Preparing Baby For Winter
The Old Farmer’s Almanac weather predictions for the 2014-2015 winter season are out and it looks like it’s going to be an extremely cold winter.
Here you are about to ring in baby’s first winter and you want him to be at a comfortable temperature through the holidays and beyond. Here are three tips for how to prepare your home for the frosty wintertime.
Keep Baby Comfortable with a Swaddling Blanket
Keep your baby comfortable throughout wintertime by using a swaddling blanket for a newborn or a wearable blanket for a baby who is a few months older, from a trusted brand like SwaddleDesigns.
Lightweight cotton flannel swaddling blankets will provide comfort and warmth for your infant when he is swaddled in his bassinet.
The Ultimate Swaddling Blanket (made in USA) is made from 100 percent premium preshrunk cotton flannel and is available in a variety of stylish designs. Wearable blankets are great for babies past the swaddling stage and can keep baby snug and warm during chilly nights.
Avoid over-bundling baby. As a general guide, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends dressing your baby in no more than one additional layer than an adult would wear in the same environment.
Install a Digital Thermostat in Your Baby’s Room
A programmable thermostat will make it easy for you to regulate your baby’s room temperature. You can hire a professional to find the best place—an interior wall, away from vents and sources of heat or drafts that could give you inaccurate temperature readings—and have them install the thermostat of your choosing. If you think you can take on this installation project, be sure to check out resources like Lowe’s, which offer online help for winterizing your home.
Most medical experts recommend a room temperature between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit for sleep. When you check the thermostat in your baby’s room, you can touch your baby’s hands, chest or back to make sure that his skin feels warm, but not sweaty or cold.
If you don’t feel that you need to have a thermostat in your baby’s room, consider using a simple digital thermometer, so you can check to make sure your baby’s room temperature is comfortable throughout the day and night.
Improve the Insulation of Your Home
Check on insulation levels in your attic and walls and compare them with the recommendations from the Department of Energy. If the levels aren’t adequate, add loose fill, batt or blow in foam. Hiring a professional to do this may be less messy and costly in the end, as a properly insulated attic can reduce your heating bills by over 10 percent. And a properly insulated attic prevents heat from escaping up and out of your home.
Find out where there may be drafts by holding a lit candle near the windows and door seams. If the flame flickers or bends significantly, there’s a good chance you may have a draft at that spot, according to Home Fixated.
To remedy this issue you can add water-resistant caulking outside of the window frame and install new weather stripping to your doors and windows that need a fix-up.
Stay prepared by following these tips and ensure that your home is comfortable for baby—just in case we have a repeat arctic blast this year.
