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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Essentials for a winter baby?

34 replies

nothanksbarb · 05/08/2021 13:42

Currently 18 weeks pregnant and due end of December/beginning of Jan.

Does anyone have any winter must haves for a newborn baby? Or things they found super handy?

Currently looking at coats with in built carriers, fleece onesies and lamb skin pram inserts. Got loads of snuggly blankets already.

Tia!

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This thread is a little old now so some of the suggestions may be out of date, but if you’ve landed here looking for the ultimate baby essentials checklist, we’ve recently updated our newborn essentials article with the must-haves Mumsnetters think you can't live without when your baby arrives. We hope you find it useful.
MNHQ

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Twinkie01 · 05/08/2021 13:44

I cosy toes that goes over the straps in the car seat so you don't have to put extra layers on when you take the baby out in the car. Not just easier but it's dangerous to put car seat straps over a coat in the car seat.

Babymeanswashing · 05/08/2021 13:51

I would invest in a maternity coat a size up from your normal size as you can wear it with your baby in a sling!

Original poster

nothanksbarb · 05/08/2021 13:54

Oh great idea @Twinkie01 - I had a summer wallaboo car seat thing for my daughter, didn't realise they did nice warm ones.

@Babymeanswashing 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 good tip, and a lot cheaper

OP posts:

Pissinthepottyplease · 05/08/2021 13:56

A baby wearing coat or maternity coat which can be used that way. I’ve never seen a coat with a safe built in carrier.

Star wrap

BertieBotts · 05/08/2021 13:58

Just get a normal carrier and a baby wearing coat (or nick a man's coat!) the built in ones are always overpriced and no good anyway.

I just used blankets in the car seat.

Fluffy pyjamas or onesie or dressing gown for you to sleep in if cosleeping. Your upper body gets cold because you can't have the duvet too close to the baby.

SGChome20 · 05/08/2021 13:58

I had my DD last December. The best gift we got was a pram blanket type thing that wrapped around her in the carry cot. All fleece lined and cosy. We also had an all in one cosy suit that we used for walks almost daily. If you don’t have one but have space I’d really recommend a tumble dryer!

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 05/08/2021 13:59

Next do zip up thin micro fleece onesies. Perfect for the carseat as no bulk, or in a sling on a walk outside. We had one in every size they did.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 05/08/2021 14:02

A rain cover for the car seat.

Think about your lifestyle as well... are you envisioning long wintery walks or just popping in and out of places? It can be very easy to overheat a baby (car seats can be very warm for example.) (If they get too cold they wake up and cry. Too hot they stay asleep!)

We had some fleece sleepsuits which we used in the car seat... thin enough to go under the straps, but warm enough for the car especially with heating on.

For shops you just need something you can unzip quickly.

Mamma10642 · 05/08/2021 14:06

We had a fleece cover that went over the sling. You can get water proof ones too. Gives you a bit more flexibility with clothes and your partner can wear baby too.

Lots of fun warm hats!

Caspianberg · 05/08/2021 14:06

Sheepskin footmuff
Thick knitted socks to go over sleepsuits
Hat that covers ears properly
Thermo cup for you to take warm drink whilst walking with pram in cold
Large towel not tiny baby towel so you can wrap up well

Mamma10642 · 05/08/2021 14:08

Also if you're baby wearing, don't put baby in a onesie with feet because it can pull too tight. Rather wear footless onesies or cut them off. Then layer up with socks. We used to put adult socks on top of regular socks, and pulled them up to their knees.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 05/08/2021 14:10

Not sure if you still can get them, but there used to be panels you could zip into a coat to go other a sling to extend your coat.

Wrap cardigans are good for keeping warm while breastfeeding.

WithASpider · 05/08/2021 14:15

Morrkk baby blanket. I had Ds the September before an absolutely horrendously cold winter and it was a godsend.
He wore a vest, socks, babygro and thin jacket in his car seat. That plus the wrap meant he was toasty every day on the school run. Easy to unfold in shops to avoid overheating as well.

Fleecy sleepsuits with built in mittens if your house is cold too.

Caffeinemonster · 05/08/2021 14:16

I think it’s worth getting the some proper breast feeding clothes for the winter. They keep you better covered so you keep warmer. I had a couple of jumpers that had poppers either on the shoulder to pull the front down or along the side to pull the bottom up.

Pram suits are a massive faff. I found a kind of pram duvet/sleeping bag thing to be much better. Knitted and fleece lined with buttons down the front that could be undone when coming in from the cold without disturbing a sleeping baby.

Amichelle84 · 05/08/2021 14:23

We love our sheepskin, it keeps them cool in the summer and warm in winter.

We used it in the pram and Moses basket.

Other than that a warm all in one onesie thing for outdoors, hats, blankets and long sleeve body suits, 2.5 tog sleeping bag.

periwinkle86 · 05/08/2021 14:39

Some really helpful advice here! Following as I’m due around the same time. Lots of stuff I hadn’t thought about. Thank you for posting OP!

Twizbe · 05/08/2021 14:43

I had 2 jan babies.

Layers, lots of thinner coats and blankets so you can layer up and down quickly. Pram suits are great but only if your on a long walk outside. If you go inside they get hot.

Blankets for car seats. Never put baby into a car seat in their coat. The straps will not be tight enough in a crash. Blankets over the top instead.

A cloth wrap sling. You can put it on under your coat before you get in the car (without baby in obviously) then get baby in without having to take your coat off.

Don't put baby into a pram suit if you're using a sling. Again the padding means they aren't supported properly. Use your coat to keep them warm and your body heat works well too.

Original poster

nothanksbarb · 05/08/2021 15:00

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz never heard of microfleece - I'm a big panicker about overheating so this sounds ideal

@Caspianberg socks OVER sleep suit?? Would never have thought of that.

Thanks everyone else these are really fab ideas. From what I've gathered lots of thin layers, good hats and socks are the way forwards. Will defo be getting the sheepskin liner and a footmuff for the car seat and pram. So glad I didn't waste any money on a jacket with in built sling bit.

Something I'm concerned about is the baby getting a really cold face, but obviously don't want to swamp it in layers because it's not safe.

@Twizbe didn't know that about pram suits and slings, thanks

OP posts:

grey12 · 05/08/2021 15:03

Funny one but summer babygrows work beautifully as underwear. Tshirt types will ride up...

Timeturnerplease · 05/08/2021 15:06

Stuffing a baby into a pram suit is bloody awful in my experience. Much better to get a wrap to live in the car seat/buggy, then use blankets over the top of that if needed. Ours hated slings/carriers so we just had a wrap in both car seat and buggy rather than putting her in a gazillion layers to then have to take them off each time we went inside somewhere.

A friend had a Tuppence & Crumble star wrap that seemed to work well.

Caspianberg · 05/08/2021 15:23

@nothanksbarb - yes then you can just add the thick socks if your going out in car/ sling/ pram or if chilly in house and remove easily without waking baby. We did have some baby fleece bootie things but they fell off easily and overkill if needed indoors.

We live in super cold country - just used a fleece all in one in sling in winter. Just tucked blanket over sling also rather than buy winter cover thing

SillyBry · 05/08/2021 15:46

Kids or small adults socks work really well as baby gloves in cold weather! Babies are notorious for being impossible to get/keep gloves on... but socks pulled up their elbows with a coat on top wins every time!

I personally never bothered with any kind of wrap for the car seat because the car has heating! a little blanket over their legs/belly works just fine. It's when you're out in the pram on longer walks they want wrapping up.

A gro egg for the bedroom so you know how hot/cold the room is and sleeping bags were a godsend for me.

BertieBotts · 05/08/2021 16:02

Yes the problem with car seat footmuffs is a lot of them are designed to go under the straps which causes a non-ideal fit, especially with newborn inserts in there. You can use the official branded ones from the same company but those are normally incredibly expensive.

A normal blanket tucked in over the top of them is safe and inexpensive.

Twizbe · 05/08/2021 16:35

I forgot sleeping bags. Sleeping bags are ideal for winter babies.

When you pick them up for night feeds you don't have to take them out of their blankets. They keep nice and snuggled.

It's ok for the arms to be out and I'd have mine in a long sleeved baby grow with inbuilt scratch mits.

Chelyanne · 05/08/2021 16:56

Layering is your best friend. They are pretty rubbish at regulating their body temp so having lots of thin layers is better than having thick clothes/coats/blankets.
I like the very thin fleece onsies with hoods as you can use those in their car seats for shorter journeys and not need to keep taking on off. A nice fleece footmuff for the pram, blankets get kicked off too easily so often end up in the wheels and black bright.

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