Is this your first winter baby?

[my kidlets and me]

Ok, give me the skinny on winter babies! I have 2 children, but both were born in the spring (actually, we were aiming for a spring baby this time, but he/she had different ideas :lol ).

Any veterans out there with other winter children? What do I need to know? I'm :notes:

[salt_phoenix]

All my babies have been born in December... One was due in November, and the other in January... BOTH BORN IN DECEMBER!
This baby is due 9 January, the exact same due date at DD#2! I guess we will see if #3 follows suit! ;-)

winter babies... well, depending on how nasty your weather is...
I know a common concern around here for our winter newborns is RSV. I have had ZERO problems like that, my babies have fortunately been very healthy...
I did think it was kind of funny/interesting that neither of them ever touched their bare feet to the earth until spring!!!!! Almost as if they were in a time out of time until then, a waiting period before FULLY joining us!

[frogleymom]

This is also my first winter baby. Both my girls are May. I think it's going to be very different this time around. I know I've never felt a need to keep my babies indoors for any reason. I've felt good enough to go shopping and stuff within a week of their births, so why couldn't they go with me?? I'm sure I'll need to rethink that this time around... though my mom had a December baby, and she said it wasn't a big deal... just make sure they're bundled properly. (Most people in my area here refuse to take their newborns out until they're at least six weeks... even in the summer, I always thought that was going overboard.)

Emily

[salt_phoenix]

I was lucky with my first, she got a little jaundice and even though it was cold outside, it was sunny, and we were able to lay in the sunny window.
Having babies in winter for me was great because I usually HATE winter (nothing to do) and I'm SO busy in the spring and summer.
well- babies SURE give you something to do all winter!!! It makes hibernation great!

[pampered_mom]

This is my second winter baby. My son was born in February. I don't know as there would be anything I would have done differently if they had been born in spring/summer. If anything, spring always seemed to coincide with some developmental milestones so it did seem to make them seem so much more special.

The only interesting thing was the fact that the day we went home from the hospital it snowed quite heavily! There was even a tree down in the road on the way home. We'll be birthing at home this time, though so that shouldn't be an issue!

[paniscus]

I have been wondering the same thing - thanks for posting this!

Ds was born in the summer in GA so he mostly just wore a diaper and maybe a onesie. It was so nice because they are so tiny and floppy in the beginning. Now I will have to think about footies and socks and hats and maybe a fleece sling and . . .

[Bughead]

This will be my second winter baby. My oldest is also a January babe. It gets warm pretty early in the year here though, so I didn't have to do a lot of bundling. He usually just wore a footie sleeper, a fleece one if it was chilly out. My second was a Junebug, which was super nice because I could just keep him in a onesie all the time! Much easier for diaper changes. Although this time around I know how to knit, so I'm planning on making at least a couple pairs of longies for the new babe. :)

[Jillybean]

I had one in december and one in august so I've had both extremes. I was really hoping for a spring baby this time, too but we got a head start!

I was kind of a pain making sure he was bundled up: coat, blanket, socks, hat- but not too bundled that he was over-heating. But on the other hand, it was so miserably hot with my august baby that we didn't really venture outside much. And being hugely preggo in the winter vs. summer was a million times more comfortable!

I am really looking forward to using my fleece sling again-so comfy-. And there is something nice about snuggling inside a warm house on a cold winter day with a new baby.

[Fruitful4Him]

I have had a previous winter baby..actually EDD right around the same time for #3 and this one (#5). I actually liked the winter the best.. maybe it was because it was my UC.. maybe it was because I felt more peaceful, solitary, etc. and people just left me alone so I could gestate in peace..and yeah..well, caller id is great too.:lol But seriously, most people get so wrapped up in their holiday traditions and stuff around the holidays, (we don't really get into all that) and so.. well.. it was nice.. and peaceful. We also lived in this little tiny rental trailor at the time..on top of a huge hill over looking a small pond. The hill was all iced up..so no coming or going, pretty much. I LOVED it. Sometimes I long to shut myself all iced in, in a tiny trailor on a hill again:lol My babymoon was SWEET.:wink

[Cullens_Girl]

this is our 2nd winter baby. I don't think I would've done anything differently for a spring baby. My first was a c-section, so we didn't leave the house after we got home for a couple weeks anyway.

[my kidlets and me]

And there is something nice about snuggling inside a warm house on a cold winter day with a new baby.

Oooh, that sounds nice. :love

[leafwood]

Dd was born in April in GA, so a NY baby in Jan should be different. I think it might be nice to be all snuggled up in the house for a bit!

[Free Thinker]

My last one was born February 1st, and I liked having a winter baby. I had DH get groceries for me the first few weeks, and as soon as the weather started warming up we were ready to get out and enjoy it! I will say that I preferred my April baby, as I thought it was easier dressing/getting in and out without so many layers. I plan to get several cute jammies and one-peices w/ feet and not many 2 piece outfits, as they shirts seem to ride up or cause a draft, kwim? I think I will also get a few hats for this one.

[frogleymom]

Oh!! I've always wanted cute winter hats!! My girls refused to wear hats by the time winter came around... thankfully, they were mostly carried and had hoods on their snowsuits, but I'm excited for cute newborn hats!!

Emily

[MamaFern]

winter babies are fun to knit for!

[Spirulina&Sage]

this will be my second winter baby.. i also have a late autumn one. its a nice time of year to have a baby.. you aren't huge when its super hot.. you get to snuggle up in your cozy house with your new baby or go on a crisp walk and bundle them all up in wool. i guess im biased since ive never had a summer/spring baby but autumn and winter are 2 my favorite months :lol

[ShannaW]

This will be our first winter baby, and we've just moved from Las Vegas to Montana to boot! I'm too impatient to knit, but I guess I can have fun scoping out all the cute longies and hats!!!

[Tiffany_PartyOf5]

This is our first winter baby too but we live in Florida lol.. soo not too big of a deal lolol.. I mean our Jan temps are probably our lowest temps of the year BUT, its still like a high of 64 and low of 42

[muttix2]

This will be my third winter baby. I love having a baby in the winter, it is so nice. I like the little hats and I use the mittens anyway (those little mitts so they don't scratch their faces). I keep it warm in my house during the winter anyway, warm enough that I don't need my sweater. And I love sleepers better than onesies, they just make babies look so cuddly and cute! Basically inside I'd have the baby in a sleeper and some mitts (they are just a circle of cloth, not even a thumb). Outside I generally put a onesie, socks, mittens, hat, then a sleeper over. I tuck a blanket around the baby. With my two boys I had that carseat that you click in and out of the car and stroller. I got rid of that but might get another, it was just so easy to click the baby in and go. But this will be the first baby I use a sling with so that might help. The only concern I have when I take my babies out is people trying to touch them. But with the stroller/carseat combo I could pull up both shades and hide the baby from people. But I'm thinking a sling might have the same effect. :)

Also, if people want to touch my babies, they have to wash their hands. Upon entering my house even. :) It makes some people mad and others think I'm crazy for it but my kids have never had RSV and I'd like to keep it that way.

[frogleymom]

I enjoyed the carseat/base because I could bring the carseat in the house and make sure the baby was all bundled before we walked out the door. With DD#2 that was the only time I ever took it out of the car. It was also nice for summer babies, because we don't have a garage, and DD#1's front-facing carseat would get super hot sitting in the driveway. I don't think car temps were much of a problem in the winter though.

Emily

[Free Thinker]

I had the snap-in-out carseat and plan to get another one for this baby. IMO it is worth it b/c you can get them all bundled in the house, then just place them in the car. We didn't use it in the grocery store often, though. Maybe 5 times? My kids hated it in the store, donn't know why? I just always used the sling for the store :D

[leewd]

(FreeThinker - Your sig reflects my feelings about #3 exactly!)

Since october in Houston does not count as winter, this will be my first "winter" baby. But of course, in Houston, January just means "not hot."

I'm actually scared to death of all the winter stuff DH's family (Iowa) will buy. I hope they include the receipts because we're not gonna need it!

The most I can imagine needing is: onesies to use like underwear, thin footy pj's, blankets for layering, and a couple of stretchy hats. I just hope it's good and sunny so we can get some naked by the window time in to prevent the horrible jaudice #2 got.

--LEE

[Chavaleh]

My oldest was born in February but I was living a much different lifestyle at that point and didn't leave the house a lot so I don't remember the cold being a big issue. Next year I'll be back to picking the kids up from school every day, a 10 minute walk each way, so I'll have to learn to bundle the new one up better.

[simplehome]

With my two boys I had that carseat that you click in and out of the car and stroller. I got rid of that but might get another, it was just so easy to click the baby in and go. But this will be the first baby I use a sling with so that might help. The only concern I have when I take my babies out is people trying to touch them. But with the stroller/carseat combo I could pull up both shades and hide the baby from people. But I'm thinking a sling might have the same effect. :)

I used the bucket carseat in a restaurant twice with DS, and NEVER used it in a shopping cart. The sling kept everyone's hands off of him---I have even seen people take down the shade on someone's stroller/carseat without asking, just to touch the baby. The sling is such personal space, right by your breasts, that no one even contemplates...it was great!

Also, if people want to touch my babies, they have to wash their hands. Upon entering my house even. :) It makes some people mad and others think I'm crazy for it but my kids have never had RSV and I'd like to keep it that way.

This is the only thing that worries me. Here in the Seattle area it'll be cool enough to wear footies, but I always had my DS in footies in March anyway. I'll just do a footie-jammie, a hat, and I'm going to knit a babywearing poncho to cover us both. But our flu and RSV season is the worst in February and March, so I'm much more concerned about taking the new one out. I took DS out right away, but I've had friends with very sick newborns since then, and I'm a little more wary. Maybe I just got lucky the first time?

I don't know....I also know that we'll HAVE to get out right away, because my son and I don't do well at home all day together. He NEEDS to get out. This is something I'm not sure about---where will I take the two-year-old in January that won't be a germ-den for the little one? I know, common 2nd(3rd, 4th, 5th)-time-around concern.

I'm TOTALLY looking forward to being able to use my fleece pouch longer, my favorite carrier! Using a Moby in the early days should also be more comfortable.

[Mama_Bear]

My daughter was born at the end of November. I always think of her as a late fall baby, but then last night I was going through some pictures and came across the one we took just before we headed to the hospital: in front of the Christmas tree (I *insisted* that we set it up before dd was born, b/c I knew I wouldn't have the time/energy to put it up after and dh isn't crazy about Christmas) with snow falling outside. It was a perfect day to hunker down and birth a baby. I'm so excited that I'll be having a real winter baby - just think of all the knitting I can do!!

[bobandjess99]

One thing I'm going to freak out about is the carseat thing. It will be like 0 degrees here in Jan/Feb/early march....and now that I'm a TECH!!! I knwo so much more and since I can onloy put 1-2 layers on the baby in the carseat, it will make everything more difficult....I think I *might* have to break down and get one of the buckets, which i loathe, but then i can put babe in and put one of the "shower cap" covers over it to keep babe warm......other wise i have to put a coat on the kid, carry out to the car where the RF convertible is installed, take kid out of coat, put in seat, put blakets over kid..etc...see how hard it is??
(and to think, before i knew better, i put DD in her RF convertible all nice and snug in her SNOWSUIT!!! YIKES!!!! Poor kid..she's lucky to be alive, LOL!)

[zjande]

I have this image in my head of standing at our front window, looking out at quiet white snow outside, holding my bundled up cuddly newborn asleep in my arms & I think "OMG. Does it GET cozier than this??" I mean, how totally blissful! All cozied up indoors for some delicious babymooning. :love

This is my 1st winter baby. I've had one in summer, one in spring, & one in fall!! I love the way it just happened that way. :)

[rootzdawta]

Well, I live in the NY area and I cannot tell you how much I **HATE** winter and cold weather. I am so nervous about having a winter baby. I was hoping for a spring baby (April/May) but it happened the way it's supposed to! At least I'm not going to be my biggest in the summer! WooHoo!! The advantage to having a winter baby is that I can knit and crochet lots of longies and hats and mittens. That makes me very excited. Thinking about how to go out with baby . . . I will probably invest in a remote starter for my car so that the car will be warm by the time we're ready to go out. And we will be re-using ds's bucket seat because that, in the winter, is a lifesaver.

I know that in winter, I really hate to go out but now that ds is so old, he needs to go out so . . . I guess we'll all be going out. I am concerned about all the nasty winter buggies but I will be breastfeeding so that makes me a little more settled. Another nice thing is that by summer time, baby will be big and interactive.

[eloise24]

Well January in Orlando means it could be 30 degrees or 50 degrees! I guess I'll just make sure I have enough of little hats and blankets around in case it is cold and we have to be outside. I'm relieved to be prego during our cooler months though, instead of huge during the summer!

[ollineeba]

I am really looking forward to using my fleece sling again-so comfy-. And there is something nice about snuggling inside a warm house on a cold winter day with a new baby.

Absolutely!!
I love my fleece pouch. Such a comfy newborn carrier.
And you're so right.. cuddling up with a newborn in a warm house on a chilly day.. IS there anything better?? Ahh.. my Dad has an awesome fireplace in his living room and I love sitting there, nursing, just smelling that sweet newborn smell.
This will be my third winter baby. My first was February and my second was November, which I consider winter because it's always chilly here in CT in November!

[ollineeba]

(FreeThinker - Your sig reflects my feelings about #3 exactly!)

Mine, too :o

[madis81]

Wow... I just found out that I'm pregnant and will be having a winter baby. My DD was a spring baby.... and now that I've read this thread I don't feel nearly as prepared as I would have! Yikes... Now I'm a little overwhelmed. I didn't stop to think that I was having a winter baby.

[Demeter_shima]

I'm so glad you posted this!

I am expecting my first baby...and a winter one at that. We are also planning to move to New Hampshire so the cold will be REALLY COLD. I expect it will just make the first two months "staying at home" easier...since there will be few other options!
I am hoping to have my mother or friend stay with me for the first month or whatever they can do. That would be helpful...at the very least my MIL is less than an hour away from where we'll be living...so there is some help near by.
Knitting is annoying though...because I keep wanting to make these wonderfully feminine things...and I am not planning to find out the sex...so unisex is the only way to go. There will be a lot of rainbow colored things and green things I suppose.

[HollysMom]

This will be my second winter baby. dd1 was due in December, but born in November (5 weeks early) dd2 was due May 31 and came May 18. I am due Jan 25 so I expect this one to arrive sometime around early/mid January. Winter can be tough. Being cooped up in the house is nuts so you really have to make an effort to get out and do stuff. The good news is by the time our January babies are getting fun it will be nice outside :)

[Pattyla]

This baby is due 2 weeks after my dd's birthday. Only one week after her due date. I could very well have two kids with the same birthday, only 4 years apart. We'll see.

I used the bucket seat with dd till she outgrew it (at 5 months). We did use the Bundle Me inside of it. Now that I know it isn't safe I'm bummed. I loved that thing.

I had a rough birth and since dd was my first and I didn't have any good reasons to go anywhere I just stayed at home for the first 6 weeks and didn't do much for a long time after that. I kept dd in a sling when ever we left the house. She never slept in her car seat so I never worried about waking her. I'm really wanting a fleece sling for this time around.

I'm thrilled too that I'm already ready with the right clothes for the right seasons! (assuming my intuition is right and this is another girl). Even if I'm wrong I have a lot of gender neutral stuff to get us started.

Oh I love those nightgowns w/ elastic at the bottom for winter babies. Keeps them warm but easy for the diaper changes. I know others hate those things but I loved them! I like the fleece bags sleeper things too.