Protecting a spring/summer baby from the sun?

[Judegirl]

What's the best (or only) way to protect a very young baby from a very hot, ever-present sun?

Since I'm still naive enough to picture myself taking long, lesiurely walks around the neighborhood each day....and trips to the beach, in the car, etc, underneath the sweltering summer NYC sun, I'm concerned. S/he won't be old enough for sunscreen until the summer's over, and I worry about dressing him/her in long-sleeved and legged clothes because it gets so hot. The stroller has a canopy, but it's not foolproof - and what about when I take the baby out of the stroller?

Are we just doomed to a summer indoors?

Thank you!
Jude

[Tondi G]

From what I have heard they changed the recommendation to allow sunscreen for children under 6 months.... my friend used Coppertone waterbabies on her DS ... 8 weeks old.... all day at Disneyland and he had NO problems with it! Your best protection is a sun hat (we like the buckets hats with a little strap under the chin... baby gap), light cotton clothing that breathes.... sunscreen on the exposed parts...arms and legs. Attempt to keep baby under a shade, umbrella... look into a pepeny shade to extend the strollers sunshade if your's doesn't have good coverage! You are so not doomed to be indoors in the summer... enjoy the outdoors.... get outside breathe the fresh air.... it's also good when babies are new to take them out in the indirect sunlight to help with jaundice! We had our DS in July... HOT HOT HOT southern california and we went out A LOT... DS hated being home!!!!!

Good luck
~Tondi and Mason 7/8/01

[toomanystrollers]

Hi Jude,
Here some links from a mama of two summer babes :):

http://www.kiddopotamus.com/prod_gbcuss.html

http://www.kiddopotamus.com/prod_bssc.html

You just get used to seeking out shade and collecting sun-bonnets.

For wearing your baby, you can always purchase a sling made of "solarveil".

HTH

[amp]

I had a spring baby and I found that we avoided the sun and the heat a lot. We did take some walks, but I tried to do them earlier in the morning or late in the day if possible. I tried some more shaded paths also. And I tried to block some of the sun if necessary by draping a receiving blanket over the front of the canopy, just in the direction the sun was coming from. That way, DS still got fresher, cooler breezes, but was blocked from the direct sun.

My concern in Kansas, as much as the sun, was the heat. Newborn babies just don't regulate their body temps very well, so I didn't want Jacob in the heat too much. That's another reason we sought out shade and morning and evening cooler temps.

And to be honest, I didn't have a ton of energy for being outside in those early months. By late summer & early fall, after I had about 3-4 mths of motherhood practice under my belt, I found myself much more ready to venture out for longer walks and outings.

I think the recommendation has changed on sunscreen too, and I think you can use it on babies younger than 6 mos. I'd do an internet search or even a search on this board for more info on that.

[parkersmama]

We live in Georgia where the summers are sweltering. Amy Grace was born last May and for our July trip to the Gulf Coast I asked our pediatrician about sunscreen. She was slightly less than 2 months old and he said it was perfectly fine to use sunscreen on her and that they have changed the recommendations. We used Coppertone Waterbabies on her every day for a week at the beach and had no problems at all.

I do think it's wise to seek shade, use your stroller sunshield, use a sunhat, and keep time outside in the heat with a newborn to a minimum but it *is* okay to use sunscreen and much safer than getting a sunburn! I don't think you need to confine yourself to being indoors! :)

[sadie427]

Sammy was born in August and we went out a lot--especially with just a window AC unit, it was more comfortable outside under a tree sometimes. I didn't use long sleeves/legs but I did keep him out of direct sun and he always wore a hat with a brim. The ones by "flap happy" are good--you can find them in REI and baby stores--they have a big brim and flaps for the back of the neck. Also, if the stroller sunshade is not that great (on our Maclaren, it's not) you can drape a light recieving blanket over the front of it--clip it with a binder clip, or tie it to the corners of the sunshade. You aren't doomed to a summer indoors! But you may not be up for long car trips in the heat with a newborn since they eat so often you have to keep stopping. Don't plan anything like that in advance--you may or may not feel like it when the time comes!

[smkinc]

Does anyone have a link to the reasoning behind not using (and now using) sunscreen?

We don't have to worry about it now, but my ped. said the reason that sunscreen isn't reccommended for children under 6 mo. is that their skin is so thin that some of the ingredients in the sunscreen will be absorbed into their bloodstream--not that there was any noticeable, immediate impact on their skin.


Mary
Mom to Jeremiah 2/4/03
and our 'first' Curie (6 year old Golden Retriever)