Is a hat really needed?

[K8eee]

Pretty much every baby I have seen has a hat on. Is there any need for me to buy one...? I've got vests, sleepsuits and scratch mittens but don't see why I need to buy a hat once he/she is born.

[Rosa]

As a large percentage of heat in a baby is lost via the head ( was what I was told)

[K8eee]

I've heard that, and then heard it's rubbish bit confused

[Only1scoop]

Yes you will need one.

[ThursdayLast]

Its the midwives that put the hat on IME. So there must be something in it.

[StrangeGlue]

Cause they've got no hair to keep their little heads warm. But mainly cause they look adorable!!

[BetterWithCheese]

Actually I think the advice is not to have a hat on indoors as baby can overheat. Hospitals tend to be ridiculously hot so we didn't have a hat on DD in hospital but always a warm hat when going out.

[K8eee]

The hospital I'll be in is stupidly warm, even in the winter I can totally understand when you go out but in a hospital

[Only1scoop]

I remember going down for my c section and the midwife saying can you bring down your baby gro and hat....

[everythinghippie29]

My little man didn't have a hat on at all in the hospital but always wears one when we go outside.

Mainly because he went all bald shortly after birth and he looks damn cute in his little blue deer stalker hat.

I'm sure you will be gifted some baby clothes and a lot of the sets come with a hat but I certainly wouldn't worry about getting one especially for the hospital.

[TheSurgeonsMate]

My midwife had a hat ready. Volunteers knit them for the hospital, apparently. So they obviously think it is pretty important. That first hat did get quite manky so if you think your hospital may not have such volunteers don't buy it from Boden!

[DaleyBump]

My DS is an incredibly hairy baby and I always put him in a hat going out.

[BetterWithCheese]

I just googled this as no midwife mentioned the need for it with either of mine. Apparently preemies need hats, full-termed not so much. I've taken hats, just not used them.

[thecakeisalie]

I was under the impression they need a hat when first born as they can need a little while to start adjusting their body temperature so can lose a lot of heat.

After that they only need hats on outdoors but not indoors and not on hot days. I've bought some for this baby even though it'll spring as baby will probably wear one when we are outside in the early weeks.

[BetterWithCheese]

But yes you definitely need warm hats for going out or a snugly hood on a pram suit.

[MyNameIsKenAdams]

80percent of heat is lost thrpugh the head because it is uncovered. If the rest of you was uncovered, the heat loss would be even.

We still have the little newborn hat dd had on when she first was born. A local little old lady knits them for our hospital.

[ZenNudist]

Lots of sets come with hats but they don't get used much by me. ds2 is 3wo goes out in hooded tops with hood up, and mw advised not to wear one indoors. Shane as they match various outfits so well.

Get one for after birth as the mw said they put one on then.

[LlamaLover]

Newborns do NOT need hats! They need to be skin to skin with Mum, that's all they need to regulate their temperature. See more scientific explanation here.

Premature babies or other babies that can't be near to Mum for whatever reason can use hats as a replacement for Mum. The old school style of midwifery where babies were plucked out and stuck in a cot immediately is the reason for the older generation's obsession for newborn's hats!

[DaleyBump]

What about when they're outside Llama? I would rather my DS be warm than cold

[Stockhausen]

Didnt use hats or scratch mitts!

[ilovepowerhoop]

ds was skin to skin with me but got a hat put on him after birth to help bring his temperature up.

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

Llama - it is a good idea to have one incase you end up having the baby in theatre - EMCS/forceps/ventouse. It is incredibly cold in there, and due to tubes etc etc not always possible to have skin to skin right away.

DS2 was popped into an adorable little purple one that someone at the hospital had knitted, it matched the blanket they wrapped him in :)

[TheScience]

They put a hat on DS when he was born, a hospital one, but once we were on the postnatal ward they took it off again.

[LlamaLover]

Oh yes, in case it wasn't clear - I totally agree with having a hat available for birth - in case skin to skin isn't possible for whatever reason. But its a 'just in case' not a matter of course for me.

For outside - depends on the season/weather, as a rough guide I'd probably put a hat on them whenever I wear a coat.

[Goldmandra]

My DD2 had a hat straight on when she was born and it turned out that she was struggling to stay warm so we had to keep one on her. The hat and the hot cot just kept her out of SCBU. It was touch and go.

I'm glad we did it that way rather than waiting to see if she needed the hat then had her end up in SCBU.

I would take the hat just in case. I've had plenty of experience of hospitals in the past couple of years, mainly with DD2 and they have not been as warm as you might expect.

[Goldmandra]

BTW DD2 was born at 38 weeks, skin to skin and BF immediately but still needed the hat and the hot cot.