It so happens that even modern and well-read mothers wrap their children up for sleep and are terrified of the cold. He is blamed for all acute respiratory infections, so mothers believe that it is better to overheat the child once again than to leave him to sleep in a cool place. In the world, children's sleep is treated differently: no one makes a steam room out of a children's room. Let's try to dispel parental fears.
Optimal temperature for baby to sleep
Many mothers don’t know what temperature should be in the nursery, so they close all the windows and doors and set up a steam room.
Ideally, the temperature in the room where the child sleeps is between 18-20 degrees Celsius.
In summer it is very difficult to withstand such temperatures, so let us be grateful to the cold seasons, which give us the opportunity to enjoy healthy sleep in a cool room.
There is no need to place the child's bed near the radiator, as this can overheat the child. Moreover, you should not allow your child to sweat while sleeping. If the back of the head is wet, it means you dressed or covered the child too warmly.
In any case, do not place the heater directly next to the baby's crib. This is dangerous not only due to overheating, but also due to the threat of fire! Don't fall asleep with the heater on, even the most modern one!
Children from one to two years old
Sudden infant death syndrome rarely occurs in children after one year, but you should not immediately cover one-year-old babies:
- If a child sleeps under a blanket, parents do not dress him too warmly at night. But children often toss and turn in their sleep and can throw off the covers. At this age, the baby will not think of taking cover again and may freeze. It is better to dress the child in warm pajamas and sleep peacefully with the whole family.
- After a year, children quickly grow up and understand how to interact with surrounding objects and things. Blankets, bumpers and soft toys that are in the bed can serve as a step for the baby. The child can put them in a pile and use it to get out of the crib.
What humidity should be in a nursery?
The norm is considered to be 40-65%.
First open the window in the room where you will sleep for 15-20 minutes. To measure the humidity in a child's room, use a hygrometer; today such a device can be found for little money. The most accurate electronic hygrometer. It gives readings with minimal error.
If the air humidity in the nursery is below 40%, you can purchase a humidifier or try increasing the humidity using old methods. To do this, place vessels with water in the room; You can hang wet towels on the heating radiator and wipe the floor with a wet rag before going to bed.
Newborn in the fall: what to prepare for the baby's arrival
Signs say that autumn and winter children are stronger and healthier than babies born in summer. Apparently, because the newborn’s body must immediately adapt to the capricious autumn weather, and more easily perceives temperature changes outside and at home. But these changes make young parents worry. What things the baby will need, how to walk with him, at what temperature to bathe him, and what temperature to maintain in the nursery - in the warm season these questions do not bother you as much as in the cold autumn. So what do parents whose baby will be born in the fall need to know?
Autumn newborn: choosing a wardrobe for a child
- Vests made of different types of fabric, from thin to warm - 7 pcs.
- Pants - 5 pcs.
- Bodysuit - 3 pcs.
- “Men” overalls – 3-6 pcs.
- Socks - 3-4 pairs.
- Thin cap - 1-2 pcs.
- Warm hat for walking - 1 pc.
- Demi-season envelope or overalls for walking
- Winter insulated envelope or overalls
- Blanket for the stroller
- Plaid
- Sleeping bag and 6-7 diapers for sleeping.
Read also: Complete list of necessary things for a newborn
Newborn in the fall: how to arrange a crib
For a newborn's crib you will need a hard mattress with natural filling (buckwheat, seaweed, coconut). You can immediately buy a double-sided summer-winter mattress. The winter side is warmer and tougher. Even if at first the child sleeps with his mother, such a mattress will last up to 2-3 years. A child under one year old does not need a pillow. When it comes to bed linen, it is better to limit yourself to just a sheet. Prepare 2-3 pieces of cotton fabric with minimal dyeing. If the room is very cold and you cover the child with a blanket, such a sheet will also serve as a duvet cover. But most often it is enough to cover the child with just a diaper. Overheating is very harmful for a newborn.
If you do use a blanket, choose either a thin wool blanket or a breathable blanket with hypoallergenic filling.
Do not cover the bed with bright rattles and mobiles; until the child is 5-6 months old, they are simply not interesting to him.
Read also: How to rock a baby correctly: advice for young parents
Newborn in the fall: how to choose the temperature in the room
The optimal temperature for a baby is 18-20 degrees. To adults, a room with this temperature may seem cool, but for a child with his accelerated metabolism, it is just right. Moreover, dry warm air with the heating on causes the baby to have problems sleeping, nasal congestion and a runny nose. If the radiators in the room are too hot, ventilate it more often and make sure that the air is sufficiently humid. To do this, you can use industrial humidifiers, or you can simply periodically place pieces of damp cloth on the batteries.
Read also: How to save money: a note for a young mother
How to bathe your baby in the fall
This question is especially relevant if it has already gotten cold, but the heating has not yet been turned on. There is no need to postpone bathing, and there is no need to raise the temperature in the apartment using heaters before the procedure. In the room where the baby is bathed, the temperature should be 20 degrees, and there should be no obvious drafts. This is quite enough for the child to feel comfortable. The water temperature for swimming should not exceed 35-36 degrees. Dr. Komarovsky, for example, advises bathing the baby at a temperature no higher than 30 degrees, so that he has an incentive not just to blissfully soak in the water, but to actively move, developing his muscles.
Walking with a newborn in autumn
The lack of fresh air and walks will harm the newborn much more than too cool weather during the walk. You can go for a walk already on the third day after discharge from the hospital. Time spent outside starts at 15 minutes and gradually increases. Walking a newborn does not necessarily mean rolling in a stroller down the street. It is enough to put the sleeping baby in the stroller and put it on the balcony. Of course, unless he goes onto a busy, polluted highway.
When dressing your baby for a walk, remember the following rules:
- If the temperature is above +10 ºС, you will need a cotton jumpsuit or bodysuit, a warm blouse, a hat, socks and an autumn (demi-season) jumpsuit.
- At temperatures from +5 to +10, the baby should also be wrapped in a blanket.
- At temperatures below +5 degrees, instead of demi-season overalls, we use winter overalls.
Don't wrap your child in a scarf. From his breath, moisture will condense on the fabric, which will immediately frost. This is fraught with colds for the baby.
Read also: How to clean the ears, eyes and nose of a newborn
First aid kit for autumn newborn
Self-medication of a child, especially a newborn, is unacceptable . Therefore, a newborn’s first aid kit is not medicine, but care and first aid products.
- Baby diaper cream. It can also be applied to open, dry areas of the body.
- Baby cream against chapped skin - lubricate your baby’s cheeks with it before going outside.
- Drying and anti-inflammatory ointments.
- Massage Oil.
- Powder.
- Saline solutions in drops or spray - for hygienic treatment of nasal passages and first aid for a runny nose.
- Remedies for fever in the form of suppositories or syrup for children (your pediatrician will prescribe the specific drug and its dosage).
- Hydrogen peroxide for treating the umbilical wound.
Read also: What should a newborn have in a first aid kit?
Read also: Temperature in a newborn: normal and reasons for the increase
Read also: Newborn crisis: features of the baby’s first critical period
Sleep of newborns and infants: general norms
Most parents are so worried about their newborn children that they put three layers of clothing on them, as grandmothers insist on. However, this should not be done. The child’s body thermoregulation is established in the first 3-4 weeks after birth, and if you interfere with the processes too aggressively (overheat, overcool), this can cause many problems in the future.
Sleep norm: temperature within 18-20 degrees and humidity 40-65%. Relevant for newborns, infants, children, teenagers and even parents.
For a newborn baby, it is enough to wear cotton pants and a shirt.
Be careful with fluffy blankets. It is better not to use them at all for up to a year due to the risk of suffocation. Make sure that your child does not get entangled in the fabric.
Blanket sizes for newborns
When choosing a blanket, you should also consider the size of the product. Many parents focus on the size of a children's mattress (with a small margin). Which blanket for newborns should you choose for a crib? Its classic dimensions for a children's bed are 60/120 cm. This option is possible, but excludes multifunctionality. You will not be able to wrap your child in such a blanket when going for a walk. Take a closer look at products in the size range from 100x80 to 110/140. They will allow you to wrap up your newborn and will last longer than their miniature counterparts. If you plan to have two blankets, which makes sense (if one gets dirty, you can use the second), then they can be of different sizes. Decide for what purposes you will use the product. Then it will become clear what size blanket for a newborn is best for you.
Sleeping caps and socks
Important note: the child does not need to wear a hat at home if the temperature in the apartment is above 15 degrees.
Everything will be fine, he won't freeze. Exception: child immediately after a shower. To calm yourself, you can hold the baby in a hat until the head is dry.
The situation is similar with socks. If, since the birth of your child, you have done everything as you read in this article, then you will not have to wear socks: there will simply be no need for it.
If you subjectively assess whether a child is cold by feeling his legs and arms, then know: they should be a little cooler than the body. It is through the limbs that thermoregulation occurs.
The baby's arms and legs may be cool, but if the belly, neck and back are warm, don't worry, the baby is not cold. On the contrary, if the little one's hands and feet are hot, this is a sign that the child is overheated! In this state, you may even detect a high temperature in the child and think that he is sick.
If you wrapped your child up from the first days and were afraid of the slightest flow of air, then the child himself will let you know that he is cold. This is provided by nature: the child actively reacts to the slightest discomfort. The baby is restless and will cry until it warms up.
Is your baby naughty? In this case, you can wear socks. Not capricious, but are you worried about freezing at night? Then it is better to wear thin socks.
What you can do with your own hands
You can make blankets for a newborn with your own hands. To work you will need fabric, a sewing machine, stuffing, decorations and imagination. One side of the finished product should be made of cotton fabric so that the child is comfortable.
To make a lace bedspread, just add lace fabric to one corner. The cutting and sewing technique is the same as for a regular product of this type. You can make a pattern on the outside or buy a ready-made one in a store and sew it on.
Making a quilt for newborns with your own hands is also easy; you can use master classes. It is better to use artificial material as a filler - it is easier to stitch. Another option is a high-quality sewing machine.
If knitting has become a habit, then a blanket for a child will not be a problem. It is better to make the inner side from a fabric that is pleasant to the touch, because a knitted one will leave imprints on the baby’s sensitive back. You can create any patterns and shapes with knitting needles. Knitted blankets with bears are very popular.
A good option for thrifty housewives is to sew a patchwork quilt. It can be made from small pieces of fabric, sewn in a specific sequence to create patterns.
Individual characteristics of children
Individuality has not been canceled. Some children are cold, others are hot. This can be both the consequences of incorrect temperature conditions from an early age, and the characteristics of the body and vegetative system.
Usually, in the first months, parents learn to understand and feel their child. They adapt to his needs. If it's cold, dress warmly and cover up. If it's hot, wear less clothing and open the window for ventilation. Provide comfortable sleeping conditions for the whole family.
