Essential Items For Cold Weather
By: Madeeha Damoun
Tags: Winters, Baby, Tips, Parenting, Essentials

Guys winters are coming!! I know many new mom's are super worried about their new borns, of course, you cannot hibernate all winters.

Trust me guys winters with an infant doesn't have to be a big deal... As long as you are properly equipped and fully prepared for it.

Few essentials you need to stock up to be on the safe side. As a mom of three, I would love to share what I've learned along the way.

PULSE OXIMETER

For me, there is nothing quite so heartbreaking as a sick baby. At the same time, there is nothing more perturbing than a baby with an upper respiratory infection. Whether your child has a wheezing sound when they cough or is breathing rapidly, a pulse oximeter can give you an instant reading of the oxygen saturation in their blood. This reading can then help you decide whether they need to be seen by the doctor or should be taken directly to the hospital. Anything less than 90 means your child needs to be seen by a doctor immediately. Having a baby pulse oximeter on hand, along with the skill to properly use it, can offer a piece of mind to parents at a stressful time.

I totally recomend it.

HUMIDIFIER

This is something new-parents must have while setting nursery especially if it’s a winter baby.

There are many benefits of humidifiers for your newborn.

It provides against dry air especially in the winter months when indoor air tends to become dry from your heating system(heaters/inverters) robbing the natural moisture in it.

The harsh air of winters results in frequent sore throats, dry sinuses, and stuffy noses. Since babies are much more susceptible to congestion, they easily fall prey to the infections and sicknesses that often run rampant in the frigid months.

A humidifier adds much-needed moisture to the air and creates optimal breathing conditions, allowing your baby to sleep comfortably and loosen the build-up of mucus which releases conjestion and helps her in taking feed and sleep.

It also helps relieve your baby of irritated, dry skin.

There are two main types of humidifiers;

Warm mist: the warm air they emit can kill germs and viruses. The warmer air also helps baby to breathe by reducing mucus build-up and opening the respiratory passages.

Cool mist: the benefit of cool mist humidifier is that a toddler or young child cannot be scalded when touching or playing with it.

*Both types of humidifiers will add moisture to the air*

Make sure you are cleaning it out weekly to prevent mold and mildew otherwise that is a recipe for infection.

It’s important to allow your humidifier to completely dry between uses. This help eliminate the possibility of mold, germs and lint accumulation.

Distilled water is recommended for better performance.

THERMOMETER

During winters, the microbes and viruses thrive and find hosts to infect. Combined with decreased immunity, babies become an easy targets or diseases.

Keeping yourself equipped is tool to avoid panic attacks.

I know a rectal thermometer gives a more accurate reading but I don’t feel comfortable taking a rectal temperature that’s why I use ear and forehead thermometer.

*Never use a mercury thermometer for your infant or toddlers.*

MOISTURIZER

Your baby skin is extremely sensitive and the harsh atmosphere of the winter can make it super dry. If you want to keep your little one’s skin soft and supple, use a good moisturizer for his/her skin.

NASAL ASPIRATOR

As a mother of three I totally recommend nasal respirator or rubber bulb syringe is a medicine cabinet.

These tiny tools help you clear your newborn’s sensitive nasal passages of mucus, helping relieve congestion in a fussy baby that might be having a hard time feeding and breathing.

I recommend to place a few drops or squirts of saline solution (available at a pharmacy) in each nostril to try and liquefy secretions.

Lay your baby on his back to apply the saline solution and let him/her sit for 20 seconds to see if that alone will help ease congestion. If not, you may want to try the aspirator or bulb syringe.

BOTTLE WARMER

There is nothing worse than trying to calm down a crying hungry baby. When they want food right away and have no patience for the time it takes to heat it safely!

There is no law against giving your baby cold or room temperature milk but there is a reason why baby prefers warm milk.

Breast milk is near to the average human body temperature(98 degrees).

A bottle made with filter water is almost 50 degrees colder than breastmilk. Especially in winter when the body needs more energy to keep itself warm. The baby’s body uses energy to heat cold liquid for digestion.

The conventional way of heating formula milk or breast is very time-consuming... However, if it gets too hot, the next pain would be to cool it to room temperature.

That is where you need a bottle warmer to save all this hassle.

Plus it preserves the nutrients. The use of microwaves can affect the composition of milk and destroy nutrients.

And on the top of the list, you will not have extra pots or dishes to wash.

I find it very convenient especially in winter.