Keeping Your Baby Cool in Hot Weather

Babies are extremely sensitive to high temperatures. This is because they cannot regulate their body temperature yet, which means that mums and dads have to be extra vigilant. These tips can help you keep your baby cool on hot summer days!

Clothing

Adjust your little one's clothes to the outside temperature. Choose light clothing made of cotton or linen. Wool is also an ideal, breathable fabric on a warm day! On extremely hot days, it may even be enough to put your baby in just a short-sleeved bodysuit or a nappy. Use a cute sun hat to protect your child's head.

If you go outside, try to avoid the hottest time of day, from around 11 am until 4 pm.

Hydration

You can cool down your body from the inside out. Make sure your baby drinks enough. Your baby will probably already signal they're thirsty more quickly and they'll want to drink more/longer per feed:

If you're breastfeeding, then it's important to keep feeding them on demand. The composition of your breast milk adapts to your baby's needs. So it could well be that the milk looks more watery.
If you're bottle-feeding, you can give an extra bottle every day, or you can add a little extra milk every feed.
From 6 months onwards, your baby can drink water from a sippy cup, although the main source of fluids remains milk.

Refreshing bath

Bathe your baby regularly to cool them down. However, do not use water that is colder than usual (36-37°C), as this will alarm your baby. What's more, their body will warm up again afterwards and your little one may start to sweat excessively. The foldable OXO Tot bath can also easily be used outside as a refreshing play area for babies who can sit up independently!

Be aware and make sure you dry your baby well and wrap them in a hooded towel for a while. A soft muslin cloth can be used to get into the smallest skin folds. Especially in hot weather, babies are extra sensitive to skin rashes.

Did you know that an oatmeal bath helps with sunburn? Grind a cup of oatmeal and add it to their bath. This softens and moisturises the skin so it will recover faster. Are you breastfeeding? Then you can also add a bit of breast milk to the bathwater!

Out and about with a baby carrier or stroller

Make sure your baby has enough shade when they're out in the baby carrier or stroller. For example, most baby carriers come with a sun cover.

Choose a (foldable) stroller with a large sun canopy like the Mondo buggy by Elodie. This sun canopy is larger than average and protects your child with its UPF+ 50 cover!
Careful! Never put a cloth over the pram, this will make the air underneath up to 7°C warmer!

You can still safely wear your baby in a baby carrier in hot weather. Choose a lightweight, ergonomic baby carrier with breathable fabric like the BeSafe Haven in Peak Mesh.

It's important to always use your common sense. If you yourself don't feel like cuddling in this heat, the same is probably true for your baby. After all, your body also radiates heat.

Travelling by car

Have you planned a day at the seaside or are you going on holiday by car? Avoid the hottest hours of the day and use sun shades to create shade.

With the Voksi Airflow Liner or the BeSafe car seat in the breathable Peak Mesh fabric, you can prevent your little one's back from getting hot. Both have a 3D mesh air layer that ensures your baby feels less hot.

The many uses of a muslin cloth

When the car is parked somewhere, you can put a light coloured muslin cloth over the car seat. This will make the car seat feel less warm.

Dampen a soft muslin cloth or put it in the freezer for a while. Then have your child play with it to cool down a bit.

Forgot a sun hat or cap? Don't worry! You often have a muslin cloth to hand, so just tie a knot in it and have the perfect temporary substitute! ;-)