Babys in the Summer Weather

Lots of great advice here - I just wanted to add that babies are more susceptible to the heat so even if he is in the shade keep a close eye on him if it is very hot. Also watch out for dehydration and feed him frequently to keep him hydrated.

Both of my girls are May babies, I loved having them in the summer. They recommend no sunscreen on babies less than 6 months, but I put it on my girls before then. My second daughter was 9 days old when we were out on the boat at the lake. Keep a hat on the baby and and when at the pool leave him in the stroller and shade him. I wouldn't do clorine on a new born but maybe wait 2-3 months, thats when my first daughter had "swimming" lessons anyways.

No sunscreen until 6 months, but your baby can wear UV protective clothing and a hat.
I would keep him out of direct sunlight (get a shade or umbrella by the pool). when they are really little they are not very good at regulating their body temperature and since their heads are proportionally big, they are very susceptible to heatstroke and overheating.
That doesn't mean you have to stay inside, just be sensible and stay in the shade.
Congrats and good luck!

Definitely no to the sunscreen as the other posters have said. As for the pool I've seen real little ones in indoor heated pools (this pool is like bathtub water temperature) without a problem. You just have to be prepared to rinse him off at the least or preferably give him a bath right after you're done.
Just remember that if you're in the water you burn more easily. Don't keep the baby in the water too long, he'll burn quick!
Have fun!

HI S.---Definitely no sunscreen. Please go to www.ewg.org to see which sunscreens are safest for you and your girls. But do let some sun reach his skin for about 10 or so minutes each day for vitamin D production, but not between the hours of 10 am and 2 pm. I think I would keep a baby that young out of the chlorine. There is actually research that implicates chlorine as increasing one's risk of cancer. So drink filtered water if you get city supplied water. Contact me for more info if you'd like.

You can keep him under an umbrella or the stroller canopy while you are at the pool with the girls. You should be able to do just about everything with him that you do with your girls. It's just that some things will take more planning and effort because of an infant. But, that's the way it is so enjoy it.

Have a great summer. D.

OK, my daughter was born in mid July while at the same time I had a two year old son. It was not an option for me to spend that summer indoors! No pool. No sunscreen. I had a double stroller, the kind where one sits in front and the other in back. The back part completly layed down and it was her portable crib. Luckily our swingset in already under some good shade plus I used the canopy on the stroller too. Obviously it was hot, so she mostly just wore onesies outside, but I would throw a very light sheet type blanket over her legs too. My son liked to play in a small kiddie pool so I put it close to the swingset area and I could watch him and still keep her in the shade. We would limit our time to an hour or so at a time, but I felt like she was protected. We started doing this when she was 2wks old, so beginning of Aug. I would say definetly no beach. Its always cooler and the best shade under trees versus a canopy by a pool. We have a above ground pool too. That summer I just had to wait till my hubby got home from work and one of us would take our 2yr old son in the bigger pool. I also took the kids for lots of walks during the day.

the third one is the easiest one - you'll be much more relaxed, and he'll totally go with the flow of things, b/c he comes into the world sharing times two already :) Everything will be great!

No sunscreen until 6 months (check with pedi on this one), just keep him in the shade. Maybe you could sit him in the carseat under some shade while you and your girls enjoy some summer fun. You could also let him sleep inside, and you use a monitor to listen for him. Your girls will also learn to be sensitive to the baby's needs, and you will all adjust!

Blessings.

ok first babies are not allowed in the pool via pediatrician till there 6 months and older. I believe the sames for sun block but doesn't mean o gyscan't enjoy. Putthe little guy ithe stroller the canapies up on em and blockin hm from the sun. Plus if he comes out and has jaudice the sn might be good for him. ( not saying he will but never know) Talk to your pediatrician and dr. about all yr concerns.

I'd be very cautious and sensitive about his skin! I'd keep him in the shade, either of an umbrella or stroller. Keep him out of the pool and avoid sunblock at this young age! I'd limit direct sun exposure to about 5 minuets. Get a baby hat and use long sleeves (light weight) if you don't have good solid shade.

Remember, you'll be pretty exhausted, and 6 weeks of recovery from a c section, so you won't be doing too much just due to that and other post-par issues.

Best wishes!

NO to the sunblock. You should dress your baby in lightweight clothing that covers the majority of his skin (long sleeves and pants) if he's going to be in the sun. Keep him in the shade as much as possible.

I personally would say no to the pool for 3 reasons. The first being like you said the chemicals. The second is that a babies skin is so much thinner than ours that the water would probably be extremely cold to him. Third, the water reflects the sunlight. However, I would check with your pediatrician.

I just called the dr about the sunscreen question. On all of the sunscreen bottles it says not recommended for babies younger than 6 months. I can't remember exactly what he said - something about young babies not having a cooling mechanism, and if you put the sunscreen on them it may overheat them? But then in the same sentence he told me to put him in loose fitting pants and long sleeved shirt!! So, who knows!

My first was born in July, I dressed him in shorts or just a diaper and when we were outside I just made sure he was in the shade at all times. My second is 5 months, so according to the dr in 1 month we can start to use sunscreen...although, I think I'll still try to keep him in the shade as much as possible.

I'm not sure about the pool question?

Our eldest daughter was born in June... Our sons in August and April... Our youngest daughter in May...
I wouldn't put a baby in a pool just for the fact that it tends to feel cold and babys like warmth...
Our oldest two were born when we were living near Lake MI... Yes, we took them to the beach when they were 3 weeks old...
Our daughter was dressed in loose long sleeves and pants, in a bassinet (with netted sides for air flow) with a towel OVER it, AND a beach umbrella.... She still got pinkened at 5 pm.... SO after talking to the dr about the whole sunscreen issue (bottle says not till 6 mo.) He told us that as long as we were not SOAKING her in it and expecting to use it as the only thing protecting her fair skin (as a lot of parents would think "they've got sunscreen on... they're good") that putting a little across her nose and cheeks occasionally will not hurt... Basicly the areas that clothes don't cover... All the gizmos and covers in the world sometimes arn't enough to keep the sun from kissing your little ones noses...

Use your own judgement on what type of skin the baby has... We have 2 girls that although fair skinned, they tan... And 2 red headed pale, sunburning boys...
Try to keep baby out of the sun as much as possible, but also be careful about over covering him...

You don't say how old your girls are... Are there any relatives or friends near by that would perhaps enjoy the use of the pool and beable to provide some in the water supervision or watch the baby while your in the pool? A responsible neighbor teen?

Since I can not see how your place is set up I can only say that you should look at the pool area and think of different options. Perhaps setting up a tent near the pool for you and baby to sit in... So you can see in the pool... But at some point the kids just have to realize that the world does not revolve around them and they will have to have some patience until someone can supervise them...

And really... You are not gonna be wanting to jump in the pool right away... Maybe not until August or so... Having the kids out side is not an issue... Babys are portable... Its the pool supervision that will be the hardest...

Thanks for asking this question! I have the SAME question - I'm about to have my 3rd in a few weeks, but the first in the summer season (the other 2 were fall and winter babies). And Thanks to all the mamas for the advice!

My baby was born in July. I had her outside from the day I brought her home. I never used sunscreen on her since she was so little. I made sure she was in the shade as much as possible and I always put a sunhat on her. Most of the times she was in long pants and a onesie because it's really windy where I live. The breeze was enough to make her cold. But, I'd have her outside for hours at a time. We're outside almost all day in the summer.

sunscreen ain't all it's cracked up to be, even for non-babies. skin is your body's biggest organ, slathering it with chemicals is just not a good idea. keep your baby under a really good umbrella, sponge him off with lukewarm water when he gets sweaty, and keep him well back from the pool and he'll be fine.
khairete
S.

My doc told me last year for my son to wait until he wa 6 months for the pool because (like the other wonderful ladies stated) sunscreen is not recommended until 6 months of age. Congrats on your new bundle of joy!

You should probably discuss this with your pediatrician. Mine said to use sunscreen on the little one (he was 3-4 months) but I don't think I was given the okay on that until at least 2 months. Even then, his skin wasn't ready for it so we spent most of our time in the garage playing. When we did go to the park is was with hats, blankets, coverups... and only for about 15-20 minutes. In the earlier days, I did the pool time (kiddie pool) with my daughter while my son was napping. Good luck.