Summertime is here, for the Northern Hemisphere, and heat waves are no joke! When temperatures rise, babies are not as capable of regulating their core temperatures as adults. Keeping them cool can be a matter of safety. While air conditioning is a wonderful invention, it can also be a huge drain on resources. What are your other choices? There are a lot of very effective options that will not increase your electricity bill. With energy costs skyrocketing, we could all do well to employ some of these energy-efficient alternatives to beat the summer heat. I’ve spent the last year living off-grid, and I’m here to share my best strategies that I use to keep my baby comfy-cool without using any electricity. They are all super simple and easy for anyone to implement.
Bottles do not need to be heated up.
Everyone who bottle-feeds their baby needs to know about this. The last thing anyone wants when it is sweltering out is a hot beverage. Babies are no different. There is no real reason to be heating up your kid’s bottles when temperatures are already climbing. Most formula mixes just fine with room temperature water. If your baby is used to a warm bottle and isn’t keen on an abrupt change, you can transition them slowly.
You can try heating it a little less at each feeding. If your baby takes a little while to adjust, it is still 100% worth your efforts to keep trying. The same goes for not heating up chilled breast milk, too. Shake it until any separated fat mixes back in, and start feeding. An added bonus with breast milk is that it retains more nutrients when you don’t reheat it. Temperature fluctuations can degrade nutrients and kill off naturally occurring probiotics.
There are so many benefits to getting your child used to this! In addition to keeping your child cooler, you’ll save yourself loads of time and stress on a year-round basis. Your baby won’t have to wait for you to do this extra step when they’re already hungry. This is actually one of my favorite baby tips, in general.
Take advantage of the day’s natural temperature cycles as much as possible.
Open all of your windows at night, when the temperature drops a bit. Then, in the early mornings, close them, as well as any shades and curtains. This will hold the cooler night air in for some of the morning hours and prevent the sun’s rays from heating the place up more than necessary. Morning sunlight is nice, but go outside to experience it. Keep it out of the house. Take the baby on walks during the early morning or late afternoon hours when temperatures are not at their daily maximum.
Skip warm baths.
Warm baths are great, but summer is just not the time for that kind of thing. Instead, wipe your kiddo down with a cool, wet cloth or baby wipe. If they’re not crazy about being cooled down this way, start slowly. Try it on just their hands, arms, feet, and the top of their little head, until they’re comfortable letting you do their whole torso, face, and neck. It can be a very relaxing cool-down routine and the perfect warm-weather alternative to bath time.
Be mindful of whether they’ll be more comfortable in just a diaper or with light clothing.
This is going to vary throughout the day, by activity. In their crib, they’ll probably be best off just in a diaper. If you’re going to be babywearing, a layer of light cotton between you will prevent everyone from melting into a puddle of sweat. They’ll also need that cotton barrier any time they’ll be touching plastic, like play mats or high chairs. As you switch activities throughout the day, keep this in mind during each transition, and adjust their level of undress as needed.
Allow time during diaper changes for their tush to air out.
I haven’t worn a diaper in a long time, but I’m pretty sure they retain a lot of heat. It can’t be that comfortable. Additionally, heat and moisture are the perfect breeding ground for yeast and bacteria. At each diaper change, once your little one’s delicate area is cleansed, give their skin some extra time to air out and fully dry before putting the next diaper on. It will help to keep them cooler and go a long way to prevent any rashes or irritation.
With these tips, you, too, can keep your baby cool this summer.
