Dressing the babies for winter

I've read someplace that there should be no bulky clothing on babies in their car seats because it makes the straps not fit as well and the car seat is then less effective. I don't know where I got that information, so I can't give a source. My girls are about 13 pounds now and will still be in their infant seats this winter. We used those car seat covers last winter when they were itty bitty (5-6 pounds), but we only went to the doctor and never left the house otherwise. This year we will be in the car a lot more. Will the car seat covers still work? What happens when we need to move to a convertible car seat? What are you supposed to do if you can't put your kids in a winter coat because it makes the car seat less effective? We live in MN and it can easily get to -30 with wind chills of -60 to -80. We need to have warm babies, but I also want to have safe babies. For those of you in cold climates, how do you handle this?

 

i was wondering the same thing...

 

I've also heard that it is not a good idea to put bulky clothing on babies/toddlers when putting them in their carseats - I believe the "rule of thumb" is that if you cannot fit the child in the carseat without readjusting the straps - the item is too bulky. At least this is what I've heard from Carseat Techs.

We live in the Midwest and end up with some pretty cold winters, too. I've always just put my older DS or the babies in their fleece winter hat, warm clothing, and then I heat up the car so it is nice and toasty when I load everyone in. I carry the babies to the car wrapped up in warm, fleece blankets and then if I still feel the car is too cold I will tuck a blanket around the babies once they are buckled into their carseats.

It is a pain - especially when you have to get an unbundled baby out of their carseat in the middle of winter, put their coat on, and then walk into the store, etc. - but I believe it makes a big difference in the effectiveness of the carseats.

My method is not nearly as convenient as a warm winter jacket, but it keeps the babies safe and warm.

Hope this helps....

 

Last year I used those furry fleece cover things on their infant carriers. Now they are in convertibles and I have a car seatcovers on those as well. The seats were black and so is my interior so they would get too hot, plus it will keep them warmer in the winter. I plan on getting them winter jackets as well (although last year I did not use winter coats with the other things, just hats and blankets). I also keep 2 thermal blankets in the car to put over their legs.

 

Unfortunately, it's a pain to keep the kids warm and stay safe at the same time. It's true that you should not dress the babies in heavy jackets/ snowsuits that are bulky. Even if you think the straps are on tight enough, if you took the jacket off and left the straps where they were, you would see how loose the baby was actually buckled in. Also, the jacket/snowsuit could actually cause the straps to compress and loosen in the event of a crash.

Not to be negative, but most people don't know that you should use any accesories with your carseat unless they came with your carset. The reason is that the items that came with your carseat were tested/are compatable with that carseat. This means headrests, strap covers and even car seat covers and Bundle-me-up covers. I know a lot of people don't believe this, but it's true. MIL would say, "Then why are they selling this/ everyone has them" or "We didn't even have carseat in our day and everyone is fine". They should not be allowed to sell this stuff! It's a good idea to read your car seat manual for info on YOUR carseat. (Sorry for the ranting here, about MIL, I really just want people to be informed. I never knew half of this stuff!).

So, in the cold weather we dress the kids in thin layers, put their coats on and have them take their coats off in the car. We put a warm blanket on them. We put their coats back on when we get out of the car. Sometimes I just wrap them in a blanket and run them out to the car instead of putting on and taking off the coats. I ALWAYS get comments from people about my kids not having coats on- they think I'm a terrible mother! t drives my father crazy! It took me a long time to convince him that I was doing it for their safety- he just didn't understand how wearing a snowsuit could interfere with the carseat.

Is it a pain? Yes. Are my kids safe? Yes!

By the way, my DH is a police officer and has spent countless hours researching/ presenting info. on car seat safey- that's how I know all of this info.

 

The car seat cover I have fits like a shower cap over the seat. I purposely did not get one that goes in the seat and under the babies.

 

Oh, good! That's fine. I meant to mention that in my rant!

 

I ordered some fleece snowsuits... They're pretty thin but warm, so it should be ok... I believe the fluffy snowsuits or jackets are the main problem.

 

O.k. So if I have them in long sleeves and a sweatshirt, is that o.k. in the car seat? I'll just have to use the car seat cover and blankets in addition then.

 

QUOTE(Beth*J @ Sep 6 2008, 10:08 PM) [snapback]967126[/snapback]
O.k. So if I have them in long sleeves and a sweatshirt, is that o.k. in the car seat? I'll just have to use the car seat cover and blankets in addition then.


Sounds good.

I try to remember to bring the blankets in the house- if not they're freezing cold. I do keep extras in the car, just in case.

 

You can put them in the carseats and then put their jackets on them backwards while they are already buckled in.
No heavy jackets or snowsuits should be used...or like the above poster said - no add on accessories.

 

Even the thin fleece snow suits are a no no... I thought they would be ok so I got some for our kids and then asked a car seat inspector who infatically said NO... When you factor in the fact that you will be dressing you kids in pants & sweaters most likely in the winter even a thin snow suit is to much of an extra layer.

 

QUOTE(Beth*J @ Sep 7 2008, 02:08 AM) [snapback]967126[/snapback]
O.k. So if I have them in long sleeves and a sweatshirt, is that o.k. in the car seat? I'll just have to use the car seat cover and blankets in addition then.


If you have the heat on in the car, I might not bother with a sweatshirt. That might be too hot. But that might be an issue in the winter for you. When DD was little we lived in PA (so not as cold as MN) but I used the Eddie Bauer (shower cap style) cover and just long sleeves. Once the car was heated I would flip up the cover. Worked well for us.

 

our car seat manual said right in it not to use bulky coats/snowsuits - boy was my MIL horrified when I told her I didn't want snowsuits for my kids their first Christmas...

 

We used the fleece buntings from Land's End. They were great! They have hoods & hands & feet flaps that you fold over the hands & feet. That feature was so nice since they wouldn't keep mittens or shoes on. They aren't any thicker than a fleece jacket. We'd still cover them with blankets if the vehicle was cold until it warmed up.

 

Last winter, I'd try to warm up the car first before bringing them out (not always possible). I had fleece hats for their heads (make sure to get ones that have a chin strap so its harder for them to pull off). Then I'd dress them in layers and I had the JJCole bundle mes on the car seats or a fleece blanket tucked around them.

 

QUOTE(Stephanie1074 @ Sep 6 2008, 10:55 PM) [snapback]967231[/snapback]
Even the thin fleece snow suits are a no no... I thought they would be ok so I got some for our kids and then asked a car seat inspector who infatically said NO... When you factor in the fact that you will be dressing you kids in pants & sweaters most likely in the winter even a thin snow suit is to much of an extra layer.


That's odd... All the articles I've read mention thick snowsuits and jackets... Most of the fleece snowsuits are just as thin as a sweater. The point is that the harness needs to be close to their body... with a fleece snowsuit, it is.