To insist on coat or blanket from car seat to house with 6 month baby?

[untitled1]

It’s 7°C outside and DS (6 months) needed to go from house to car, about 20 metres. He was wearing a cotton bodysuit/onesie with no vest underneath.

I thought he needed a coat/blanket and hat even for that short distance, especially as he’s just getting over a chest infection.

DH thought it was fine for such a short trip and that I was being over the top. He took DS out as he was- no hat, no coat, no blanket.

Am I being overprotective? Do babies really need full outdoor clothing for literally 30 seconds outside? Or is it important even for very short distances?

Is this something worth insisting on or am I overthinking it?

He was being carried, asleep, in the car seat (or up against an adult’s chest) to the house? He’d have got additional warmth from either being snuggled into the warm seat or against another person.
I think it’s really insane to wake a baby - especially one getting over an illness - for a 20m walk. We used to have parking a similar distance from our house and I never did this. I would put something on them if they were going to get rained on, but not for temp.

I mean putting a coat on for a 30 second trip then taking it off to get in the car (which is essential) takes up more time than just going out without.
But I think a hat at the least, and maybe a blanket around them is a good idea.

The coat/blanket wouldn't exactly have been cosy warm, would it. The baby is picked up, cuddled against his father's nice warm chest, with his father's nice warm arms across his back. That sounds quite toasty for a twenty metre walk from a car to the house. If it was me I'd probably have taken the blanket I'd have had over the baby in the car into the house, and the easiest way of carrying that would be to drape it over my shoulder and the baby - but that's at least as much about minimising trips to the car as it is about keeping the baby warm.

OP, I understand that you're anxious, but that doesn't mean that DH was wrong, or that you have authority over his decisions. You are both parents, you are both capable of caring for your child.

It is absolutely not necessary to wake a sleeping baby to put a coat on to go from the car to the house. If baby is in the car seat then just put the coat over them as a blanket, if you are picking him up out of the car seat if it's not a portable one then holding him against your body for that short distance will be fine.

Well I wouldn't have made a big deal out if it or caused an argument.... but in colder weather or winter I'd have added a cardigan to my baby if they were just in a sleep suit and tucked a small blanket around them, with their arms out.

Babies can't regulate their temperature well so they shouldn't be in fewer layers than an adult when it is cold.

But if the blanket was forgotten, or the baby had fallen asleep before other layers were put on, I wouldn't think too much about the quick trip from car to house. The baby would have woken up if too uncomfortably cold

This thread has descended into classic MN. Imagine the hop, skip and rocket to the moon it takes to shoehorn ‘neglect’ into a 30 sec walk to a car! 😂

@untitled1 a draped blanket would’ve sufficed.
Yes, you overthought it and tried to overrule your DH, it’s annoying to be at the end of that so it turned into an argument.

I’ve done the same in the past (tried to overrule DP as mum). Self reflection helps. I apologised to DP for being too overbearing. He’s since apologised too when he’s been in the wrong.

Lessons learnt. We move on. No biggie.

Given just over a chest infection and it being that temperature, I would have definitely put a blanket over their body at the very least. Not sure why tiny humans should ever be cold, but heyho I also dress mine in thermal wear the moment it consistently gets under 10 degrees Celsius.

Good trick btw is to keep another set of spare emergency clothes in the car.

Well it sounds like yo him he did have the babies interests at heart because he was asleep and he didn't want the baby yanked about getting a coat and hat on. He'd also would have had his dad's body heat keeping him warm.

Because as the father he has equal rights to make decisions,
and the majority of people here think you are bu.

but you keep going and undermine your husband.
great way to stay in a strong and resilient relationship.

Mine are a lot older but he would have had a hat on anyway and a blanket over his car seat if it were me

I feel like everyone’s made the point that it’s not worth over worrying about, just wanted to add it’s worth keeping a blanket in the car for that exact situation. If you’ve got a spare, bung one in there today. Sorry you’re feeling worried - I’ve been there - but be assured 20 seconds of breeze isn’t going to hurt your baby. If really worried I would tuck baby’s coat or your jumper over the baby’s lap for the short trip inside.

Hope the argument is all forgotten soon.

You’re being completely over the top. But it’s kind to humour the person you love’s harmless paranoias. It wouldn’t do him any harm to chuck a blanket over the baby-so long as both you and he know you’re being a bit bonkers.

You caused the argument by being controlling there was no need and if you were a man this behaviour would have red flags all over it

It’s a few seconds. YABU.

It’s not required, but as an adult I put a coat on to walk 20m to my car on a cold day, and the “warm” car is never warm until it’s been running a while.

I really hate the cold though, so I’d have had baby in a jumper and a blanket and he’d still have had less layers on than me.

When I asked DH to put a coat and hat on him, he said no because he didn’t want to wake the baby up. But when I said “okay, I’ll do it then” or “let me take him instead,” he refused and wouldn’t let me.
I’m struggling to understand why it had to become an argument at all? If he didn’t want to dress him, why not just let me do it as his mum? It feels like it became about proving a point rather than what was actually best for DS. Just feels unnecessarily combative when it could have been so simple.

He had already made the decision though. You questioning at the time and on here as to why he just didn’t let you do what you wanted is unreasonable.

Obviously, when he said he didn’t want to wake the baby up, he didn’t mean he personally didn’t want to wake the baby up but he didn’t mind you waking the baby up. Pretending that you thought that is what he meant is mad.

I wouldn’t have faffed around, I’d have just got the baby to the house. But that’s besides the point really. You started this argument by micromanaging. Pushing one parent out of parenting isn’t OK.

One day when DC is about 20 you will look back and laugh at this.

I don't see why your DH thought putting a blanket on your son would have woken him.

Exactly what I was about to say .

a chest infection is just that - an INFECTION! It’s not a disease! 😂

I seem to be in the minority here but, whereas I can mentally prepare myself for a 20 second nip to the car, a baby doesn’t realise it’s quickly going from 20 - 7 degrees, so I would have popped a blanket over. Of course he won’t get poorly from not having the blanket.

i would have thought he should be wearing a vest in all weathers at this age - why wasnt he - out of interest

Exactly

You’re being massively overprotective

He thought faffing about putting a coat and hat on would wake him? Not a blanket.
Which I agree with, why wake a sleeping baby !