What works for adults sometimes works for babies. Only sometimes, but the so-called onion look is an example of this. By dressing your baby in several layers of clothing, not only are they wrapped up warmly, but more importantly you can respond to changing temperatures by either removing or adding a layer. For example, when moving from outdoors to indoors, or when the temperature changes during the day.
A rule of thumb is: if in doubt, put on one more layer for your baby than for yourself. Firstly, it cannot regulate its own body temperature and secondly, it is not actively moving itself and is therefore more dependent on warmth from outside than an adult or a toddler who is just walking.
- Let's start with the bottom layer. Wool is a great material. It is not only wonderfully warm, but also breathable and temperature regulating. This prevents your baby from sweating. The only drawback is that it can sometimes be a little itchy. For the bottom layer, a long-sleeved bodysuit made of a wool-silk mix and wool-silk tights are best.
- Since it has no direct contact with the skin, the second layer can be made of pure wool. Another advantage of wool is that it is warm but still thin. This gives your baby freedom of movement & body contact instead of a "Michelin man feeling". So it's best to choose a wool jumper or jacket for the top. On the bottom, you can also choose legwarmers instead of trousers - they are especially easy to take off if your baby has fallen asleep in the carrier and you don't want to take him or her out of the carrier to take them off.
- Now for the feet. As they protrude from your body and therefore get less body heat, they always need more thermal protection than the rest of the body. Over socks or tights, we recommend knitted wool socks in a mini size from grandma. Grandma's not much of a knitter? Don't worry - you can also find warm booties or socks in the shops. Our booties, for example made of quilted fabric or with teddy lining, are perfect for this. For newborns, they are even available in our favourite material, boiled wool.
- It's really, really, really cold or your baby is already a bit bigger, so that they have to be out and about by themselves? An overall made of boiled wool is a real all-purpose weapon from autumn to spring. Warm, thin, temperature regulating, dirt and water repellent and at the same time breathable. And - if it is made from leftover materials, as we do - it is even quite sustainable. You don't know our boiled wool overalls yet? Take a look (LINK https://www.mamalila.de/fuer-Kids)
- What's missing now is your baby's head. Always protect it with a little cap in cool temperatures, as your baby loses a lot of body heat through it. Scarf hats that also cover the neck and are difficult or impossible to take off are particularly practical when carrying your baby. Especially when you are carrying your baby on your back, this is worth its weight in gold.
- And your hands? If it's particularly cold, warm mittens are recommended. Not only are they easier to put on, but the fingers warm each other in them. (The latter, by the way, also makes the author of this article a mitten fan :D)
Finally, a few more general tips:
- By wearing your baby inside your jacket instead of over it, you warm each other instead of being isolated from each other by the jacket. Also, the outermost, shared layer, effectively the onion skin, makes your look even more weatherproof as it protects against wind and wetness.
- Check the back of your baby's neck every now and then to see if it's damp or cool to the touch. The former would mean that it is sweating, the latter that your baby is too cold. Baby's neck should be warm but dry.
- When wearing a baby carrier, always make sure that the baby insert of your jacket is closed enough to protect your baby from the cold and wind, but that the airways are clear. Here (link https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ck0WUJwju9k/) you can find some tips on this.
- For high-quality children's clothing, e.g. made of wool / wool-silk, the same applies as for our jackets. They are often not cheap to buy, but you can use them for a long time and because of their high quality and robustness they also have a high resale value and are particularly sustainable.
With these tips you are perfectly prepared for the winter with baby. Have a great Advent season full of shining children's eyes at the Christmas market and fun on the toboggan run!