Keeping baby warm while babywearing in winter

It's suddenly got very chilly hasn't it! If you're wearing baby out and about you want to keep them cosy but how to keep them warm without them overheating? 

Remember that your body and the carrier count as a layer, so you won't need as much clothing on baby as you would if they were not in the carrier. 

Snowsuits / pram suits are not considered safe for use in carriers / slings, because they are a risk for overheating, and make it difficult to get a correct fit with the carrier. It's also recommended to wear the carrier under your coat, rather than over it, because a puffy coat on the adult can also affect your ability to get a safe and efffective fit. 

It's best to use light layers under the carrier for both you and baby, and then you can add more layers over the top - this way it's easier to adjust if you or baby are getting a little warm, or if you go inside eg. shopping. A hat for baby and some thick socks / leg warmers will help to keep them cosy. I also like wearing a big thick scarf that I can tuck around babies legs and bum to keep them covered - a good option if you are popping in and out of places and won't be outside long, or for warmer spring / autumn days. 

You can buy babywearing coats, but they can be expensive - worth a look on vinted if you don't mind secondhand. If baby is still small an oversized coat can work really well - i used to borrow my husbands coat. Another great option when they are small are the tuppence & crumble  / claire de lune star fleeces that you can pop over them once in the carrier - again easy to remove when you go inside. 

You might also want to consider a babywearing cover / cosy, these have the benefit of being able to be used by different people - eg. if you and your partner both babywear, you can also use them for back carrying, and it's easy to keep baby warm without you having to wear a coat if you find you get warm. As my baby has got older I've found this is often the most comfortable option for us.

There are lots of ways to keep both you and baby comfortable while babywearing in the cooler weather. The key as with any babywearing is to sty attentive and adjust as needed, and avoid puffy coats / pramsuits in carriers as they can make babywearing unsafe.