Heat and sun protection for babies
jls8209
Posts: 450 Member
I'm going to ask my doc about this stuff at our next appointment, but we don't get to see him until mid-month because he's away, so I thought I'd ask you ladies your opinions.
How do you keep babies safe and comfortable when outdoors on hot, sunny days? (My little girl just turned 6 months, so I'm specifically looking for answers for that age group, but if you have info for younger babies please add for the moms with babies in that age range).
Is it okay to give babies water, or is breastmilk (or formula) adequate for hydration?
Sunscreen? I grabbed an Aveeno Baby SPF 50 sunscreen yesterday, but it doesn't say what age it is for (I think I'd read others in the past that said 6m+)
UV suits? I'm going to get one to use when we go home and have the opportunity to hit the beach this summer, but are they suitable for regular outdoor use?
I know if it's too hot to just stay indoors/in the shade, and I always pull the canopy over my baby when she's in her stroller on a sunny day, but we're at that time of year where the temperatures are climbing and it's hard to stay inside when it's so nice out. Today we're supposed to reach 27 celcius (80 farenheit) so we're going to head out for our daily walk early, but oh man it will be hard to stay indoors and look out the window this afternoon!
How do you keep babies safe and comfortable when outdoors on hot, sunny days? (My little girl just turned 6 months, so I'm specifically looking for answers for that age group, but if you have info for younger babies please add for the moms with babies in that age range).
Is it okay to give babies water, or is breastmilk (or formula) adequate for hydration?
Sunscreen? I grabbed an Aveeno Baby SPF 50 sunscreen yesterday, but it doesn't say what age it is for (I think I'd read others in the past that said 6m+)
UV suits? I'm going to get one to use when we go home and have the opportunity to hit the beach this summer, but are they suitable for regular outdoor use?
I know if it's too hot to just stay indoors/in the shade, and I always pull the canopy over my baby when she's in her stroller on a sunny day, but we're at that time of year where the temperatures are climbing and it's hard to stay inside when it's so nice out. Today we're supposed to reach 27 celcius (80 farenheit) so we're going to head out for our daily walk early, but oh man it will be hard to stay indoors and look out the window this afternoon!
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I'm having the same concerns. I looked at some sunscreens for babies at the pharmacy yesterday and they all said to speak to a doctor before 6 months of age. I know I can use the canopy but it won't necessarily cover my 3 month old's hands if she sticks them out and since I have really sensitive skin (I get rashes from sun) I'm afraid of her having inherited that from me. I have a pedi appt tomorrow so I'll ask.
As for hydration I've read breast milk is sufficient, it's mostly water anyways.0 -
My dad is a pediatrician in the US (he's been practicing for nearly 40 years), and his advice to me was NO sun at all before 6 months (not counting outdoor time for jaundiced newborns). Obviously you can't keep your baby completely out of the sun, but keep him/her covered up as much as possible. So for walks out and about, use the sun shade on your stroller, and if you can use a light blanket (I understand when it's that warm, though), do so.
He told me that baby sunscreens are fine for 6 months and up. Stick with "gentle" baby brands like Aveeno, Neutrogena, or California Baby
Still try to use shade as much as possible, though, even with the sunscreen, which should be reapplied often. I liked little sun hats and stuff, and I just used regular summer clothing and sunscreen. Be sure to get their feet, too! I only used the little UV shirts and stuff for swimming. I feel like they're too thick/hot for non-swimming use.
ETA that I spent a week at the beach with my parents when my son was about 6 months old, and my dad was CRAZY about keeping him hydrated. We just kept giving him formula, which I kept nice and cold in a cooler. No water is necessary; they're too young for that. But basically if his face got red or anything, my dad would be on my back about getting a cold bottle of formula in his mouth and taking him back in the air conditioning ASAP. Their bodies still have a hard time regulating temperature at 6 months.0 -
Its amazing my oldest is still alive after all that I read now. I used sunscreen made for babies always had a hat on his head or the canopy up on the car seat and stroller and when we went to the park or the beach I would use the camping canopies you see that do not let any sunlight in. I gave my son water in between feedings and would give him sugar free popsicles (it helped with the teething) granted my son was an October baby so he was 7 - 8 months when we were really out in the sun my daughter will be a little younger and I plan on taking her to the pool and beach this summer. I will use a hat with her and sunscreen with her and avoid the hottest part of the day 10-2. Right now I am taking her for walks in the evenings and letting her get a little sun on her face not long enough to color her skin but for her to enjoy. Both my babies had jaundice (I am type 0 so unfortunately will always happen) and we used that fake light belt which caused both to break out in hives I wish they had been born in the spring or summer so I could have done a natural therapy.0
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Hats,SPF clothing,lots of breast milk/formula. That's all they need. I believe before 6 months no sunscreen. Aveeno baby is great and of course california baby. Don't stress too much,people having babies in the patty fields seem to do just fine
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Don't stress too much,people having babies in the patty fields seem to do just fine
True! Oddly enough my husband is the more protective parent, I'm the one always saying, "She's just fine!" Aren't the moms normally the over protective ones? :laugh:
Thanks for the input, ladies! The hydration is my biggest concern of all, so I will be sure to feed more often and keep her in the a/c as much as possible on hot days.0 -
On this topic....water.....how long is to long to dip the baby in the ocean?0
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On this topic....water.....how long is to long to dip the baby in the ocean?
Depends on the temp, I guess? As long as baby doesn't seem cold and is having fun I don't think there is a "wrong" amount of time. I'm hoping when we're home this summer our beach trips are to the ocean. BIL/SIL take their kids to lakes, but they gross me out. All slimy, stale, germy water. Blech. :sick: I know the ocean is not perfect, but you never hear about an ocean beach being closed because the weather has been so hot/dry that the bacteria levels are dangerously high. Happens all the time with lakes at home.0 -
Fwiw I asked my 3 month old daughter's pedi about this yesterday and he recommended ombrel sunblock at least spf15.0
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My LO just turned 1 yr. I had the same concerns last year. I did not give him water on a regular basis when I was exclusively bfing. Since he is eating more solids now I give him water. Breastmilk is mostly water. Check out the ewg website for the best sunscreen within your budget. Google ewg sunscreen report. I used coppertone water babies pure and simple last year. This yr my LO is using thinkbaby sunscreen since it has more natural ingredients. I also got him a rash guard with 50spf. He refuses to wear a hat but that would help block the sun too. Also be very careful with your LO overheating in his carseat. Last year my LO was sweating in it with the ac on blast and he was in a onesie. No one warned me about the carseat. Have a safe summer.0
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On this topic....water.....how long is to long to dip the baby in the ocean?
I would treat it the same way as I would the pool - as long as the temp is ok, I don't think there's any harm in staying in as long as you like, so long as you are shielding them from the sun properly and no one is getting pruney
ETA that you have to keep in mind the waterproof-ness of your sunscreen as well as the fact that chlorine and salt water both have a drying effect on skin, so be sure to moisturize well after you've rinsed off and/or bathed after swimming. The salt water can sometimes help if your baby has eczema, though...0 -
My LO just turned 1 yr. I had the same concerns last year. I did not give him water on a regular basis when I was exclusively bfing. Since he is eating more solids now I give him water. Breastmilk is mostly water. Check out the ewg website for the best sunscreen within your budget. Google ewg sunscreen report. I used coppertone water babies pure and simple last year. This yr my LO is using thinkbaby sunscreen since it has more natural ingredients. I also got him a rash guard with 50spf. He refuses to wear a hat but that would help block the sun too. Also be very careful with your LO overheating in his carseat. Last year my LO was sweating in it with the ac on blast and he was in a onesie. No one warned me about the carseat. Have a safe summer.
Those car seats are the worst for sweaty babies! I would always try to run the air for a bit in the car while holding my baby so that he could cool down before I had to put him in the car seat. It also helped me not end up sitting in a pool of sweat on my seat, too. Car seats are great for the winter, but I wish there were a way to make them more breathable for the summer!0 -
My LO just turned 1 yr. I had the same concerns last year. I did not give him water on a regular basis when I was exclusively bfing. Since he is eating more solids now I give him water. Breastmilk is mostly water. Check out the ewg website for the best sunscreen within your budget. Google ewg sunscreen report. I used coppertone water babies pure and simple last year. This yr my LO is using thinkbaby sunscreen since it has more natural ingredients. I also got him a rash guard with 50spf. He refuses to wear a hat but that would help block the sun too. Also be very careful with your LO overheating in his carseat. Last year my LO was sweating in it with the ac on blast and he was in a onesie. No one warned me about the carseat. Have a safe summer.
Those car seats are the worst for sweaty babies! I would always try to run the air for a bit in the car while holding my baby so that he could cool down before I had to put him in the car seat. It also helped me not end up sitting in a pool of sweat on my seat, too. Car seats are great for the winter, but I wish there were a way to make them more breathable for the summer!
Do you keep the car seat in the car? We keep it in the house where it's cool and then pop it in the base when it's time to go out.0 -
My LO just turned 1 yr. I had the same concerns last year. I did not give him water on a regular basis when I was exclusively bfing. Since he is eating more solids now I give him water. Breastmilk is mostly water. Check out the ewg website for the best sunscreen within your budget. Google ewg sunscreen report. I used coppertone water babies pure and simple last year. This yr my LO is using thinkbaby sunscreen since it has more natural ingredients. I also got him a rash guard with 50spf. He refuses to wear a hat but that would help block the sun too. Also be very careful with your LO overheating in his carseat. Last year my LO was sweating in it with the ac on blast and he was in a onesie. No one warned me about the carseat. Have a safe summer.
Those car seats are the worst for sweaty babies! I would always try to run the air for a bit in the car while holding my baby so that he could cool down before I had to put him in the car seat. It also helped me not end up sitting in a pool of sweat on my seat, too. Car seats are great for the winter, but I wish there were a way to make them more breathable for the summer!
Do you keep the car seat in the car? We keep it in the house where it's cool and then pop it in the base when it's time to go out.
Oh, yeah, car seat goes with us wherever as far as the carrier, assuming we were going somewhere with air conditioning, like in our house or in a store. With our son we switched to a convertible seat around 6 months (he was long and heavy), so unfortunately unless I was willing to uninstall the whole thing it had to stay in the car :frown:0 -
Thanks for posting! I was wondering about this! I have used the water babies on Jaxon once (last weekend) and he's 5 months. We don't keep him out long but I'd still rather him be protected than to risk him getting a sunburn. I will only put it on him if I absolutely have to over the next month.
I've also been wondering about bug spray? It's that time of year (here) the mosquitoes are terrible in the evenings and that's when we sit outside with Jaxon the most! Friends of ours (with kids) said to spray it in your hands first then apply to baby, so that's what i've done, just steering clear of his face. I use Off sensitive skin and Off for family.0 -
Thanks for posting! I was wondering about this! I have used the water babies on Jaxon once (last weekend) and he's 5 months. We don't keep him out long but I'd still rather him be protected than to risk him getting a sunburn. I will only put it on him if I absolutely have to over the next month.
I've also been wondering about bug spray? It's that time of year (here) the mosquitoes are terrible in the evenings and that's when we sit outside with Jaxon the most! Friends of ours (with kids) said to spray it in your hands first then apply to baby, so that's what i've done, just steering clear of his face. I use Off sensitive skin and Off for family.
Bugs are the worst - I know they are where you are, but we have it bad with mosquitoes and biting gnats, too! We also have a major chigger issue in certain parts of our backyard. I am one of those people who gets bitten way more than the average person, and unfortunately my son inherited that trait... When he was really little, I just had to avoid it. When he was a little older (like over 6 months), I did some research into natural bug repellents and found that lavender oil is a good bug repellent. I found it pretty cheap at GNC, and a little goes a long way. It smells great, and the oiliness dries up pretty quickly. I would put it on my hands and rub it over his exposed body parts, then put it on myself. It didn't keep us bite-free the one time we went to a crazy, mosquito-infested park, but for regular outdoor use, it kept us almost entirely bite-free. (I can't say that the couple of bites we got wasn't due to non-coverage.) Some people are allergic to oils like that, but we did fine, and both my son and I have sensitive skin.
I wanted to do Skin So Soft, but that stuff is hard to get in stock! Every Avon lady I know couldn't get her hands on it to save her life, it's so popular!
This year my son has been getting eaten alive by gnats on the playground at his preschool, so they asked me if I could provide something for him. Even though he's over 2 now, I still feel weird putting Off on him (although I would use it on myself). I bought some all-natural product at Target (http://www.amazon.com/All-Terrain-DEET-Free-Natural-Repellent/dp/B00AC2R9PA/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1368114297&sr=8-4&keywords=All+Terrain+Herbal+Armor) because California Baby was out of stock (as it is every time I try to buy it). It smells to high heaven of citronella but seems to do a good job. His teachers agree that it seems to keep the bugs away and said the strong citronella scent doesn't stick around that long. They said the sprayer kind of stinks, but they spray it in their hands and then rub it on his arms/legs/neck/face. Since I gave it to them to use on him, he has only had a couple of little bites on the rare occasion, whereas before I'd give him a bath before bed and discover literally a dozen bites at a time.
I figure that I will probably keep using "natural" stuff until he's 3 or so, then I will probably feel comfortable using Off and the like. I don't know why that particular age seems right to me, but I feel like at that point they're more like little kids than babies, you know? Honestly it's not something I've asked my dad or my BIL (who's also a pediatrician) about, though I guess I should!
Edited to say that I bought lavender oil at GNC, not CVS. I doubt CVS would carry it.0 -
Thanks for posting! I was wondering about this! I have used the water babies on Jaxon once (last weekend) and he's 5 months. We don't keep him out long but I'd still rather him be protected than to risk him getting a sunburn. I will only put it on him if I absolutely have to over the next month.
I've also been wondering about bug spray? It's that time of year (here) the mosquitoes are terrible in the evenings and that's when we sit outside with Jaxon the most! Friends of ours (with kids) said to spray it in your hands first then apply to baby, so that's what i've done, just steering clear of his face. I use Off sensitive skin and Off for family.
Bugs are the worst - I know they are where you are, but we have it bad with mosquitoes and biting gnats, too! We also have a major chigger issue in certain parts of our backyard. I am one of those people who gets bitten way more than the average person, and unfortunately my son inherited that trait... When he was really little, I just had to avoid it. When he was a little older (like over 6 months), I did some research into natural bug repellents and found that lavender oil is a good bug repellent. I found it pretty cheap at GNC, and a little goes a long way. It smells great, and the oiliness dries up pretty quickly. I would put it on my hands and rub it over his exposed body parts, then put it on myself. It didn't keep us bite-free the one time we went to a crazy, mosquito-infested park, but for regular outdoor use, it kept us almost entirely bite-free. (I can't say that the couple of bites we got wasn't due to non-coverage.) Some people are allergic to oils like that, but we did fine, and both my son and I have sensitive skin.
I wanted to do Skin So Soft, but that stuff is hard to get in stock! Every Avon lady I know couldn't get her hands on it to save her life, it's so popular!
This year my son has been getting eaten alive by gnats on the playground at his preschool, so they asked me if I could provide something for him. Even though he's over 2 now, I still feel weird putting Off on him (although I would use it on myself). I bought some all-natural product at Target (http://www.amazon.com/All-Terrain-DEET-Free-Natural-Repellent/dp/B00AC2R9PA/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1368114297&sr=8-4&keywords=All+Terrain+Herbal+Armor) because California Baby was out of stock (as it is every time I try to buy it). It smells to high heaven of citronella but seems to do a good job. His teachers agree that it seems to keep the bugs away and said the strong citronella scent doesn't stick around that long. They said the sprayer kind of stinks, but they spray it in their hands and then rub it on his arms/legs/neck/face. Since I gave it to them to use on him, he has only had a couple of little bites on the rare occasion, whereas before I'd give him a bath before bed and discover literally a dozen bites at a time.
I figure that I will probably keep using "natural" stuff until he's 3 or so, then I will probably feel comfortable using Off and the like. I don't know why that particular age seems right to me, but I feel like at that point they're more like little kids than babies, you know? Honestly it's not something I've asked my dad or my BIL (who's also a pediatrician) about, though I guess I should!
Edited to say that I bought lavender oil at GNC, not CVS. I doubt CVS would carry it.
Thanks for your reply!! Chiggers are bad here as well but biting gnats!? Eeek! I felt weird about putting bug spray on him but I felt he needed something because the mosquitoes are so bad and didn't want him being miserable from lots of bites. I did look on Amazon for a natural repellent but I want to say what I found didn't have high ratings? I didn't look much so I may go back and look again and see what I can find, if not I will try a GNC for lavender oil, thanks again 0 -
I was told last summer not to put sunscreen/block on my infant until 6 months old- I now have another infant, and asked about it with a different pediatrician because I was so shocked not to put block on my infant on my infant last summer (i did anyways, and I buy cal baby or natural sunscreen)- and she said, in the last 4 years they have realized that problems caused by the sun far outweigh the problems that could possibly be caused by sunblock. Just buy the good stuff- the expensive stuff that sits ON the skin, not absorbed (usually zinc). It IS safe. I bring all of my children in the sun and I ALWAYS put on sunscreen. and bring along a hat and sun glasses. Infants I keep in light weight clothing when it's hot- a onesie- you can always bring a light weight blanket and layer them up if you feel the need- but babies don't sweat so they can get warm easily.0
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My daughter is 6 months old and we live in California and its already starting to get hot outside. I talked to our family doctor and my father in law (who also is a family doc) and both said that sunscreen and a hat is best for sun protection. My daughter is pretty fair skinned and both my father in law and doctor know I am hesitant to use anything with extra chemicals, so both said the SPF 30 would be sufficient and to re-apply often. A hat and cotton, breathable clothing is best for hot weather. I also figured that if I find we are spending a ton of time in the sun and water, I would probably get her a rash guard to help protect her baby skin.
While I am still breastfeeding, we have started solids so we give her a little water here and there. I go by the rule that if I am thirsty, she might be too, so if I cant feed her, I offer her water. She doesn't always want it, but I feel better about offering it to her.0
