How To Prepare for Winter as a First Time Mom
As a first time mom, you will understandably have a million things on your mind at the moment. An important thing to prepare for and think about is what you are going to do with your child during the winter months when it’s colder, grey, wet, daylight hours are shorter, and it gets dark much earlier.
During winter we all inevitably find ourselves spending more time indoors at home, but you shouldn’t let the winter stop you from being physically active and venturing out the house with your new baby.
To help you make plans for what you’re going to do in the winter with your child, we have come up with a guide to how to prepare for winter as a first time mom.
Decide Which Winter Clothing Items You Need
In winter we must adapt and wear suitable warm clothes that insulate our bodies so that we feel more comfortable going outside in the colder and wetter weather. It won’t be surprising even if you and your child even come across frost or snow every now and then.
So, without a doubt to prepare well for winter you must buy winter clothes, but where do you start?
One place to start is by looking for cozy hats and gloves made of fabrics with good warmth retention as you definitely want to make sure your baby’s head and hands manage to stay warm. There are many fabric choices with lovely designs out there.
Getting a snuggly raincoat or waterproof jacket is also very important during the winter to keep your baby dry. Don’t forget to look for one for yourself too. You don’t want to catch a cold getting drenched when out and about pushing your child in the pram. You can decide to go for a traditional wool winter coat, or a waterproof jacket made from Gore-Tex or Microfibers.
Getting right footwear is important during the winter months. Your baby will currently be too young to be able walk around in rubber boots properly and splash around in puddles. But shop around and you will see that there are lots of pairs of comfortable baby shoes made from warm materials that will do the job for the winter. For yourself, get a pair of rubber boots or a durable pair of sturdy leather waterproof boots ideal for the winter weather.
Remember that babies spend a lot of their time sleeping, so it’s important to get your little one some items of clothing that are comfy and warm for them to sleep in. If you want to have a good look through a range of baby sleep sacks, wearable blankets, and baby gowns, take a look at babysoyusa.com. For yourself, make sure you get some cozy fluffy winter slippers and a nice warm dressing gown to wear whilst lounging around the house in the mornings.
What Will You Do Outside In Winter?
One dilemma for you to consider before winter arrives is how will you still make sure you and your baby still go outside and get out and about in the winter weather? It’s important for you to still have a social life in the winter months, and that you see people outside your home and stay in good contact with friends and relatives. Spending too much time indoors during the winter alone with your baby can be unhealthy and potentially can lead you to start to feel isolated and developing depression. You be brave, be adventurous and still go out and meet people.
When going outside on trips in the winter months with your baby, of course, you will need to make sure you have all of the right gear and equipment with you. Go and invest in getting a reliable pram to transport your baby around in. These days prams come in all different shapes and designs. Do you have twin babies? You may want to look into getting a large double pram ready for the winter. In addition, you may also want to look into getting a waterproof cover for the pram to prevent your baby from getting wet and soaked from the rain whilst sitting in the pram. As well as a pram, when going out with your baby you must also remember to bring other key baby supplies with you such as nappies, dummies, diapers, bibs and so on.
You definitely shouldn’t go to ground in the winter and find yourself becoming a social hermit, your life shouldn’t suddenly come to a halt just because it’s your first winter with your baby. Do you need a confidence booster? Go and give one of your friends a call on the phone. If you’re feeling down and like you don’t want to do anything, your friends will surely do their best to cheer you up and encourage you to conjure up the confidence to go out of the house with your baby. Even better, why not arrange a lovely coffee date with a friend in a local café and bring your baby along with you in the pram?
Safe Travels
Making sure your newborn is safe and sound while you’re on the move during the winter is such a vital task, as you need to keep your family out of harm’s way each and every time you plan on navigating the icy roads. One of the best ways to promote the highest levels of health and safety while traveling as a family during the winter is by upgrading to a 4×4 vehicle, as these are much better suited to the treacherous conditions that come with your average winter snowstorm. 4×4 wheels are often much larger when compared to those of a normal sedan style vehicle, and they generally have much better grip, too! You should never be too afraid to go out during the winter, especially if you desperately need something from the store for your baby, so just utilize this information to increase your chances of experiencing safe travel.
It is vital for your own personal wellbeing and mental health that you make an effort to still go out during the winter months as a first time mom.
So, getting ready for the winter as a first-time mom just requires little bits of preparation. Then you are free to enjoy some memorable quality time with your firstborn.
What Will You Do Indoors?
In truth, your baby is still very young and so won’t be able to play properly with typical toys that toddlers usually like to play with like Lego, cars, dolls and so on. However, a child under the age of one is continually learning new key skills and developing rapidly and so may respond to sensory stimuli by touching things such as teddy bears and bouncy balls. So have a good look online and in-store, there are lots of toys out there on the market specially designed for babies and young children to enjoy.
To keep yourself busy and amused whilst at home when your baby is sleeping during the day you may want to read some books, buy a kindle, do some cooking and try out some adventurous recipes, listen to the radio, or listen to chilled relaxing music quietly at home (no headphone of course so you can still hear the little one when they wake up). You must ensure you stay sane during the winter months as a first time mom by keeping yourself amused. You must also avoid becoming socially isolated and lonely and keep talking regularly to family and friends and people outside of your immediate home environment.
How You Can Prepare Your House for the Winter
You must of course prepare the house for winter. There’s nothing worse than a freezing house in the winter, so make sure it’s nice and warm. Some top tips are check that your central heating system is in full working order before the winter arrives, get draft-excluders so the cold draft doesn’t come through the doors, make sure your radiators are working, move your sofa so it doesn’t cover the radiator and stop it from heating up the rest of the room. If you live in an area that rains or snows a lot in winter, check for roof leaks or cracks.
It is always to prepare ahead and go through the checklist to prepare the house and make it all warm and cozy for your first winter as a Mom. Then you’ll be free to sit and drink coffee, make muffins, and read the Bible with your husband without worrying about the house.