Tips for November baby

[Leleophants]

I thought those who've had babies in this month before can give us some tips for newborns in this month! :D

FTM as I know many of us are! How do you dress them, how often can you go out and does the darkness make sleeping patterns harder?
Slightly dreading the post Christmas months stuck at home!

One more layer than you is the general rule. They’ll need a hat when you go out and some mitts. Or I just put mine in a pram suit. Indoors just a vest and baby gro and we had the heating on so it wasn’t cold.

Newborns don’t know night and day, that’s the whole fun of it. It takes them a few weeks to work their body clocks out. Don’t worry about when it gets dark, carry on as normal. Go out whenever you like, whenever you feel ready. There’s no reason to be stuck at home.

The problems you’ll have will be when they’re about 3 years old and think that daylight at 4am in summer means up for the day!!! Gah.

Layers. I found however, that using the "one more later than you" rule my baby got very hot. You'll get to know your baby and what they need. Feel their chest or back for an accurate idea of their body temperature.

My baby was born at the end of November. I made sure I signed up to something (I started with baby sensory) for after the new year as a way of starting a new routine getting out and about after the Christmas/new year craziness had subsided. It also coincided with my husband going back to work which worked well. By about 10 weeks old we had 3 things on the go. I found it gave me some structure to my week and in the early days was for my benefit far more than his.

As for winter weather - bundle baby up, bundle yourself up and try and get out and about. I always find my baby (even now) sleeps much better when we've been out for some fresh air and daylight. Something to do with melatonin and circadian rhythm I think. I quite liked chucking a coat and wellies on, bundling baby up in a pram suit, rain cover on and going for a walk in the rain. Figured it must be quite relaxing for baby too, with the sound of rainfall on the rain cover!

Also don't bother with baby mittens. Get sleepsuits where the ends fold over the hands. Far easier and actually stay on!

Not much advice to give different than the rest. The darkness isn’t the hard part, it’s summer you’ll find the hardest because baby will wake up with the light. We have to have blackout blinds and blackout curtains and even then he’ll still get up super early in summer.

One layer more than you when out but always take it off when in the car to stop overheating and being seriously hurt in an accident.

Go out whenever you want just dress appropriately. In November, December and January I walked everywhere on decent days and drove on really frosty mornings. My son had always fallen asleep being pushed in the pram or driven in the car.

Expecting baby number two and I really hope they are the same as they are due mid December.