Help - is my baby too cold?

[applejune]

My baby is 5 months old. When taking him out in the pram, I’ve been dressing him in a sleepsuit with two warm blankets on top. It’s 14C and overcast tomorrow where I am. Is that enough layers or does he need more? Should I be putting him in a hat?

I would include a light hat. I would put a blanket under him for insulation and one over him if you bring him out in a onesie.

Does he have a cardigan/ jacket and jumper, a pair of sweatpants, and a little onesie vest for outdoor trips (plus hat)? It's nice not to be wrapped up in blankets at 5 months if he's awake.

If he can sit up and look around without getting cold, he might be interested in his surroundings.

No, he doesn’t have any of that stuff. I need to buy him some clothes! I just find onesies so easy compared with proper outfits.

You could get a snuggly thick onesie to put on over his indoor onesie. We had a furry one with bear ears. I miss that outfit!!

On this kind of weather I'd be dressing baby in a vest, sleep suit, thick cardigan/little jacket, with a pair of bootees and a hat.
Then a couple of blankets over the to, or a sleeping bag or a pram cosytoes. I definitely second the suggestion to make sure there is a blanket underneath him as the cold and drafts come up from underneath in a pram.
I just think about how quickly I'd get chilled sat still outside for ages. It's horrible being cold.

Baby same age here. He is often in sleepsuits still daytime.
He has a full sheepskin footmuff so under him and on top, the top bit I use sometimes already if overcast, and just open up if the sun comes out and it’s warmer.
He has a cardigan on top of sleepsuit usually, and a thick pair of socks on feet. Thin cotton hat also sometimes first thing if it’s cold. It has been 4-8 degrees here early in the morning sometimes.

@applejune

No, he doesn’t have any of that stuff. I need to buy him some clothes! I just find onesies so easy compared with proper outfits.

Try sweatpants over a bodysuit type vest, with a top over that. Relatively little faff, as these things go, and the vest means that even if the top rides up sometimes, your baby isn't randomly baring his midriff all the time. For going outside, I'd also shove on a hoodie or cardigan.

At that temp I would have vest, sleep suit, Cardigan/jacket, blanket/ sleeping bag / foot muff.

Omg definitely needs a vest!! My 2.5 year old still always wears a vest when it's a bit cool!

My baby was born in October last year and we took him out in sleepsuits with a thick all in one coat. Sometimes a blanket too and I initially didn't put a hat on him, but would recommend buying one when you can

They’re much colder than us as they’re not moving. Check down the back of his neck. His neck should be warm. Hands can be cold.
He sounds like he needs a fleecy cardigan and a vest as well as the blanket round his legs.

You can put a cardigan and warm trousers on top of a sleep suit for when you go out and then just take them off indoors.

Even indoors they say one more layer than you’re wearing.

Vest, sleep suit or trousers/top, cardi or light jacket and then either a thick blanket or foot muff thing for the buggy. Mine only didn't wear a vest in the hot weather.

Well, I feel absolutely terrible - I've been letting my baby freeze! Would he have let me know if he was cold do you think?

I'm going to buy some vests, a thick coat and hat plus cardigans today!

Don't feel terrible! In my experience babies will let you know that they are too cold, whereas overdressed, too hot babies tend to get sleepy and that can be more dangerous as they are at risk of overheating without you being aware.

You've had some good advice - when they are little, aim for light layers that you can add to or take off depending on temp.
For older babies and toddlers who often don't like blankets and raincovers I love the fleece lined, waterproof all-in-ones from JoJo maman Bebe.

Don't feel bad. It takes a while to figure out how to dress a baby especially as the seasons change.

I had 2 winter babies and found summer dressing hard.

I would put a short sleeved vest under the sleep suit though

Look up tuppence and crumble star blankets much easier than faffing on with coats/snow suits and look super cute! I use mine all the time for in the pram/sling/car seat!

DD3 is often still in a sleepsuit when I do the school run. For this weather I just put a cardigan over the top plus blanket. In cold weather in the past I'v put my DC in a furry pram suit (you can get quite thin ones now so they're not restrictive). Also have a sheepskin liner on the pram. You could also look to get a footmuff - there's plenty of universal ones mow.

Taking my 4 month old out today, long sleeved vest, sweatshirt, joggers, hat, lined woolly jacket, fleece pushchair muff.
Won't be long until he's in a pram suit over his clothes.

I'm sure you've been keeping your baby warm enough. And of course he'll have let you know if he wasnt.

But the weather is changing so tes, get some more clothes. We liked those all in one coat suit things at that age.

Does he feel cold? Particularly on his chest? That is the best way to tell. But yes I would probably add a vest and cardigan.

@applejune

Well, I feel absolutely terrible - I've been letting my baby freeze! Would he have let me know if he was cold do you think?

I'm going to buy some vests, a thick coat and hat plus cardigans today!

I think you would know if he were unhappily cold, and as PP have said, better slightly too cold than slightly too warm.

I'd probably add a light hat, but not necessarily more layers - you've said there are two warm blankets.

When DS is cold he lets you know about it. You haven't been walking him around in shorts and a T-shirt. When DS was smaller he wore a vest, sleepsuit, hat and a cardi. I'd then add/remove blankets as required. Don't panic, there's been no harm done.

Don't feel bad OP, parenting is a learning curve and we've all been there! As others have said, he would have let you know if he was too cold. Feel the back of his neck or his chest as a gauge to how hot/cold he is.

One thing to bear in mind though as you start to dress him in more layers, make sure you always take off any bulky coat/snowsuit etc before you put him in his car seat. Otherwise the padding will compress in an accident and the straps that had seemed tight, won't actually be, and can't do their job properly.
I always keep a fleece blanket in the car for tucking round baby to keep him warm once in his seat. My older two (2 and 5) also have a blanket each to keep them warm in the car, as same applies to older children in car seats too.

To be fair, it’s only been getting cold here the last week or so, before that a sleepsuit and a blanket was generally enough for my baby.

Cardigans are easiest IMO as can open if they get a bit warm. Same with footmuff, it’s better than a thick coat as if you go inside somewhere and it’s heated you can just open it up without waking baby taking them out of snowsuit.

I would second twopence and crumble star wraps. Best purchase ever, I wish I knew about them with my first.

Think when DS was 3 mo, he had a vest, sleepsuit, jacket, hat but was in carrier not pram a lot and he generally runs pretty hot