Summer Babies

I have a June and a July baby. It will depend on if you are outside or inside in a/c. I think the onesie with socks and a light blanket is perfect. I also liked those newborn gowns with a pair of socks. Just remeber to be sooooo careful with the sun. My second (july baby) was outside a ton because I had a two year already who wanted to go run!!! She slept outside in the shade in the lay down stroller a lot and I would have her in a onesie with or without socks and a light blanket over her legs.

I had 2 summer babies...they lived in onesies! I also liked the lightweight cotton footie jammies for night when it got cooler (since they don't keep a blanket on). I also had a nice lightweight thermal blanket I used to swaddle them when they were really small.

My pediatricians advice was to dress the baby with the same layers and weight of clothes you would wear. You may want to protect the head with some kind of hat or bonnet but outside of that keep it simple. I think baby will be just fine .

I've also heard a layer more than what your wearing.

But, just to give you an idea, my girls were born in September and I remember my oldest daughter being born into a VERY warm September. I also remember her in lots of onsies for most the day while we were home. When we went out and about, I would just put on a cute short/dress outfit and bring a blanket.

Congratulations!!!

It depends on if you are inside with air conditioning on, or outside in the heat. If you're going to be inside with the air on, you'll probably want to have her in the one piece sleepers or something with long sleeves and pants. If you're outside wear the onesie and socks and bring blankets.

I had one on July 15th and one on August 1st. Honestly, we weren't outside all that much. Either in the house, in the car, or in a building or store (all air conditioned). I'm not one of those people who insist on bundling my baby up at all times, but it will honestly depend on your baby. My first two were fine no matter what the temp. My baby I had last March was always cold (think purple feet and hands). I had to put socks on under her sleepers and keep blankets on her in the house which is kept at 72. After about 3-4 months she evened out.

Best advice? Don't go buying a whole ton of clothes ahead of time. You never know how big she'll be, how fast she'll grow, how she'll be able to regulate her own body temp. Get a couple of warm weather outfits and a couple of cool weather outfits and see how it goes when she gets here.

Hi! My second son was born last July (almost 8 months now!). We live in Texas so you can only imagine how freaking hot it was. I mostly had sleepers for him - cotton sleepers with long sleeves and built in feet. The thing with newborns is that their bodies need to time "learn" how to regulate their temperature so you need to keep her covered at least at first. And then you have to pay attention to how she does. We quickly figured out that our son runs cold - he tends to get chilly easily. The first night home from the hospital was a nightmare and it finally occurred to my sleep-deprived mind that he was cold (even though he was wearing a sleeper)! So I am not kidding, for the first couple weeks he slept in a onesie, socks, a sleeper on top, a swaddler wrapped around him, and a cotton hat! And he slept beautifully. Now, at almost 8 months, he still runs chilly. When the rest of us are fine, his little feet will be a little chilly to the touch. So now even though its warming up down here, he still always has socks on and I still use a lot of those sleepers.

So I definitely don't think you can assume that a short sleeve onesie is enough, especially at first. Get a couple of sleepers and see what works for her. Also keep in mind, even when its hot outside the car and house will be air conditioned.

A note about sleepers - you will develop your own preferences, but personally I hate the ones that snap all the way up. I only buy the ones with zippers. The only downside of the zipper ones is that when you have to change the diaper, you end up exposing that sweet little belly; with the snap ones, you can only unsnap up from the legs enough to get the diaper changed. My solution to his is a short-sleeve onesie underneath the sleeper. Keeps him warm and keeps his belly covered when being changed, and I still get the convenience of the zipper. So just my two cents.

Good luck!

My last baby was born 8/26 in Ft. Lauderdale - it was over 90! He loves heat, wanted to be outside all the time. Being outside (in the shade of our covered porch with the fans on) was what would calm him and I would rock him to sleep while nursing him on our porch swing. He is 18 months and still craves warmth! First, don't buy too much - everyone will give you clothes as gifts! You've already bought plenty! Don't buy anymore diapers. You don't know what size you will need until baby is born. I had a case of newborns because my first baby was little but this one was born at 9 lbs and the newborns didn't fit - he needed a size 1 in the hospital!

You will want some cotton light weight blankets for swaddling. Most babies like to be swaddled.

A tip, send your husband out to buy your baby an outfit to come home from the hospital in - it gives them something to do and helps create a nice bond.

Otherwise, newborn babies should be in one layer more than you typically. Also, newborns can't sweat so if you don't have a/c in your house be careful to make sure she doesn't get overheated. My April baby was born in a warm April and our a/c died two weeks after we got home from the hospital. He got heat exhaustion because his mom didn't know that newborns don't have active sweatglands!

Congrats on your daughter! Best wishes for a peaceful and healthy birth.

My son was born in July. He didn't need a lot of clothes and bundling. You don't need to overdress babies just because they are babies. It will be hot and your baby will overheat if you bundle him too much. Relax. Test the temp the day you leave the hospital and dress your baby accordingly.

Many mothers tend to overdress their babies. General rule is, if you are hot so is your baby. I think what you have planned is fine, a light onsie, no bottom, and a small hat and blanket handy in case a/c in a building or car gets chilly.

My son was born at the end of June. Even though I live where it doesn't get all that hot, he didn't require much clothing. Even in the winter, he was (and still is) a "hot" sleeper. He got way too sweaty if I put much of anything on him to sleep in.
When he was a newborn, we just had him in onesies and socks, sometimes not even socks. Light blankets can be really handy for swaddling or keeping a breeze off the baby.

Obviously in the winter you're more likely to bundle a baby up, especially if you're taking them out in yucky weather conditions, but if the house is nice and warm they don't need a ton of clothes on.
You'll figure out what makes your baby comfortable. Some babies don't like feeling so exposed. Some babies are happier with little on. It just depends.

You'll figure out your baby's temperament when she gets here.

Best wishes!

I had an end-of-June baby so I know exactly what you mean! I didn't want him to freeze, but I didn't want to keep the A/C off and roast myself!! I agree with the posters that said you normally want to dress them in layers similar to yourself, with maybe one added layer.
We usually did a Onsie for sleeping and added a light cotton wearable blanket over it..like this:
http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId...
And we also used a thermometer designed for the nursery.
Congrats and best wishes!

Congrats! My first born was a July baby as well:) The general rule is to dress your baby one layer more than what you feel comfortable. I remember bringing my newborn home on one of the hottest days of the year, the nurse had him bundled up in the blanket that the hospital gave us but as soon as we got outside (the nurse walked us out to our car), she actually un-bundled him and took the much lighter blanket I had brought and just put that on his lap and told me if he gets fussy in the car, he's either too warm or your air-conditioner is blowing right on him. As new parents, we ended up driving home that day with no a/c on and we were melting but our little guy slept all the way home:) When we did arrive home, the a/c was on in the house so we kept him bundled in his blanket for the "one more layer than you" rule and he was comfortable.

I really agree with LoveMamaNetworking. Each baby takes time to adjust to the world and each one tends to run a little one way or the other naturally. My 3rd girl is a July baby (Let's hear it for Cancerians!). I loved the lightweight sleepers -- either the long sleeve w/feet kind or the nightgowns with an elastic bottom. She'd typically wear a short sleeve onesie and a light sleeper. We did swaddle for the first, like, month or so. She was comfy when covered and still, at 19, tends to feel chilled easily. My October baby, though, has always run hot; the "sweats in her sleep" kind of kid. Each one is so different!

BTW -- I agree you need to be aware of drafts and A/C. They both made my little baby very uncomfortable unless we added a blanket. Gotta figure they're initially used to your body temperature of a very consistent, no draft, almost 100 degrees! And I, too, used to go by the "one layer more than you're wearing" rule. Seemed to work in our house!

To leave the hospital, each of my girls wore a special outfit provided by a wonderful aunt: a onesie, tights (socks just don't stay on new feet!), booties, a hat, sweater and beautiful blanket. The summer outfit was lightweight; the fall one, a little warmer. My sisters (the aunts) thought that leaving the hospital would be the first time a child really went into the world and she should be dressed for the occasion!

Very best wishes for you! There's nothing as scary and as wonderful as bringing your new little one home. How exciting!

DD was born in August in Houston, need I say more? She was naked most of the time!! Onsies were our frirends. Also, little sun dresses for several years. We brought her home in a dress, socks and a cotton blanket. She really didn't need the blanket. She really didn't wear much either because it was so hot. A onsie would be perfect with her cotton blanket during nap time. Congrats!!!!

My son was born in late April, so he was a little older by the time it got really hot, but the general rule I've been told is one layer more than what you are comfortable in. He went in just a short sleeved onsie during the day, but we usually put him in cotton footie pjs at night when it was cooler. So if it's so hot that you'd probably be most comfortable without clothes then I'd say a onsie is appropriate. However, that also depends on if you are going to be in air conditioning, in which case you may need additional clothes. Also keep in mind that you shouldn't let your baby get too much sun and you aren't supposed to use sunscreen before 6 months of age, so you'll want to plan for that as well. A good sunhat and some lightweight blankets to shade the car seat or stroller are a good idea. It can get really hot in a car seat with a blanket draped over it.

You might want to look into muslin swaddling blankets. They are very light weight and great for summer (not just for swaddling).

Your best bet would be the lightweight sleepers with the feet, or the newborn gowns. Those are nice for diaper changes. Keep a light receiving blanket on hand in case she's not warm enough. I was always afraid of overheating and would feel the back of my newborns' necks all the time to make sure they weren't too hot.

my first was born on July 27th, so I know what you mean..... it really depends on how you keep your house. do you keep it cooler by running the air conditioner, or do you keep it warmer in the house? We had central air and my ex kept it cold enough for penguins to be comfortable), so I kept her in gowns (the really long ones for newborns) most of the time we were home, and if we went somewhere I dressed her for the weather and carried a light blanket. She'll let you know if she's too cold or too warm. When our AC went out in the middle of August, I left her in nothing but her diaper because it was soooo hot and muggy in the house.

My best advice, would be dress her how you are dressed, then keep a light blanket handy in case she gets chilly.

I loved cotton gowns for at home, easy to change at night, loose so not too hot. Cotton onesies are great too. Have a bunch of lightweight cotton blankets to put over her any time you need an extra layer.

Watch your baby and add or take off layers to keep her comfortable. One of my daughters wanted to be very warm for the first 2 months and the other hated to be dressed too warmly, so it will vary by baby.

You are smart to not buy too much until you find out what size she is and what you will actually use.

My kids were both born in the summer one end July and other end August. I still dressed them in outfits that had covered feet. It just made sure they were cotton. I even put a shortsleeve onsie on under the outfit on days you were inside with the air conditioning.

I can't remember what I put my son (a July baby) in at night, probably a one piece footed thing because of the air conditioning, but I didn't use onsies for him. I personally didn't like the gowns because my kids were long, so their feet would end up hanging out of the things. I would dress him in the one piece things that had short sleeves/shorts. It is hard in the summer because you have the air conditioning going, but I don't think I bundled him to much after the first week. the socks he just pulled or kicked off. All of my kids hated hats. I would get lots and lots of diapers, start stocking up. One box of newborn size, a few size 1's, a few size 2's. lots of wipes. You go through those things fast. I got so much stuff from other people that I really didn't have to buy much until my kids were about 4 months. But I will say that newborns go through a lot of outfit changes each day, so unless you want to do a lot of laundry, make sure if you don't inherit a lot of stuff, you get some more things for her right off the bat.

Everything I read (in the info our hospital gave us) says dress your baby as you'd dress yourself. I have a June baby, so if we wear short sleeves, so does she. Onesies are fine for most of the summer, and dresses, too! She probably won't even need socks. I also read that babies indoors do not need to wear a hat. And, since it will be summer, she won't need one outside, either.

Congrats!

I had a summer baby who lived in nothing but onsies. I say you're right on track. We don't keep our place too cool with air conditioning (I see no point in turning up the A/C so that you have to dress more warmly -- might as well dress lightly and keep the A/C so as not to use the extra energy), but we do turn it down a little more at night. At night, I used a swaddling blanket over either a onsie or just a diaper (swaddling was a lifesaver). I didn't even bother with socks, since they're really only for warmth at that age anyway.

I would get a few long-sleeved sleepers just to have, but I rarely used them.

Both my kids were late June babies. They wore onsie type outfits for the most part. We don't have air conditioning. If you do, you may need another layer. In the old days, they thought babies needed to be bundled up, but really they don't - overbundling has been linked to SIDS. Summer outfits are meant for summer. Check the baby - her head, feet and hands are your best judge. If they feel cold, she needs another layer. If they feel sweaty, she needs one less layer.

We had our third baby in June last year and our first 2 were winter babies... ofcourse the season's were off for sharing a lot of the clothes, but some worked. It does get cold/cool in the evenings, so we found that layering was best. Onesies are great for the day time, then we bought a bunch of simple cotton pants we could just put on when it got cool. We also made sure we had a couple of light wieght hoodies and kept one in the car incase it got breezy or buggy. Also make sure you have a couple of good Sunhats that will stay on her head! We had one of those heavy bundle-me blankets for the carseat for our older 2 since they were winter babies and loved it... I went out and go the lightweight one that was kindof water resistant and loved it! You could just zip it in or out and it was great for the fall- being that she is the third and I drive my oldest daughter to kindergarten each day, we are in and out of the car and walking a short distance multiple times per day for drop off/picky up, we definately needed it because you aren't supposed to layer much under the carseat. Also, keep in mind that even though it is hot outside, grocery stores, restaurants and often houses are airconditioned and that can be pretty chilly for a baby, especially if you are coming from outside. (we are often caught offgaurd in the cold grocery store when it is 85 degrees outside!)

You want to have layers. If you like the AC on in the summer then pick up some cotton footed pj’ s for the baby to wear in the house. My daughter was born in August and we lived up north at the time. My hubby likes the AC on at subzero temps (well he used to not anymore).

If you feel hot then the baby will be hot and the same with the cold. The difference with infants is hot and cold will effect then much quicker than adults. Just an FYI newborns love to be swaddled so pick up some cotton blankets too, Gerber makes them.

I'll be bringing my August baby home in a footed cotton sleeper.
But provided it stays warm, when we go out, I will probably dress him/her in a lighter outfit. And carry one of my super handy muslin blankies (available at Target).

My DS was born at the end of April and I dressed him very lightly once the weather warmed...but the poor kid still had heat rash all summer long.

Your plan sounds fine. :)

New babies can't regulate temperature very well yet. Usually keep the baby in the same or only 1 more layer than what is comfortable for you. If it is summer and you have fans or AC going you will probably want light weight long sleeves and pants some of the time. Cotton t-shirt weight fabric is usually good in the summer. Also, you will want to keep the baby out of the sun since you aren't supposed to use sunblock until about 6 months. Fortunately there are tons of cute summer/sun hats available. I liked the cotton knit sleep sacks in the summer since our AC is very hard to adjust it got pretty cool at night.