How to dress a newborn from spring through winter

Most often, parents follow the rule that a baby should have one more layer on than adults wear outside. Unfortunately, you cannot rely on this, because each of us is different and tolerates cold and heat differently. Some people won’t go out without a beanie and scarf, while others wear only a short-sleeved T-shirt under a winter jacket. So how should you dress a newborn for going outside from spring to winter so that they are not cold or overheated in summer?

How to dress a newborn for the trip home from the maternity hospital

Most mothers do not take clothes for their baby to the maternity hospital and dress them there in borrowed shirts. For the trip home, they then need their own clothes. Most often they put on the baby a long-sleeved bodysuit and footed pants, or just a cotton sleepsuit, over that a fleece sleepsuit, a hat on the head and, in colder months, also a footmuff for the car seat or a blanket.

How to dress a newborn in winter

If you are going outside with a baby in a wrap or carrier, then it is enough to leave them in the clothes they wear at home and dress together in babywearing clothes - in winter ideally a babywearing hoodie or sweater and a babywearing winter jacket. For the baby, you can add warmth to the legs with some winter high booties and put a balaclava on their head that won’t slip over their eyes and will also cover the entire neck. Alternatively, a winter hat with ties under the chin. Nothing more is needed, because the wrap/carrier forms another layer and at the same time you will warm each other thanks to close contact. However, keep in mind that footed pants or footless pants are not suitable for carrying, because they squeeze the toes on the feet, so sweatpants and socks are better.

In a stroller, you will need to check the child to make sure they are warm enough. You can tell by touching the back of the neck or the chest. Cold hands and feet do not say anything about the baby being cold. You can dress the baby in a long-sleeved bodysuit, sweatpants and socks or footless pants, a fleece sleepsuit and tuck them into a winter stroller footmuff and cover with a foot cover. Alternatively, you can also use a winter snowsuit and a warm blanket. On the head, of course, a hat or balaclava, and if necessary you can also add mittens. The ideal material for winter is merino, which keeps warm and at the same time wicks away sweat if the baby gets warmer. If you dress the baby in several thinner layers, it will be easier to take layers off when moving into warmth, or you can add layers if you think the baby is cold.

How to dress a newborn in summer

In summer, it is necessary to dress the baby so that all parts of the body are covered because of the sun, whether in a wrap, carrier, or stroller. In a stroller, you can create shade with the canopy; definitely never cover the stroller with a diaper so air can still flow in and out. In a wrap, a summer hat will be useful to protect the child from heatstroke. A suitable material for summer is lighter cotton or organic cotton and lighter colors, which do not attract the sun’s rays as much. In the summer months, breastfeed the child enough so they have the necessary fluid intake. They will most likely breastfeed much more often than in the winter months. Heat with a baby can be managed, but you will do best if you spend as much time as possible in the shade and preferably in the morning or later in the afternoon, when it is not so hot outside anymore. Also watch out that the baby does not get sweaty and then catch a draft.

How to dress a newborn in spring and autumn

The transitional months of spring and autumn are the most demanding for choosing clothes, because temperatures change a lot during the day. In these months, it again pays to layer thinner clothes on the baby and keep an eye on whether they are overheating or cold. For going outside, dress the baby in a long-sleeved bodysuit, sweatpants, socks or footless pants. The next layer can be a warm sleepsuit and tuck the baby into a warm footmuff and cover with a foot cover. Since it rains more in spring and autumn, don’t forget to carry a rain cover for the stroller.

If you go outside with a baby in a wrap/carrier, a matching babywearing hoodie or sweater and a softshell babywearing jacket. will come in handy. Then it is enough to dress the baby the same as at home, meaning a long-sleeved bodysuit, sweatpants, socks, and if necessary, the legs can be warmed further with taller booties. Definitely a hat or balaclava on the head.

Check your baby regularly during walks, and thanks to more frequent trips outside you will know what clothing is most suitable for your baby. Always rely on your own experience and dress according to yourself, not according to what people around you advise, because they do not know your child as well as you do. Enjoy your walks together with your newborn; you will see that in a few months everything will be completely different again and you will no longer be dealing with the topic of clothing.