how do you keep tiny babies cool?

[hoxtonchick]

dd is 2 weeks old. we live in central london & it's been stupidly hot today (31 degrees). she's spent most of the day just in a nappy, in the shade or inside where it's cooler. i have washed her down with damp cotton wool once, & will do so again before bedtime. she isn't miserable, has been breastfeeding a lot, but then she is only tiny. i'm just paranoid i guess....

lots and lots of feeding, and keep in shade. you're doing the right thing.

its a nightmare isnt it? misdee is right, you are doing just the right thing

why not let her have a lie around without her nappy on for a while too? on a towel or something?

bless her!

Have you got a fan? We had really hot weather when my dd was very small and a fan was a life saver when indoors we laid her in her nappy or just nappy and vest on a rug or playgym and aimed the fan by her, put it on when she was in her moses basket at night too. You can get them really cheap from woolworths if you havent got one. Congratulations by the way and you sound like you're doing exactly the right thing and if shes bf alot thats great as shes getting plenty of fluids.

oh yeah forgot to mention you can buy fans that attch to the babies pram as well i think they sell them in mothercare.

will go purchase a fan tomorrow, good plan. she's sleeps on a sheepskin by an open window (though will no doubt end up in bed with us...) & actually it's quite breezy at the moment. will take nappy off if i feel brave! ds was a winter baby, it was much easier....

I have been told that sheepskin is supposed to keep them cool in the summer and warm in the winter, it's worth looking into one, most baby shops seem to sell them. Lots of feeding is good as she wont dehydrate - dont worry to much they are so resilliant.

we have 2 sheepskins akready!

hi hoxtonchick, I don't know if your dd will take a bottle but we have been giving our 9 week old water on very hot days........I checked with the GP who said it is fine to do this, obviously we boil and cool the water first but you could try this?

water isnt really needed for breastfed babies (i aske myself the durting the last hot spell) but lots of snack feeds work well.

Cool baths if she is ok with them yet. Also would use a flannel and pat gently to wash her down rather than cotton wool. It was the thing that made DD most miserable last summer. If she was in a bad mood everyone would be giving the usually advice, you know, hungry/tired/tummy ache and I would take all her clothes off and as often as not she would perk up!

as she has been breastfeeding a lot - she is hydrated and will be fine.

Last summer here in Aus - very hot - dd2 born Nov - so through until Feb or so on very hot days she just fed a lot more than she would normally. Keep her in the shade - jsut a nappy or perhaps a vest and nappy - vest helps soak up the sweat - makes them a little more comfortable - although from memory don't think you can get vests that small..... the little sleevless baby gros frmm mothercare.

I had this with ds - he was born in summer 2003, when there was the 'record breaking' heat wave in London. I was paranoid, but he seemed quite happy. Agree with the increased breastfeeding and letting them be nappy free. We also bought a fan, and had it oscilating (sp??) over him so that it cooled him down, but wasn't too intense as to be on him full tilt. Tbh, I think it was a time when ds was comfy, I was so paranoid about overheating him, I think it was the first time in his little life he was warm enough!

thanks for all the advice. she seems remarkably unphased, & has actually been awake more than previously. she was a couple of weeks early so is just beginning to 'wake up' & unfurl. will continue with as much feeding as possible & as few clothes!

congratulations hoxty I don't think I realised you had had your baby x E

I want to know what her name is!!

maybe you already know this. If you can get cross ventilation in the room where lo is. It really helps with the heat.

she's called florence sofia, enid. was going to be florence minnie but dp & i couldn't agree..... she's a cutie (well, i'm biased!) and ds is being a star. but it's too bloody hot.

of course!

baby Flo!

I forgot sorry.

well done on the sofia bit, very very nice too.

its supposed to get cooler soon. x E

have posted this before on another thread...

just remember that tiny babies probably aren't as hot as we are. they're mainly just lying there... we get hot running about... getting up and down to get cups of tea etc
they aren't fab at regulating their temp and if you cool them down too much they'll be... well.. too cold!

i am sure that just a nappy, or even nappy and a vest is absolutely fine in this weather

Sponge her limbs with tepid water, let the moisture dry in the air; don't make the water too cold as it would be too much of a shock.

she had a very succesful al fresco bath in the washing up bowl earlier! and it's cooled down a lot now, so much so that she has clothes on.