Nordic napping

[suedehead]

So, I spotted this one this morning:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21537988

Whilst at first you may think 'blimey', I can actually see the logic! Anyone tried this? Do you reckon it leads to healthier children?

Are we all just paranoid about someone nicking our babies...!?

[Binfullofmaggotsonth45]

John how funny, that's one of my earliest memories, my big DB sat in one of those on top of our SilverCross pram and getting quite irritated because he blocked the view.

[ppeatfruit]

Funny about the swedes being ill all the time maybe its the dairy food that they are supposed to love. But in the 'olden' days gloucestergirl with the fogs and filthy coal fired chimneys in towns the outside was worse !!

Nowadays its the traffic fumes, cats (which like sitting in warm places) and bleedin' urban foxes you can't win can you?

[dikkertjedap]

Haven't read the whole thread, but as far as I am aware there is no evidence whatsoever that there are health benefits from napping outside in cold weather.

This article actually suggests that it may be more due to custom and for convenience rather than health benefits.

[diddl]

I think it was a common thing to do-put the pram outside-out of the way?-and get on with stuff.

I don´t think that it was unusual tbh.

Then I think that that evolved to leaving the pram outside if baby asleep rather than deliberately putting it out everyday.

I think a lot of people would try to get out for a walk everyday for "fresh air" for themselves/baby/toddler...

Turf a youngster out to play unless damp!

[redrubyshoes]

Yep I did it when I lived in Finland. They were bundled up in a snowsuit with hat, gloves and a sheepskin under them and the hood up on the pram. They slept like logs with little rosy cheeks and were toasty warm inside.

I also noticed there was no 'crying, whiney wake up' just a dozy awakening and hungry. They slept half an hour longer on average as well.

I used to sometimes sweep the snow off the pram at the end of their nap.

Loved it.

[merryberry]

oh, i thought it might be light. i remember mine as babies really needing daylight to get into humane (for me) sleeping pattern.

[honeytea]

I think the Swedes are not necessarily more ill than the brits but they take being ill more seriously so they tend to take the day off work for a cold or sore throat when a British person would probably go into work.

Their childhood death statistics and life expectancy are both better than the UK but that may be due to other things not just napping outside.

[shallweshop]

FFS 'Nordic napping' - just normal parents taking their kids out in their normal environment. The children are actually wrapped up in their snowsuits, blankets etc. Does it make a difference that they are parked up outside somewhere or if they are being pushed around outside?

[MariscallRoad]

It would not work with every baby though! Some don?t like sleeping during the day. Mine did not want to sleep in the day.

[MariscallRoad]

well, in my London neighbourhood we don?t have clean air whether snow or not snow and would not recommend. Very much pollution because of traffic. I had collected one winter the top snow that had fallen on our hedge, put it in a plastic container, sparkling white and waited for it melt. When it did so there was a black line around the box which tells me the air was poluted and the dirt was collected by the snow as it fell.

[abbyfromoz]

Did this when visiting friends in Denmark. Would never do it ere in London... Insanity. But the air is fresher and cleaner there and bubbas are all wrapped up toasty and snuggly buggly. Fresh air has so many health benefits.

[ppeatfruit]

Erm.. shallweshop Unless you have a newly invented remote control for pushing the pram then YOU are actually there while pushing .If the pram and baby are 'parked up' you are NOT there!

[Jux]

Air is the same whether you take your children/babies out in it or leave the pram parked up outside. If that's what they (and you) are breathing then it's what you're breathing. Doesn't make any difference whether you're going down the shops/park with the baby in the pram, or putting the baby in the pram outside for a nap.

[undercoverhousewife]

Isn't there a "diving reflex" that means that, especially in small children and babies, heart rate and respiration lowers when there is cold air on the face (I think this is how some babies survive being underwater for a few minutes if it is cold enough)? I am guessing that helps explain the good sleep.

As a baby, I was put for hours at the end of the garden and would have done with mine BUT FOR THE FOXES. Here in the London suburbs, we are overrun and they are often in the garden at dusk, playing, so no way could I be happy leaving a baby outside unattended.

[ppeatfruit]

One of the other things I would worry about is overheating especially in under 3 month olds'.

[Thumbwitch]

My DS1 would definitely have overheated - he was a December baby in the UK and could never wear a snowsuit out - he had his cotton sleepsuit and a fleece hooded coat, with a single blanket - that was enough. He used to overheat so easily. DS2 is pretty similar.

[LapsedPacifist]

We were put outside like this in enormous old-fashioned prams in the early 1960's. My very earliest memories are of looking up at sky framed by the huge pram hood and throughout my childhood I always associated being tucked up in my pram with warmth, comfort and security! I even used the memory of being cozy in my pram to "self-soothe" myself to sleep - these were the days when getting out of bed was a punishable offence for small children and there was no heating upstairs anyway, so it was freezing cold at night!

[radiohelen]

I put my little one outside in the cold. I did until I found a fox sniffing round his pram in the middle of the day. Heart in mouth moment, I went out and yelled and flapped and the damn thing went for me. I didn't leave him outside again. It probably works OK where you know your garden is enclosed and therefore safe.

[EskSmith]

DD1 had all her naps outside on our veranda from 9 months. It was where she slept best and right for her. DD2 was happiest in her cot so that is where she slept.
I don't understand what the difference is between a pram being pushed and being stationary, they still need to be wrapped up appropriately. If I was happy to take her out for a walk then by definition she would be warm enough outside stationary too no?

I think some parents forget that babies stay the same temperature stationary or moving whereas those walking get cold when they stop.

[Twattergy]

I haven't left ds outside for a nap but definitely do take him out in the freezing weather in his buggy for walks/naps. When he was 3mo we whacked him in the Bjorn and strapped him to DH and went snow-shoeing in the park! He fell asleep v quickly! When it's super cold I seem to be the only one with him in the park, so I do sometimes wonder if other people avoid going out in the cold. In my mind, cold weather is no problem for little ones as long as they are dressed properly. There does seem to be something 'health giving' in cold fresh air, although I think that's just in my imagination rather than based on any medical fact!

[HelenaLee]

Thanks all for reading my article. I'm finding your contributions here really interesting

[BadRoly]

My neighbour's mother was convinced dd2 lived in our garage! I had 3 school runs a day when dd2 was born (in November) so she slept mostly in the pram. I wrapped her up and left her in her pram in the garage to sleep if she went off on one of the school runs.

Didn't know it had a name though

[ppeatfruit]

"it works where your garden is enclosed" Erm.... foxes can climb and dig unless you have electric fencing I wouldn't do it!

[MummytoMog]

I was a bit cross when my MIL left my teeny DD at the bottom of the garden asleep in her pushchair, but the garden is 100ft long, you can't see the bottom from the house and we have a family of bloody horrible foxes at the bottom of the garden, who had recently eaten all our chickens and probably would have quite fancied a newborn for a light snack dingo ate my baby time otherwise I'm all for kiddies being out in the cold, well wrapped up. We took ours out for a lovely walk in the snow last month, they adored it.

[ppeatfruit]

"a bit cross" mummytoMog I'd 've been bleedin' frothing at the mouth!!!! and I wouldn't left MIL in charge again.