Worrying about baby in this heat!

[Emismama]

Hi all,
my LO is a week old today ( I’m a FTM) and I’m really worrying about her in this heat. She’s been super sleepy all day, she is having plenty of wet and dirty nappies and is still eating (FF) but I’m really having to work to wake her for a feed and even then she’s only awake for about 20 minutes and straight back to sleep. Is this normal for newborns? I know they sleep a lot but this seems excessive. My hormones are still in overdrive so I can’t stop overthinking everything so I’m really looking for some reassurance and guidance please!

Congratulations on your new LO @Emismama

How is your lovely new DD today?

The wet nappies are good 😊 and sleeping lots is pretty normal for newborns - doesn’t stop you worrying though!!
there was a heat wave shortly after my DS was born and I remember getting really stressed: things I did (mainly to make me feel proactive rather than because he needed it??!!)

• lots of trips to air conditioned places : supermarkets, star bucks etc although you may not feel up to leaving the house after just a week….


• extra baths


• wet sheets hanging on the door of the bedroom and a fan to lower the room temperature ready for bed time.


• avoiding spending too much time in the pram as I was sure it trapped heat in!


• upping the frequency of feeds - he was BF so no extra water - not sure what the recommendations for FF are.

Good luck - 1 week Postpartum in a heat wave can’t be fun but it will end!!

DD was born into the 2018 heatwave and DD is 5 months now.
being sleepy is ok as long as baby doesn’t have jaundice and is waking for feeds. Do make sure that you do wake regularly to feed though.

key is trying to keep as cool as possible so minimal clothes (DS is napping on me with us both in our pants, a muslin between us and fan on), shade, fan.

if you are at all worried give your midwifery team a call if still open to them.

happily the heat should reduce soon!

in 2018 I spent a lot of time in a local park in The shade of trees where it always seemed to be breezy. DD napped on a picnic blanket and I could snack and be coolish.

if you are at all worried don’t be afraid to call for medical advice. We ended up with an ambulance coming out when DD was 4 weeks old as we were concerned she was very sleepy. Turns out she was just sleeping, she hadn’t done much of that until then! Paramedics were very nice and said they would always prefer to see a healthy baby that not be called in time to a poorly one x

Thank you all so much for your replies and advice! LO seems to be coping fine, plenty of wet nappies today and having lots of awake time! I think it’s just hormones in overdrive and being a FTM so having nothing to compare to that’s got me overthinking! I don’t have many people to go to for advice as don’t have many mum friends and my own mum passed away earlier this year so mumsnet really has been my saviour through pregnancy and now these early newborn days! Thanks again ladies for the advice and reassurance🥰

If you feel anxious OP, just remember all those little African, Indian and Arabic newborn babies in climates far hotter than our bit of a heatwave - they survived for generations before aircon was invented!
Wait until winter - you’ll be fretting whether baby is warm enough in her cot…!
All new mums worry, it comes with the territory, but you and she will be fine.

Thank you all so much for your replies and advice! LO seems to be coping fine, plenty of wet nappies today and having lots of awake time! I think it’s just hormones in overdrive and being a FTM so having nothing to compare to that’s got me overthinking! I don’t have many people to go to for advice as don’t have many mum friends and my own mum passed away earlier this year so mumsnet really has been my saviour through pregnancy and now these early newborn days! Thanks again ladies for the advice and reassurance

Sounds like you're both doing really well

I had a baby at the beginning of August 1976!! Boy was I hot!!

I was married to a doctor and his only concern was avoiding dehydration. I was BF and drank and drank. If you are bottle feeding just make sure that you do not make it too concentrated - err very very slightly on the weak side if anything - then your baby will get plenty of fluid. Wet nappies are a good sign that all is well.

Enjoy your lovely new baby - and congratulations! I hope it will cool down soon and you can relax.

Having a new baby is always an anxious time, especially if you have not done it before.

They do sleep a lot when tiny if it's very hot - there was a late heatwave when DS was about 8 weeks old and he was asleep through a lot of it. As people have said, feeding and having wet nappies suggest all is fine. Glad LO is more awake and that's reassuring you a bit.

Please don't, as a PP suggested, make your formula more watery-this can be dangerous. Just keep making it as per instructions on the tin.

You sound like you're doing just great!

Thank you all so much, she’s just had a little sponge bath and has a nice full tummy and is snoozing away on my chest! I am so so grateful for this amazing community that I’ve found💕

Thank you all so much, she’s just had a little sponge bath and has a nice full tummy and is snoozing away on my chest! I am so so grateful for this amazing community that I’ve found

That sounds perfect