When winter is approaching, people begin to look for various ways with which they can warm themselves and their families. The need to stay adequately warm is particularly important for people who have babies as these babies are quite helpless to warm themselves plus, they are far more sensitive to the cold.
Baby’s cribs are one of the places where babies spend most of their time, as they sleep there and are also kept there if their parents are busy. For this reason, cribs must be kept as warm as possible, particularly during winter or on cold days. If you have a baby, it would be best if you did not rely solely on the heating system that you have in your home to keep it warm in its crib.
This is because babies require more warmth than adults and so a heating system that is sufficient for you may not be enough for your baby, and it may require additional warmth. Warming up your babies’ crib, however, doesn’t mean you should overheat it.
Overheating the crib could have the opposite effect as it may result in your baby sweating, a condition that could lead to your baby catching a cold.
There are various ways you can keep a crib warm, in addition to using clothes suitable for cold weather so that you can protect your baby from the flu, cold or cough.
Steps you can use to ensure that your baby is warm and comfortable in its crib include:
Place your baby’s crib away from areas that are exposed to air
This step is crucial, and it is the first thing you should do before carrying out other measures to keep your baby warm. Ensure that the crib is not in a space where cold or warm air can reach it directly. Instead, you should place it at some distance from windows, fans, heaters, and vents.
Layer up your baby
This might sound like a normal thing that you should do while trying to keep your baby warm, but the way you do it matters a lot.
You should not dress your baby in thin layered clothing in winter when the temperature is far too low for its body temperature to provide adequate warmth. A baby should ideally be dressed in one layer more than an adult in a similar environment.
So, you can use the layers that keep you warm best during winter as a guide for effectively layering up your baby. Make sure to choose the right gear for better insulation as this will help the baby to lock in its body heat.
The remaining warmth needed by the baby is obtained by maintaining the temperature of the space.
Make use of Lightweight blankets
You can use a lightweight swaddling blanket to cover up your baby in its crib so it can sleep comfortably on its back. A woollen or fleece blanket is thin enough to serve this purpose so you can invest in one.
If you are using a blanket for your baby, make sure that you do not overdress it, as the combination can leave it vulnerable to suffocation.
Last update on 2024-04-03 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Instead of overloading your baby with different layers of clothing, wear it a few layers of warm clothing, then cover it up with the blanket.
If your baby kicks off its blankets, then you should buy a wearable blanket instead of the swaddling blanket as it would be unable to kick off a wearable blanket.
Maintain the right room temperature
The right room temperature required for babies to stay warm in their cribs is between 18 to 20 degrees Celsius. Maintaining the right room temperature enables your baby to sleep well during winter and not get the flu or a cough.
Choose a suitable mattress
You should consider the type and texture of the mattress that you use for your baby’s crib during winter as it contributes to the amount of warmth your baby would get. Make sure the mattress is not too soft for the baby as mattresses that are overly soft can expose babies to the risk of being smothered, and no one wants that for their child.
Once you have chosen the perfect mattress, you can place a tightly fitted flannel sheet on it so your baby can be warm and comfy in its crib.
Hats and mittens
In order to keep your baby warm during winter, it is essential that you consider covering up its head before placing it in the crib as it is possible for babies to catch a cold from a cold head. In some cases, it is more important to cover the head of your baby than to use a coat or a blanket, especially in the first few months of life. Lightweight mittens also offer an extra layer of warmth to babies.
Practice proper hygiene
Babies are very delicate human beings as their immune systems are not as well developed as those of adults. It is, therefore, essential that you practice proper hygiene when taking care of them.
Ensure you change your babies’ diapers as often as possible as soiled diapers can make it marginally uncomfortable and increase its chances of getting a cold.
Preheat the crib
Another major way of keeping your baby warm in its crib is to preheat the crib. There are several ways of doing this. For instance, you could make use of a warm water bottle and a heating pad to warm up the crib to an appreciable extent before placing your baby in it. You should never put your baby in the crib while the heating pad is in it, though.
Conclusion
The responsibility of taking care of your baby lies solely on your shoulders as your baby cannot take care of itself. Ensuring that you keep it adequately warm in cold weather conditions is one of the ways in which you would need to care for your baby.
Your baby spends a lot of time in its crib, and so, you should ensure that you take appropriate measures to warm the crib up if the weather is cold. However, you should try not to overheat its crib as overheating it is not good for your baby, either.
