I’m often asked when is the perfect time to have a baby. The answer, of course is, never.
Having a baby at any time of life, the year, or the football season, is fraught with difficulties and challenges, just waiting to trip us up the second we wake up. If indeed we managed to go to sleep at all in the first place.
But there are obvious differences between having a newborn in the depth of Winter, or in the heat of the Summer.
I’ve had two winter babies and one June baby. And there were definitely big differences between looking after a newborn in such differing seasons. Not least the amount of clothing you have to wrap them up in every morning!
Trying to get my 12-hour-old daughter into a snow-suit, hat and gloves the size of thimbles, just to leave the hospital and get as far as the car, when her arms seemed to be so small and bendy it was like feeding play-doh sausages into a tube made of fleece, was a challenge I hadn’t prepared myself for.
And when my son was born in the hot summer of 2003 (the last time England HAD a hot summer, as far as I can tell) it was so hot in the maternity ward the nurses were coming round washing the babies down with cool water, to keep them from overheating.
Each season brings with it a new set of advantages and inconveniences – so what are the things to look out for with your summer baby?
Dehydration
In hot weather, babies can become dehydrated very quickly. The easiest way to tell if your baby needs more fluid is to look at, or GENTLY feel the fontanelle at the top of his or her skull. If there is a dip, they need extra fluid. If they’re very dehydrated then topping up their milk feeds with cooled, boiled water in-between feeds is a good idea. You can administer this through a bottle, if they’re bottle feeding, or straight from a clean spoon if they’re not. There is generally some choking (I hated doing this!) but if the water goes down then it’s got to be done.
Sensitive skin
Babies’ skin is far more sensitive to sunlight than ours. These days there is so much UV coming through, even on cloudy days, that sun safety for kids is really important. Make sure your baby’s skin is kept out of direct sunlight as much as possible – or always, ideally. Just because YOU want a tan, doesn’t mean your baby should look like she’s just had a month in St Tropez. Putting thick sun cream on newborn skin isn’t really the best idea, as it’s very hard to wash off properly and their skin is so sensitive anyway it’s a good idea to leave all products off it. Better just to keep them out of the sun, and protect them that way. (The same goes for us adults, by the way….!)
Overheating
Babies can’t sweat. They therefore find temperature regulation very difficult, and we need to be extra careful to make sure they’re not overheating. If it’s really hot they barely need clothes at all, and just a nappy is enough. Blankets are far too hot in the summer, so you can replace them with a muslin cloth for cover and snuggle-factor. Shade is essential (though beware for breezes that can make them cold!) and if they’re really hot then wiping their skin gently with a cool wet cloth can reduce their body temperature enough to keep them safe.
Swimming pools
Tempting though it is to go straight into the local paddling pool or lake and cool down, newborns don’t have an immune system that’s ready to deal with all the bugs it would encounter in there. Doctors recommend waiting until your baby has had their entire first round of vaccinations before taking them in water other than baths at home.
Hats
Ohh this IS fun. Keeping a hat on a wriggly baby, who is also trying desperately to rip it off. And then when you finally do it, they rip it off again. But persist. They need one. Preferably one with a longer bit down the back of their neck.
Allergies
Everything is new with a newborn. (The clue is in the name…) You won’t yet know what, if anything, your baby is allergic to, but if you sense that there are some reactions happening to things like pollen, grass etc, then go and talk to your doctor.
The lovely thing about having a summer baby is the gentle freedom it allows. Lying my baby down on a little blanket under a tree and watching him gaze up at the leaves blowing in the trees, his little bare legs wriggling and stretching freely in the warm air, remains one of the happiest, most relaxing things we did in those early months.
There is no ‘perfect’ time to have a baby. But there’s definitely something freeing and relaxing about the Summer months – just so long as we’re careful of the heat and sun.
Enjoy it while it lasts!