If you are not meant to put sunblock on a baby under 6 months, wtf do you do if it is sunny?

[Fillyjonk]

...assuming you have other kids and a life and so forth and they can't spend all the outside time in a pram with a net over them?

I have been pondering this of late, I am flummoxed.

Have never actually had a baby under 6 months in the summer before (ds and dd1 = late summer babies so didn't really go out much when it was still sunny)

Have just found something called Shade-a-babe UV sun cover for prams/pushchairs

Here in Aus - with three summer babes ( okay one was born in England in the summer) Just keep them in the shade as much as possible, blinds on the car windows, muslin wrap over the buggy pegged to the hood.

Use ego sunsense baby one which was fine. For swimming - UV sunsuit, dd1 who is almost 6 still has UV shirt for swimming as well as boardshorts.

they do look like burkhas though...

lol!

We've got some huge muslins, they must be nearly 3' square, and are great for all sorts of things - really soft too.

I'm totally in agreement with Starlight, normal suncream has all kinds of toxic shite in it... a 6 month old better kept in shade and hat..

floaty clothes etc yes do that

am worrying about hands really, I think

dd tends to love in her sling and that isn't very shade accomodating

I see a pushchair would make life easier though...

but also harder

ps that should have been LIVE in her sling

Wouldnt a sling make it too hot for the baby, it gets your body heat in addition to the sun? I never used the babybjorn in the sun as I did not want my babies to overheat and get sumburnt.

doesn't seem so so far, but then it hasn't been very sunny

As I say, this is my first summer baby. Its all new to me here...

my older kids were both walking by the summer after they were born, so very different...

(oh crap I am going to have a baby learning to walk in the winter, fgs)

Why would a baby learning to walk in winter be a problem?

You seem to be making mountains out of molehills. Are you ok?

well its going to be more of a PITA in the winter, isn't it? they can't just go to the park and fall on the grass like they should.

I am sorry you think I am making mountains out of molehills, but really, this was meant to be a bit tongue in cheek. And tbh, the guuidance re no sunblock under 6 months isn't that helpful-wtf else are you meant to do?

Under 6 months you shouldn't use it in case of an allergic reaction. I aksed the GP about this and he agreed it was difficult. What I would suggest is have legs and arms covered with thin clothes and a hat with a wide brim and long neck cover.

you might find she prefers the pram when it's hot, you will both be cooler. Also on a sunny day you just muddle through, walk on the shady side, find shady spots etc. We always had sheets in the pram to make some shade when there wasn't one and so on.

That and long cotton clothes and wide hats and they were fine, though I did use a natural suncream for their faces a few times if I was worried.

not as newborns though, probably closer to six months

You can use mineral sunscreens, either zinc oxide or titanium dioxide based.

You can take a child to the park in winter. They can fall over. You just have to make sure you dress him/her for cold and wet conditions.

YOu dont need sunblock for babies. You keep them in the shade and covered up.

Sling a big hat and limbs covered is fine, I found. But w hen it was very hot, DS was happiest in the carrycot with a cotton sheet underneath and completely shaded, it meant the air could circulate around him, with nothing pressing on him to make him sweat.

Dd2 was born in Cyprus in June (and dd2 moved there in Aug age 4 mths). It was hot! I used a shade a babe with the pushchair and covered the Silver Cross with muslins when she was in it. No-one got to see her at all . I also swear by UV sunsuits. We bought one by a company called Ozone which was expensive but made of a cooler cotton feel fabric rather than the synthetic sun suit material the cheaper ones are made of. Obv in Cyprus we got alot more use from it so the investment was worth it. I think I put her in the 12-18mth size as a baby and it meant the sleeves and arms were long enough to cover her. Big hat too .
It won't be as bad as you think, and it is only one summer.
For holidays I really recommend the UV tents although do practice putting them away before you get them out at the beach . Small babies stay put in them, although dd1 did end up eating sand .

DD1 moved there age 4 mths ....

did you see the thing about the parasol / sling combo? worked very nicely for me, ds was April baby

there is a very light summer sling called Calin Bleu I am going to try this time round - yes they can make babies hot, but you still need to carry babies sometimes

I always used it! Kept baby in one of those UV tents if we were out too. Never did either of them any harm.

actually I have a brown gauze Calin Bleu (bought for Aug-born dd) if you want to borrow it, filly...

Filly, how old is your middle child?