It’s almost summer you guys! And that means long days outside and figuring out how to protect babies from the sun. One of the things I was concerned about once I learned I’d give birth in Hawaii was how to protect a newborn baby from the sun when you can’t use sunscreen. It’s warm and sunny most of the time here, and since you’re not supposed to put sunscreen on a baby until they’re 6 months old I had to figure out how to protect Caroline’s sensitive baby skin really quickly. Here are the things that have helped us prevent all sunburns so far and keep her nice and cool:
– Floppy Sun Hats. These are a given for sun protection. My favorites have elastic around the head so that they stays in place without you having to tie it under their chin. Caroline had one from Gap that was so handy when she was a newborn, but I can’t seem to find any for sale right now. I rounded up some other great options below though!
– Carseat Covers. These are fantastic, and this one is my favorite and it’s on Prime! These stretchy carseat covers also serve as nursing covers and they’re stretchy enough to fit across an entire stroller seat too. I did that often when Caroline was a newborn, especially when she was sleeping in the stroller and we were out on a walk. They’re great at blocking the sun and providing a little protection no matter how you end up using them. The ones below are all really cute.
– Lightweight Wrap or Ring Sling. When you’re wearing a baby in warm weather it’s helpful if the carrier is lightweight so that neither of you get too hot. I’ve mentioned it before, but my two Wildbird ring slings are my favorite for Caroline. I have the single layer solid linen ones so that they aren’t too warm. With Jack I swore by the Baby K’Tan Breeze because it’s made of lightweight mesh cotton, but Caroline hasn’t been as big of a fan.
– Lightweight Muslin Blanket. There are countless muslin swaddle blankets on the market but these deluxe muslin swaddle blankets from Little Unicorn and by far the softest. (Check their website for more options, there are tons of adorable prints. The pineapples and flamingos are some of my favorites.) I have their regular muslin swaddle blankets and the deluxe muslin swaddle blankets and there is definitely a huge difference in lightness and softness (although I do love both!). The deluxe ones are my favorite to use because they provide super light coverage as a blanket for Caroline and I also use them as nursing covers and they’re really breathable so Caroline doesn’t get too hot under them.
– Rashguard Swimsuits with UPF. The newborn days are a bit early to take a baby swimming (the water here is too cold for that!), but even once babies are old enough to wear sunscreen a protective swimsuit is always a great idea. There are so many cute rashguard options nowadays (I’m obsessed with the one Caroline has on in the top photo, but unfortunately it’s Hanna Andersson from last season).
– Reusable Swim Diapers. This doesn’t have anything to do with sun protection but I almost always use reusable swim diapers for Caroline and Jack. Disposable swim diapers are expensive and if you go to the beach or pool often the cost can really add up. I really like the iPlay brand, but we’ve tried many different ones and I’ve liked all of them. We use disposable normal diapers because but I’m all about the reusable diaper for swimming. Here is my tip though, only use a reusable swim diaper if you child has already pooped once that day. They’re gross to deal with if they poop in them so I figure if they’ve already gone once they’re less likely to go again while swimming.
Great advice! I always use disposable swim diapers though. Even if my daughter has already pooped, she will inevitably poop again when we go swimming. It happens every time!
Great advice! I always use disposable swim diapers though. Even if my daughter has already pooped, she will inevitably poop again when we go swimming. It happens every time!
Haha oh no! We've dealt with poop while swimming before too but thankfully only once in a reusable diaper. It was pretty gross!