Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

I think my baby is sunburnt and I feel terrible

34 replies

HelpFeelSoTerrible · 20/03/2026 16:01

I feel absolutely terrible. I was walking with my 4 month old baby in the carrier today and had the UV shade up most of the time when he was inward facing. I was then walking in the woods and there was dappled sunlight, and I then took the UV shade off so he could look around. Later he was outward facing without the shade for about 10-15 mins when I was walking home. I now think there’s a red patch of sunburn on his cheek, which may have also been where his cheek was exposed under the UV shade, so that will have been much longer exposure than 10-15 mins as we were walking around the woods for a couple of hours.

I feel sick that I’ve let my tiny baby get sunburnt. I don’t know what to do. I feel like the worst mother in the world. Someone said babies can’t use sunscreen before 6 months - why is this? I feel so terrible. Can anyone reassure me? I’m in London, and it has been sunny/ cloudy today.

OP posts:
Original poster
HelpFeelSoTerrible · 20/03/2026 16:18

Thank you so much for being so kind, everyone. I don’t really understand UV index @JehovasFitness but someone upthread said it was 3 today?

Goodness me, this parenting lark is not for the faint hearted, is it? 😣

OP posts:
JehovasFitness · 20/03/2026 16:13

Has the UV index gone past 2-3 today?

I would be shocked if the baby has sunburn from what you’ve described.

I am all for keeping them out of the sun and I religiously apply sun cream 9 months of the year but I just can’t see it happening today.

OneToThree · 20/03/2026 16:11

This has happened to a lot of us. Cut yourself some slack, the fact you’re so upset shows you’re not a bad mum.

Strawberries86 · 20/03/2026 16:08

I thought my baby was going to look like phantom of the opera after 2 minutes with the pram shade down. Cried for an hour. Redness had gone by the morning. You’re not the worst, you took your baby for a walk not an afternoon in a crack den. I bet you’re a great a mum.

Smartiepants79 · 20/03/2026 16:08

In the uk today I’d be extremely surprised if your baby has got sunburn after very limited exposure. How long might it have been under the uv shade? It’s certainly not burnt after 15 mins in the uv index 3 of London today.

Original poster
HelpFeelSoTerrible · 20/03/2026 16:07

Thank you. I just feel awful. I’m so scared this will give him skin cancer in the future because babies have such sensitive skin. I feel like crying.

OP posts:
DappledThings · 20/03/2026 16:05

Been there. Lovely spring day. DC1 was a few weeks old. We had a blissful sit outside a cafe while he fed and I had a coffee. He fell asleep feeding so once I'd extricate nipple and rearranged my clothing we had a lovely peaceful sit for half an hour while he slept and I relaxed.

I completely forgot the sun would impact him far quicker than me and he did get a small red patch on his cheek that I also felt horrendously guilty about. It was a one-off like your time. It'll be ok.

Listlostlast · 20/03/2026 16:05

I’m voting yabu, because you most certainly are not the worst mother in the world and you shouldn’t even say that! It’s so easy for them to catch the sun when they’re so little and not yet meant to be wearing suncream. It may just be unrelated to the sun, teething or similar instead, but it’ll soon come right either way. In any event, I shouldn’t think the uv index is overly high today and of course even less in dappled sun.

DiscoCherries · 20/03/2026 16:04

Under 6 months its advised to keep them in the shade and out of direct sunlight as much as possible, especially during the middle of the day.
There are some mineral / zinc baby suncreams you could dab a small amount on exposed areas but best to just keep them covered / in the shade when they’re so tiny.

Swipe left for the next trending thread