potentially stooopid question

[maisiedotes]

OK, this probably belongs on the babies board but dang it all, I feel safer here.

How the heck do I know if I am dressing my baby warm enough? How do I know if she is too warm? Who the heck teaches you these things? I need some lessons!

[welldone]

The general rule I've always read and followed is that the baby should be dressed in as many layers as you are. The baby will fuss and let you know if she's uncomfortable.

Do you have a copy of Dr. Sear's The Baby Book? It's not perfect, but it's by far the best baby book/manual out there.

[greenmountainmomma]

I've always heard to dress your baby in one more layer than you're wearing. I'm in Vermont, so I'm guessing this babe will be in a hat for the 1st 6 months of his life.

I think babie get sweaty on the back of their necks if they're too hot (?). I'm not sure where I'm getting this.

Oh no!!! I've forgotten everything I knew about babies. You'll know -- you're the mom.

[maisiedotes]

Originally Posted by greenmountainmomma

I've always heard to dress your baby in one more layer than you're wearing. I'm in Vermont, so I'm guessing this babe will be in a hat for the 1st 6 months of his life.

I think babie get sweaty on the back of their necks if they're too hot (?). I'm not sure where I'm getting this.

Oh no!!! I've forgotten everything I knew about babies. You'll know -- you're the mom.

This sounds like a good rule of thumb... with me being in Maine I think my babe will be in a hat for a while too! I saw a gorgeous sack thingie at a consignment shop today- it was fleece and down and soooo cozy. I should go back and get it for the long winter for the wee one...

[YankeeMomInVA]

Originally Posted by maisiedotes

OK, this probably belongs on the babies board but dang it all, I feel safer here.

How the heck do I know if I am dressing my baby warm enough? How do I know if she is too warm? Who the heck teaches you these things? I need some lessons!

I worried about this a lot with Colin.... but he was a sweater...so I was easily able to tell if he was too toasty... I always dressed him the same way I was dressed but with the addition of a onesie for him... and I always took along a blanket and a little hat...

You'll know, though... I was surprised at how much of those little details just came to me.... (though no matter how appropriately your wee one is dressed, there will ALWAYS be someone out there who will insist that baby is too hot or too cold! : )

[scheelimama]

Like everyone else said, one additional layer than you are wearing. But...that's just a rule of thumb. You have to follow your baby's cues and some babies need more or less clothing than others, just like adults. And, like Lauren said, there are disapproving people everywhere and you will never be able to please them all. There will be people that will think you are a terrible mom for dressing them in too much or too little or for not putting socks on them in the warmer spring/summer months (I'm guilty of this one and older people are so engrained that babies much have socks no matter the temperature, just like hats on newborns. Doesn't matter how hot it is, they must have a hat!) But I don't agree. I tend to follow my baby's cues.

[GinaRae]

Some babies are hot boxes (and actually, I could be wrong, but it seems like more boys are hot boxes that girls).

A couple of my boys were SO HOT and my friend's 12 month old is also like that. So I tended to reduce layers.

Honestly, darlin' this will be so easy once you meet baby. You change the diaper and think 'MY how this kid is hot!' or maybe their hands and nose are cool, so you layer up a bit. The babe starts to cry in the carseat but has been fed and changed... maybe it's hot. Pull the sweatshirt off that you had on babe that morning and voila! She settles in.

You'll get this just fine. And if not, we'll be here to remind you.

[Curlita]

You can tell by looking at their skin, too. Dylan's legs and arms would get kind of mottled looking when he was cold.

My mom has an underactive thyroid and is ALWAYS cold, and whenever she hangs out with Dylan she pushing sweaters and socks on him because she says that looking at his bare feet or arms is making HER cold. So you could always use the rule of thumb, "If Grandma is cold, baby must be cold," although I wouldn't necessarily recommend it.

[AKmomof2+1inNov]

I agree with the others that you'll just know. My DS was a heat rock and would get really hot in anything other than long sleeve onsies with cotton pants and socks and that is with us living in Alaska. Of course I threw blankets over him outside and put on a fleece hat, but even at night he could never wear a fleece sleeper or outfit. He would just fuss and fuss until we figured it out and stripped him down. DD is similar, but not as extreme. Even now, DS will not wear a coat unless it's under 50, and tends to not want to wear one at even colder temps.

I also agree that no one will think baby is warm/cool enough. I took DS to visit my family out of state when he was 5 months old and heard it from everyone that he was only in cotton rompers even though it was our summer weather there. I guess they forgot that my DH wears shorts and no coat in snow!

[crunchywannabe]

Originally Posted by welldone

The general rule I've always read and followed is that the baby should be dressed in as many layers as you are. .

yep!

[maisiedotes]

Originally Posted by scheelimama

And, like Lauren said, there are disapproving people everywhere and you will never be able to please them all.

HA! Wait till they see me nursing a 2 year old, not letting her have "normal" toys like barbie and dora the explorer... they are really going to have a problem with me then! I can see it now- acquaintances (maybe also my MIL) saying "she is so weird!"