Do I need to buy a baby coat?

[New2020]

Hi All

My baby is due 1st Nov and I'm hoping that we'd be able to get out and go for short walks and fresh air!

But I'm confused as to what the baby would need to wear to keep warm.

I have a star wrap blanket and I wondered if that with a hat, baby grow, vest and cardigan would be enough? That's for a sling

Maybe layered with an extra fleece blanket if needed with the pram

Or do people buy baby coats?

A snowsuit is far more practical for a baby under one than a coat.

My baby coat never got worn as it was awful to get on and off

@UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme I've read lots of comments about babies overheating in snow suits and not being very practical for a sling or car seat so didn't consider it

Snowsuits are impractical unless you live in a seriously cold climate, and they aren’t safe for car seats. A star snug blanket is perfect, OP. No need for a coat. Once baby is sitting up in a pram seat and a bit more mobile then a footmuff can be useful.

DS was born on the 20th of November. I had several lovely wee snowsuits. I never used 1. In his pram he had a vest, a sleepsuit, a Cardi and a hat. Then extra blankets as required. In the car he had a sleepsuit and blankets as requited (over the harness). In his carrier he had his sleepsuit a hat and if it was cold my coat went round is both.

Best thing we had was a thin all in one fleece onesie (like a microfleece) from Next. It went over the sleepsuits in the pram/sling etc.

Oh I also have a fleece lined foot muff type bag for the pram that baby can go into

Depends on where you live.

Thanks @EmilySpinach @mylittlesandwich @BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

That's really helpful. I'll stick with the star wrap for the sling and extra blankets for the pram if needed. It's so difficult to know what is right and not spend loads of money on different things

I’d say as little one is not going to be kicking off blankets etc you do need a snowsuit or coat. As you say they’re only for a pram anyway and not recommended in cars/slings. You can always reassess when you know how cold March/April will be.

DD had a snowsuit but she was a July baby so wouldn’t entertain multiple blankets etc.

Ah ok. My main sling dwelling baby was born in Bavaria at the end of September. I definitely used the snowsuits a lot from November til March!

We never used a coat up until he started nursery three months ago, aged 13 months.

In the winter, he was wrapped in his blankets in the pram. If we were in the car, it was a pain to get him out of the seat, into the snowsuit, then into the pram. It was much easier to make sure he was wrapped up with a blanket.

We used a snowsuit once on bonfire night when we had him in the baby carrier.

As someone who doesn’t drive, I used a snowsuit constantly for my baby in the winter. You’ll get warm walking in your coat, but the baby is sitting still in the wind And blankets can’t keep out all the chill.

Snowsuits and coats aren't needed if you're carrying baby, invest in a babywearing coat or at least a zip in panel for an existing coat instead. Then your body heat keeps you both warm, baby only needs to wear normal clothes (although possibly leg warmers or similar depending on the length of your coat.) It's lovely wearing a baby in cold weather, like having a hot water bottle strapped to your chest!

When DS was in the pram I always used a snowsuit as he just kicked off blankets, when he was in the sling I wore my maternity coat and did it up round him.

We had a star wrap blanket for our winter baby and it was the best present we were bought! Baby would just clothed in 2 or 3 layers, then the blanket and that was more than enough. We were also bought a gorgeous snowsuit and didn't use it once as it just never seemed the right time.

We had a star wrap, which was great. I’d use an extra blanket tucked over it in the pram if it was extra chilly.

Tip, I managed to extract my star wrap from a still sleeping baby in the sling (going from outdoors to indoors) more than once, so it can be done!

I live in London so not as cold as Bavaria I'd assume!!! @UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'll see how we get on with the star wrap and layer up with blankets in the pram

@FizzingWhizzbee123 did you just use the star wrap in the sling? Was it warm enough?

I have had a baby in November and didn’t buy a coat until their third winter, through the first as a newborn there was just no need at all, through the second as a toddler didn’t walk outside confidently until spring, so it was the third winter at 2+ years when they needed outerwear.

You can use blankets in the pram, they don't kick them off until they're older. If they're in a sling then they don't really need the layers - my DS was born in December and he just wore his vest and babygrow, plus a hat and pair of socks, he was always really toasty when I took him out.

@New2020 I’m also due in November and was unsure too. I’ve picked up a little snowsuit as a “just incase” 🙈 I don’t drive so we’ll be out walking in the pram lots. Didn’t want to spend lots as I don’t know how much it’ll be used but got a beautiful little snowsuit for £11 in Asda which I thought was really good 😊

I just used star wrap, hand knitted cardigans and blankets. I ended up ebaying all the coats i'd bought up to 6 months of age. Snowsuit was worn once and sold. Even shop is a bought cardis were a nightmare to get on so they went in the reject pile too.

Sounds like you have enough. If you're planning to use the sling a lot it might be worth getting a maternity/big coat for you? One that you can do up over the baby.

I have a September baby and used their star blanket in the sling/pram/everywhere right over the autumn and winter-absolutely fab and got the next size up when they outgrew the first one as I used it so much! Also found it handy for post swimming if they were chilly while I was getting sorted!

You can get different thicknesses of pram/snowsuits.
We used them a lot as we were out walking a lot, we live in Scotland and I definitely think the winters can get cold enough in most of the uk to warrant one.
Never use in a car seat obviously