo was born in freezing temps, and right from the get-go, he went in a fleecy, sleep-play zip up suite in the Slingling with a wool hat, and a wool blanket stuffed into all the rest of the sling. He was always crazy warm when we would finally unbundle...

When lo was more like a year, we were using the Ergo, and I would do something similar, fleece pants, a fleece or wool sweater/jumper, wool hat, and wool socks pulled over the pant bottoms so that no cold air circulated up his legs. I would tuck his hands in front of him (he sat facing me) so that they were against my own wool or fleece jacket and we were good to go.

Your own body generates more heat for them than I think we realize. In both instances, my son was always sweaty when we were able to unbundle!

Hope that helps!

[Laurski]

Thanks for the replies!

My goal is to have a system that's as easy as possible, since a) she can be a bit of a challenging baby, and b) my husband takes the morning walk w/ dog and baby, so I'd like it to be simple for him when he's foggy-brained in the morning.

Both solutions still seem appealing--I think I'll start by checking out the Old Navy outfit at the store first, since it's the least expensive solution (and is super cute!)

Oliver's Mama--Thanks for the Old Navy link! I should have thought to look there...blame new mama brain!

lemonapple--she's 2 months now, so will be anywhere from 2-6 months during the coldest time here. (You're so right about just how much warmth our own bodies generate for these little guys!)

bwaybaby--Thanks for all the great info! Super helpful!

[DisplacedYooper]

For both the first and second winters (DS was born in January), I wore him upright facing me in a Moby *under* the A-line button front coat I bought for pregnancy. He fit perfectly with just his little head sticking out the top if I left the top button unbuttoned. I dressed him in just regular clothes, the same weight that I was wearing, and depending on how cold it was, he wore a hat. I cleaned many a stall in freezing temps with this setup, and DS was typically overwarm rather than too chilly.

Good luck finding a solution that works for you!

(Coldness caveat: we currently live in Maine, but also made winter visits home to the UP of Michigan. I would suspect this would be workable for NY)

[The4OfUs]

I always dressed the kiddo normally, and then put a layer over both of us. I bought a fleece jacket one size too big. So, I'd have her in regular clothes, with babylegs down over her heels and up over her knees to keep any gaps in her pants covered, a fleece jacket on her, preferably with a hood so there was no gap at the nape of her neck, maybe a super light hat and some mittens, then the bigger fleece zipped up over both of us so just the top of her head was peeking out. I did this for both front and back carries in a Moby knockoff and a Beco (she was born in late June, we live in upstate NY so she was 6-ish to 10-ish months in the coldest weather). It was very uncomplicated; it might not have been a real pretty look, but I didn't really care. And I think, if she's in a mid weight fleece with another mid weight fleece over her, she's going to be plenty warm in NY unless you're out for an hour in 0-degree weather. Body heat really is an amazing thing, and with all the air trapped between you and the jackets as insulation it should be fine. That way you and yoru DH would each only have to buy a good fleece in a size too big for you, nothing fancy or super expensive.

If we were going to be out for an hour playing in the snow when older DS was out, I'd just put her in her snowsuit and then put the fleece over both of us, and she was fine. And holy crap was I warm, too - but I tend to always be warm anyway and rarely wear anything heavier than a fleece all winter.

[jimblejamble]

I have a wrap sweater with a belt that I put on over the moby and then wrap the fronts around Jude and tie. I'm in Utah so it gets pretty cold here. I would wear that sweater last winter to walk to church (1 block away) or our friend's house (3 blocks away) and if it was snowing I'd just get one of his flannel blankets and put it over him and wedge the corners into the belt to keep it in place.

[ABO Mama]

I have a monkey pocket, and it has worked really well for us. It's quite warm, so I can dress babe normally, and just put the cover over him. When we go back inside, I only need to take the cover off, and not have to fuss with taking off a jacket/bunting of him. This is especially nice for when he falls asleep on our walks, since it makes it easier to lay him down.

[Laurski]

Thanks everyone, for your replies! You've given me so many great ideas for outdoor options!

Originally Posted by ABO Mama

I have a monkey pocket, and it has worked really well for us. It's quite warm, so I can dress babe normally, and just put the cover over him. When we go back inside, I only need to take the cover off, and not have to fuss with taking off a jacket/bunting of him. This is especially nice for when he falls asleep on our walks, since it makes it easier to lay him down.

If you don't mind me asking, what kind of carrier do you use with the monkey pocket?

[Mama Mko]

I recently bought this: http://www.thekoreanbaby.com/category/baby-carriers/ "I-Phyeonhae reversible 2 way cape" and it works really well. It goes on over the baby quickly and easily (wrap and mei tai and ergo) and is very warm and soft.

[ABO Mama]

Originally Posted by Laurski

If you don't mind me asking, what kind of carrier do you use with the monkey pocket?

Lets see, I've used it with a beco, yamo, chunei, scootababy, ring sling (maya), and a wham mei tai. I don't think I've wrapped with it yet, but I don't see why it wouldn't work. It works equally well for front and back carries.

[lalemma]

I had a winter baby in a cold climate last year:

We wore him in a stretchy wrap, over our clothes but under our coats. He fit under a regular coat for a surprisingly long time, and when it got too snug I started to wear either bigger men's coats that were kicking around the house, or a stretchy fleece I got on sale at LL Bean. I was really worried about keeping him warm in advance, but between my body heat and his, as long as we were both dressed in decent layers, with the wrap's material and the coat over us, I never felt worried that he was too cold.

[HipHip]

I remember always being cold as a kid, so I try to make sure my DD (4 months) is always warm. It's November now and we walk 4 miles a day with DD bundled in a Patagonia fleece bodysuit, with a wool balaclava hood. LL  Bean makes thermals that are in the $30 range for infants, as well.

[kawa kamuri]

All last winter I wore my daughter in a Moby or Beco and zipped my maternity coat around her. Sometimes I'd put a blanket between her and my coat then fasten the coat which held the blanket in place which not only kept her warmer but allowed me to be able to flip up the blanket to cover her head. We spent a lot of time outdoors. 

[redvlagrl]

I also live where it is cold.

For my first BW winter, DD was still small so I would wrap her on my front and zip my big down coat over both of us. The next winter I made a BW coat so I could wear her on my back. I had a vintage wool coat that i cut a slit in the back of and added some gussets. I also bought an Amauti.

This winter we will use the Amauti and BW coat with DS. For quick trips into a store etc I tend to use a ring sling on top of my coat but for longer walks I definitely use a coat of some sort.

[brennan]

Dd was born in the winter and I did fleece sleeper and wool hat (with cotton clothes underneath) and then I bought an inexpensive mens coat that was big enough to fit over us, I used that coat for 2 winters and could probably get away with it this year, but I now have an amauti.

[HeidiMcD]

This is not an inexpensive option, but it's a coat that is 3 coats in 1 because you use it for maternity or babywearing, and it would last you years and years. I fit my two year old in a mei tai in mine last year and am going to try to fit my 3 year old into it this winter!

http://www.evymama.ca/catalog/item/6463681/6309634.htm

[rad]

I invested in a Suse Kinder coat and love it. I can wear a front or back carrier with it. It's super warm in very cold weather. I've often worn it on long walks in the winter and both me and baby have stayed warm. In the spring I can take the fleece liner out and just wear that or the shell. It was so nice that I bought a second one so DH could also wear our kids comfortable in the winter.

[cyclamen]

I like to dress us both in 2-4 layers, depending on the weather, give her a hat, then put her on my back in a multilayer wrap carry.  Then I take my shawl and tie it around us, kind of like wearing a bathtowel, only knotting it instead of twisting it.  The shawl makes a beautiful difference and isn't too bulky.  If she's on my front, I just wear a big coat.