What Should You Prepare When Your Baby Goes Outside

Fresh air and a change of surroundings are good for both you and your baby, even in their first month, so take your baby out for walks when the weather is nice. In general, your child should wear one more layer than you do.

Getting your child outside is healthy

You and your baby can head outside right away. Many pediatricians recommend keeping newborns away from crowded places, where germs are prevalent. But as long as you take the proper precautions, a walk outside is great for everybody – especially for tired parents!

How to prepare for:

Put sunscreen on your child

Your infant’s skin also is extremely susceptible to sunburn during the first six months, so it’s important to keep out of direct and reflected sunlight (e.g., off of water, sand, or concrete) as much as possible. If you must take them out in the sun, dress them in lightweight and light-colored clothing, with a bonnet or hat to shade their face. If they are lying or sitting in one place, make sure it is shady, and adjust their position to keep them in the shade as the sun moves. Sunscreen can be used on exposed areas of your baby if protective clothing, hats, and shade are not available. Apply it only on small areas of the body such as the face and the backs of the hands as needed. Test it out ahead of time on a small patch on their back to make sure they aren’t sensitive to it. Although sunscreen can be applied to all areas of the body that the sun can reach, be careful to avoid the eyes.

Don’t let your child under the sun for too long

Another warning for the hot-weather months: Do not let baby equipment (such as car safety seats and strollers) sit in the sun for a long period of time. When that happens, the plastic and metal parts can get hot enough to burn your child. Check the surface temperature of any such equipment before you allow your baby to come in contact with it.

In uncomfortably cold or rainy weather, keep your baby inside as much as possible. If you have to go out, bundle up and use a warm hat to cover their head and ears. You can shield their face from the cold with a blanket when you’re outside.

Be aware of poison plants

Making grass whistles, eating blackberries, blowing a dandelion into the wind: most plants and flowers are delightful parts of an outdoor childhood. For the few troublemakers, here are some tips:

• Learn what poison oak, poison sumac, and poison ivy look like. These are the three most common plants whose sap, when in contact with human skin, causes an allergic skin reaction. Poison ivy and poison oak both have shiny green leaves that grow three to a stem. When the child is older, you can teach them the rhyme: “Leaves of three, let them be.”
• Be sure to consult your pediatrician if you feel your baby is exhibiting an allergic rash.
• Babies explore their world by putting just about anything into their mouth. But some plants are actually poisonous to eat.

Dress your child appropriately

To check whether your child is clothed appropriately, feel their hands and feet and the skin on the chest. Their hands and feet should be slightly cooler than their body, but not cold. Their chest should feel warm. If their hands, feet, and chest feel cold, take them to a warm room, unwrap and feed something warm or hold their close so the heat from your body warm them up. Until your child’s temperature is back to normal, extra layers of clothing will just trap the cold, so use these other methods to warm the body before wrapping them in additional blankets or clothing.

Use bug repellents

Not all insects are as lovely as ladybugs and butterflies. But don’t let them keep you and your baby inside.