WHEN IT COMES to being pregnant, or parenting a newborn, everyone’s just figuring things out as they go. That’s why it can be so helpful to hear how other people are getting through the mess of it all, from the first nappy change to the countless sleepless nights.
Our Newborn and Baby Parents Panel is made up of parents and parents-to-be, all raising little ones aged up to 24 months.
This week, we asked parents to share the items that help them keep their babies warm during cold Irish winters.
What’s the one product you swear by to keep your baby warm and cosy in the winter?
A baby-wearing jacket: For winter, you can’t beat a good warm hat and a snuggly blanket, especially when they’re tiny and in a car seat or a sling where you don’t want a bulky jacket on them. On a similar note, a nice snuggly baby-wearing jacket is great for carrying them in a sling, and I love this Boba one.
- Amy Molyneaux
Long sleeve vests: When it comes to keeping my daughter warm, I think the long sleeve vests are great under her clothes as you can layer up or down as necessary. You can’t beat the terry socks for keeping their little feet toasty – cute little three-packs in H&M are usually €4.99.
- Claire Kodjo
A zipper gro-bag: I couldn’t do without sleeping bags at nighttime this time of year. My nine-month-old kicks a lot and I know he can’t kick the blankets off (and then wake from the cold) once he is zipped in his gro-bag at night time!
- Siobhan Mehigan
A Morrck car seat blanket: We were gifted a Morrck car seat blanket when our little boy was born. It’s so handy as he can’t knock it off the seat, and as his hat would always fall off in the car seat, but the hood on the blanket keeps his head warm without worry it’s going to fall off! It’s also not too hot, so no fear of baby overheating either. I’d definitely recommend it.
- Laura Ryan
A cosy sleep sack: My little man is six months and is almost as active when he’s asleep as he is when awake. With the sleep sacks, I don’t need to worry about him getting cold. The added bonus is he can’t move as easily when he wakes up, making climbing the crib more challenging.
- Martha Mernagh
A puffy gilet: The best winter-wear items that I’ve found are gilets as my baby hates sleeves and I’ve found that winter jackets don’t have enough stretch in the arms, making them a huge pain to put on. A puffy gilet solves that problem and keeps him warm- I just put a sweatshirt/warm jumper under it, and hat and mittens. The other product I love are these booties that are soft, fleecey, stretchy, washable, and do not come off!
- Kristi Paris
A buggy rain cover: We were gifted a lot of things from friends, the best thing I find for keeping baby snug and dry is a rain cover I got with our iCandy buggy. It keeps the wind off, rain out and heat in. Legend.
- Niamh Roche
A cosy pram suit: For outdoors I got a cosy pram suit. Last winter I bought a nice H&M one and for this year I have one from Next. It’s great for longer walks and hours spent outdoors. For quick trips and getting in and out of the car, I find a heavy blanket and a hat suffice. Frankie isn’t a hat lover, but when it’s actually cold he doesn’t take the hat off.
- Marta Lisiecka
Layered tees: I find layers suit my fella – the snug jackets and coats or snow suits he just doesn’t have enough of a range of motion in. And he really hates hats – but if I put his hat on under his hood then it stays in place.
- Brianan Nolan
A Wallaboo footmuff: My friend bought us a Wallaboo footmuff when my son was born and it is fantastic. It is basically a very cosy sleeping bag for the car seat that keeps baby all toasty while still fully protected by the car seat straps. It did us great service in the blizzard of March ’18 but unfortunately, by the following winter he was too tall for it.
- Aisling Drake
An Ergobaby carrier: I’d definitely recommend my Ergobaby carrier. It helps keep him nice and snug to me so there’s no need for big suits or too many clothes. It’s so handy for when you’re in and out of the car getting stuff done and don’t want to battle getting the buggy in and out of the boot four times in an hour!
- Mairead McHugh
A woolly hat: My boy goes out farming with my husband. We put him in the sling for body heat and of course he always dons a woolly hat, too.
- Orlaith Hogan
A pram suit with turn-back mittens: My son is a winter baby and I like walking, so for me a pram suit was a must have. He looked so cosy in it, it had turn-back mittens with a hood and little booties. The first time we put it on him he looked lost, his little hands didn’t reach into the mittens but soon enough it fit him perfectly.
- Paula Lynch
A baby wearing hoodie: Knowing baby was warmly snuggled against me and protected from the elements made outings so much more stress free and easier. I remember wearing him in to meet work colleagues once and it was just me, baby and the nappy bag. I got loads of “where’s the rest of the stuff?” questions because they couldn’t get over how light we were packed!
- Jess Mushanski
A BabyBjorn baby carrier with a winter carrier cover: It makes going for a walk or anything outdoors a bit quicker and tidier. It also makes it easier to keep an eye on our baby and make sure he’s warm or cool enough. We did find it hard to use when he was smaller, but now at eight months, he loves being able to see everything from a bit higher than the buggy.
- Alex Quinn
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