Keeping baby cool in June at WDW

[Drew*smom]

I will be traveling to WDW with my family in a week and am getting concerned about how we will keep our 3 month old DD cool and comfortable while we are outdoors and at the parks (Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios).

Any tricks of the trade? Can a baby at this age use sunscreen? Should I give her water? Can she go in a pool (not a public pool)?

Thanks!
-Mary

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I think these are good questions to ask your pediatrician before you leave for your trip. Being in the heat with a baby so young is definitely a concern and your doctor should be able to tell you exactly what to do (and what not to do). I believe that babies under a certain age should not use sunscreen. Check the label of the bottle (and also ask the doctor).

I will also share something I heard on the Dr. Dean Edell show a few weeks ago. He did a quiz and asked what segment of the population should never, ever be given water to drink. I knew the answer right away. Babies! He said that babies' kidneys are not able to process extra fluids beyond what is contained in their formula or breast milk. Again though, please check with your doctor on how to keep baby cool.

 

[specialkidsmom]

might be able to try clip on fans assuming that she will be in carrier/stroller. Might also be able to use cool washcloths placed in her seat or around her.

 

[CatesRDisneyFans]

Here are a few things we do to keep our 4month old cool...

1. stroller with a large sun shade
2. receiving blankets to put in the stroller so it soaks up any sweat from the baby - you can switch out the receiving blanket 1/2 way through your time at the park
3. fan that will clip onto stroller (try to get one with foam blades just in case baby tries to grab it)
4. freeze teethers...our 4month old isn't teething yet but will hold onto the teether, sometimes put it in his mouth
5. sun hat for when baby is out of stroller
6. fan mister

Our pediatrician told us not to put any sunscreen on the baby until they were 6 months old. Recommended Blue Lizard Baby or Aveeno Baby sunscreens. I would recommend talking to your pediatrician about sunscreen. I've also seen people mention keeping pedialyte on hand to prevent dehydration. I'll be calling our pediatrician about that before our trip in August to see what she says.

 

[bangzoom6877]

When my kids were born, the pediatrician said no sunscreen until age 6 months. This was not a problem for my big one who was born at the beginning of January. By July we were putting sunscreen on him. My little one was born last May so we couldn't use sunscreen for him at all in the summer. The doctor said to use a hat, keep the shade of the stroller down, etc. We had gone to Dutch Wonderland in Pennsylvania when he was 3 months old, and we kept him shaded and covered (but not too covered because of the heat), kept a light hat on him, and he was just fine. Neither of my kids ever had any type of sunburn!! Have a wonderful trip!

-Bonnie

 

[Liltx]

There is a sunscreen that is safe for babies but our pedi rec. that we NOT use it. She said the problem is that they can so easily overheat in the sun. Their little bodies have a hard time regulating heat. Your little one should be in the shade at all times. Line the stroller with a white towel or blanket and put another one over the canopy if it's a dark color. A clip on fan is a must. Those strollers can be like ovens. I would ask your pedi about pedialyte. We used with our dds when they were 6 months but yours is so young I don't know the answer. Mine wouldn't nurse as much when it was so hot and they would drink the pedialyte and then nurse more at night. I took my babies swimming in a pool when they were 3 months but vacation might not be the place to try it since some babies have sensitive skin. A rash and being hot would not be a good combo. Our baby pool is shaded though.

Call the pedi.

Monica

 

[Mrs D]

Definitley make sure baby has total shade while in the stroller. You can use an additional sun shade with extra SPF like this one (there are also others out there). In additon you may want to put baby in SPF clothing. Here is a link to a clip on fan at wlamart.com

 

[kiddisney]

just a couple of recommendations - bring a terry towel to put underneath the baby - you can soften it w/a cotton receiving blanket - but the terry towel absorebs and circulates air - also check w/your peditrician but we did get baby pedilyte & gave my son a half bottle two times a day -

 

[wishtdream]

we took our 7 week old baby last September. I nursed her a bit more often than i would normally. we also went into a lot of air conditioned attractions. We really were only out in the heat for a prolonged period on our AK day

 

[HGD24]

Sunscreen - We asked our pedi about it the other day and she said we should avoid using even "natural" sunscreens until our DD is at least 6 months old. Sunscreen can block baby's ability to sweat, which is their only way to regulate their body temp. Also, baby's have less skin to body volume ratio than adults so more of the chemicals seep into baby's body.

Pedialyte - The bottle states to consult a dr for infants under one year of age.

Teethers - It's my understanding that you should not freeze teething rings. They become much too cold to put against baby's skin or teeth. I think that keeping them cool is a good idea, but not freezing them...again, check with your pedi.

Fans - a must for the stroller. I was amazed at how warm it can get under those canopies!

Our DD sweats like crazy in her carseat and stroller. We have to be sure to keep her time in each to a minimum. Like other pp's have said, keep a light white blanket over the top of the stroller canopy to reflect the sun and try to get an extension canopy to be sure baby is completely covered. I would go inside every building with a/c as often as possible and take baby out of the stroller to allow air to circulate all around her.

The most important tip you're going to receive here is to check with your pedi. We can all offer some of our own experiences, but you and your dr know your baby best.

 

[katied]

Spend some time at BabyCare centers at each park, and stores, to give baby some time in AC. When DS was taking his naps in the stroller, I would stay in airconditioned stores to keep him cool.

However, DS (at 13 months) was in the parks a couple weeks ago. The last 2 days were around 95 with high humidity. He got VERY hot. We had a big shade, stroller fan, misting fan, lightweight clothes, etc, but he still got too hot at AK. I spent 1 hr with him cooling him down in Baby Care, and then decided to take him back to the hotel. I kept giving him cold water too.

But keep in mind water is risky with a younger baby - because little ones love to suck, so they can actually consume a dangerous amount of water just because of the sucking reflex (this is why babies under 6 mo are generally not supposed to have water). May be exceptions in the heat, but talk to the dr and see.

Good luck!

 

[Munchkin'sMommy]

When my kids were born, the pediatrician said no sunscreen until age 6 months. This was not a problem for my big one who was born at the beginning of January. By July we were putting sunscreen on him. My little one was born last May so we couldn't use sunscreen for him at all in the summer. The doctor said to use a hat, keep the shade of the stroller down, etc. We had gone to Dutch Wonderland in Pennsylvania when he was 3 months old, and we kept him shaded and covered (but not too covered because of the heat), kept a light hat on him, and he was just fine. Neither of my kids ever had any type of sunburn!! Have a wonderful trip!

-Bonnie

This is interesting to me because my son's dr (my son is now 2) told me it was ok to put sunscreen on him. In fact.he said he recommends that all children wear sunscreen, especially since we live in Texas and always so blazing hot in the spring and summer. I have been putting sunscreen on my son since he was a few months old. He also wears a hat and sunglasses as well whenever he is outside.

The comment about not giving water to a baby is interesting to me as well. My son's dr has always told me to give him water or Pedialyte even when he was only a few weeks old. At first it was no more than an ounce often times less, but he got his water, especially during the summer. At first he did not like it, but now he prefers water to sugary juices. It's healthier for him anyway. And since he sweats so much, the water keeps him hydrated.

It's always fascinating to me how dr's opinions vary on subjects.

 

[puffkin]

This is interesting to me because my son's dr (my son is now 2) told me it was ok to put sunscreen on him. In fact.he said he recommends that all children wear sunscreen, especially since we live in Texas and always so blazing hot in the spring and summer. I have been putting sunscreen on my son since he was a few months old. He also wears a hat and sunglasses as well whenever he is outside.

The comment about not giving water to a baby is interesting to me as well. My son's dr has always told me to give him water or Pedialyte even when he was only a few weeks old. At first it was no more than an ounce often times less, but he got his water, especially during the summer. At first he did not like it, but now he prefers water to sugary juices. It's healthier for him anyway. And since he sweats so much, the water keeps him hydrated.

It's always fascinating to me how dr's opinions vary on subjects.

My doctor also did not have a problem with the sunscreen. He said just to watch him closely the first time to make sure he didn't have a reaction.

He also didn't have a problem with water. He said to just limit it to an ounce or so at a time. We just kept a bottle handy to wet his mouth a little in between feedings.....at that age he didn't really drink it.

My son was in WDW at 12 weeks old in June 2006 and we didn't have any problems. We just stayed in AC as much as possible, used stroller fans and visited the baby care centers as needed. It was our easiest trip with him!

 

[ADAMANDLISA]

This is the best tip ever!!! Go to Walmart and in the automotive section are blue shammy's. Buy one. When at Disney, soak it completely and wring out excess water. Place on your child like a blanket. When it dries up, repeat soaking.

You will be amazed at how cool this keeps your little one!