Preparing your Newborn for the Great Outdoors
How to Prepare Your Infant for the Outdoors
While you love your time at home with your newborn, sometimes you want to head outside to enjoy the sunshine, go for a walk, or visit your favorite beach. Thankfully, a change of scenery and fresh air can benefit both you and your baby.
If you’re hesitant to take your infant outside just yet, ask your pediatrician when it’s safe for your baby. You can start with a brief outing, such as securing your baby in a carrier or stroller and walking. Another option is to pick a shaded area in your yard or on your porch.
Staying near your home allows you to easily go inside if your baby is overly fussy, hungry, or needs a diaper change. When you’re confident with a brief outing, plan a longer excursion to a park or meet a friend for coffee or frozen yogurt.
Ways to Keep Your Infant Safe on Your First Outdoor Excursion
Use the following tips to help make your first outdoor excursion a positive and sun-safe experience for you and your new baby.
Check the Weather
Choose a day your baby can’t overheat or chill quickly. Infants can’t regulate their body temperatures well yet. If the outdoor temperature is too hot or too cold, wait for a better day to go out. Plan to go outdoors before 10 am or after 4 pm when the sun's UV rays aren’t as harsh. If you venture out during dawn or dusk hours, use a baby blanket to keep your little one cool and safe from bugs.
Put Your Infant in UPF Baby Clothing
To keep your little one safe from the sun's harsh UV rays as well as comfortable and cool, put your infant in a baby UPF outfit. We recommend our hoodie sunzie to keep him/her as cozy as possible.
Watch for Overheating
If the weather is moderately warm, a stroller will keep your baby cooler than using a carrier. You and your baby will both feel hot quickly and get dehydrated using a carrier. If you start perspiring outdoors, your baby may also be overheating. It may be time to cool off inside when your infant becomes overly fussy or cries.
Avoid Direct Sun
The sun can burn and damage your baby’s tender skin fast. That’s partly because your infant’s skin hasn’t fully developed melanin, the pigment that adds color and some sun protection.
Keep your baby in sight at all times, even if you initially placed them in full shade. The sun’s position continuously shifts, and may eventually cause sunburn to your child. A sunburn has skin damage risks, including skin cancer later in life.
Use Multi-Leveled Sun Protection
Shield your child when it’s sunny or cloudy since UV rays still penetrate through overcast skies. Keeping your baby fully shaded is a great way to prevent sun exposure and painful sunburn. Find shade under a roof, UPF 50+ umbrella, or extend the stroller canopy.
In addition to full shade, opt for clothing that covers your baby’s arms and legs. Protect their head, ears, and face with a sun hat and baby sunglasses rated with 100% UV protection.
Another choice is a lightweight, breathable blanket or cover with sun protection that drapes over your infant’s stroller, car seat, or carrier. UV Skinz offers an assortment of cute and comfortable UPF 50+ clothing and accessories for your little one.
Although sunscreen is a mainstay to help protect your skin from harmful UV rays, it usually isn’t encouraged for young babies. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), sunscreen isn’t recommended for infants under six months of age. The chemicals in sunscreen may cause a rash or skin irritation. If you are still considering applying sunscreen to your baby’s skin, be sure to check with your pediatrician first.
Now you can feel more confident taking your newborn out for this exciting milestone. Your outing is a great time to introduce your newborn to the wonders of the outdoors – and serious sun protection. Be sure to talk to your baby and point out the sights and sounds of nature. Be sure to snap a few cute selfies for this special day too!
If you need any UPF clothing for your baby, including baby sun blankets, car seat covers, or sun hats, be sure to check out our baby UPF clothing collection.
