The government advises not to heat above 19°C. But what can you do to keep baby warm at home?
When carrying your baby helps to keep your baby warm
The contact between the carried baby and the parent naturally leads to mutual warming. Carrying your baby in a home where the heating is too low is a simple and pragmatic option to supplement the heating. Having your newborn against you ensures a suitable and regulated temperature even in a cold house.
If the room temperature is too low to leave a newborn alone and not mature enough to thermoregulate on their own, don't hesitate to carry them in a wrap, sling or baby carrier.
Advice for carrying baby indoors
- Don't necessarily over-cover your baby.
- Cover the extremities with a light hat and an extra pair of socks.
- Favour a garment where your baby will be in contact with your chest, avoid a thick jumper where heat would circulate less between your skin and the child's.
- Regularly check that your baby is not too hot and find the right balance with the temperature of your home.
- Be careful not to over-cover baby, do not carry baby in an all-in-one suit or snowsuit, as there would be a risk of excessively high temperature that is difficult for the parent to assess when not in contact with the baby's skin.
Skin to skin
Being in skin-to-skin contact with your baby allows you to better feel their temperature. Be aware, however, that direct skin-to-skin contact without any clothing is very effective for warming up and can cause heat to build up very quickly. In general, a light layer of clothing between the contact area of the carrier and the baby is what you'll need for safety and comfort.
Warming baby in extreme cold
If the area of contact between the baby and the carrier is directly skin to skin, without clothing, this warms both the carrier and the baby very quickly. (This is actually how babies in traditional Inuit tribes are carried)
Skin-to-skin is very practical if you need to warm up a hypothermic baby very quickly, for example. But keep in mind that this can cause sweating in the contact area. Be careful when changing the nappy or when placing the baby back in the room at ambient temperature. The temperature difference could be abrupt and cause them to catch cold.
Most common situations for warming baby indoors safely and comfortably
A light layer of clothing on the carrier and the baby is the most common and suitable approach for the majority of situations, especially indoors.
What not to do when carrying baby indoors, even without heating
Too many layers or overly covering clothing on the carrier or the baby will prevent you from having a thermal exchange and good regulation. Baby risks overheating or conversely being too cold without you noticing.
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In any case, be attentive and within a few days you will have your habits and reference points regarding the temperature of the place.