Walking outdoors.

Today after lunch the temperature hit 40 degrees F. Instead of driving to the gym, I laced up my hiking boots, dropped 3-week-old Simon lightly dressed and behatted into my new front carrier (a Boba, astutely recommended by ChristyP), put a coat over all, and tromped out into the snowy streets.

After a stop in the library to return some books that were already overdue while I was still pregnant, I pulled on gloves and came out briskly walking. The trees dripped softly in the sun, and running water burbled in the gutters, carving tiny canyons down into the layer of ice. I went west, counting city blocks; there are sixteen to the mile. At the end of each I had to clamber over a berm of snow left by the plow, unless some kind resident had shoveled a cut in it.

It feels good to get outside, especially in the sunshine. Soon we are going to get another blast of arctic air, and spend a week well below zero; today I could almost pretend it was the start of a spring melt, something I never appreciated until I moved to Minnesota. I remember last March we had a few days' thaw, and I went for a run around the still-frozen lake on a path that was completely clean and dry, and watched paraboarders taking off with their giant rainbow kites from the frozen, snowy lake surface. That time it got cold again later, too, but I remember the delicious sensation of wearing a light jacket, and mesh running shoes instead of boots, and thinking of green grass and flowering trees.

Simon slept soundly with his face up against my neck. I swung my arms, glad that I had chosen a two-shouldered carrier; I am not as young as I once was, and the soft asymmetrical slings hurt my upper back after a while. I passed from the residential area, crossed the highway, and entered the business district. Stopped to take a shop-window selfie on the way:

Then I headed south for two blocks before walking back east to home. I thought about stopping to buy a cup of coffee and nurse the baby , but the thought of lying down for a nap with him in my own bed drew me more strongly.

I am trying not to get too worked up about the extra 30 lbs I am now carrying around, and am starting with the most basic of habits: taking a long walk three times a week, drinking lots of water, and eating frequent small meals (from PLATES, yo) to keep my blood sugar from yawing wildly while I attempt to nourish another human being at random intervals.

Something about getting out in the sunshine makes all the things I have to do seem much more achievable. Even paying down those library fines.

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Comments

[Kristin]

So glad the weather let you get out. A walk in the sunshine does wonders for me too! (Of course our temps are slightly warmer in TX!)

[Rebekka]

How do you put a scarf on without suffocating the baby? I am at a loss. I went out with my 5wo in a stretch wrap yesterday, and beyond the fact that it felt like she kept sinking ever more waistward, it was really cold on my neck and she was feeling it too on her back in spite of the wool cover, and it only helped a little when I tried to zip my jacket up. They recommend that infants not sleep outdoors if it's below -10 C in actual temps (in a sheltered spot), but it's different with a wrap. When do you find it's too cold for baby wearing? I don't know what your climate is like, beyond cold temps, ours is damp and windy, but I figure someone living where you do must have something to say on the subject!

[Christy P.]

Modifying the babywearing for temperature -- Rebekka, I suspect that you need to tie your stretchy wrap more snugly to keep baby from sliding waistward. One great thing about stretchy wraps is that one can tuck other things into the X supporting baby's back. For example, I used to take an infant in a stretchy wrap to the zoo in hot hot summer with his 3 year old sister. I would freeze a juice box, tuck it behind baby, not against his skin. Helped keep him cool, and by the time it was slushy enough for sister to drink, he would be ready to nurse. She would be occupied with the juice box while I was occupied with nursing. In winter you could probably do similar with a warm pack (think hot water bottle, or one of those corn bags) but not too hot to tuck in the X. Neck gaiter rather than scarf, or turtleneck!

[Bearing]

Rebekka - I should have taken a close-up! I am indeed wearing a neck gaiter in this picture, although a lightweight scarf can also work, wrapped around your neck a couple of times and the ends tucked down under the baby to keep your upper chest from being exposed.

The jacket I am wearing is made for babywearing, with an extra panel that zips into the front. With a small baby I can use a large stretchy fleece.

"They recommend that infants not sleep outdoors below 10 C" -- is this because you live in one of those countries where people leave their babies sleeping in prams outside the restaurant? We can't do that in the US or risk getting arrested, so the recommendation doesn't translate. IMO if I can be safely outside in the weather while wearing a coat for x amount of time, then the baby can be under my coat in the same weather for the same time period.

[Rebekka]

I do indeed live in one of those countries where babies are put out to nap in rain, shine, or frost, and, yes, we do leave them outside stores and restaurants while we run errands. The recommendation doesn't translate anyway, though, because it's one thing to lie in a pram for a couple of hours, and another thing to be worn around where one is more exposed to the elements... I can still zip my (regular) coat up over her, but not for much longer. I have a cover to wear over a wrap/sling/carrier, but it's just boiled wool, and the wind goes right through it. I think I may end up needing to get a newborn insert and rain cover for our ergo and just use the stretch wrap inside.

I always feel that I'm squishing her when I tie the wrap tighter!

Thanks for the tips about neckwarmers!

[bearing]

Google "babywearing coat" and see if you find something good!

[Kristin]

Several years ago, my mother made me a fleece baby-wearing/nursing coat from an ElizabethLee.com pattern. The center panel was shorter than the neck and could be zipped in or out.

[Rebekka]

All the babywearing coats I've been able to find have a limited size range - I'm 5'10" and wear a tall size 18, so I am out of luck. I can sew well enough to make a coat, and it would definitely help with the size problem, but there's no way I would ever get it finished with a 2yo and a baby!!!

But I think layering covers is probably a better solution for me in this climate, because it's not so much the cold (typically -5 C to +5 C in the winter) as it is year-round rain and constant wind, so I've found a non-carrier-specific rain cover that I can use in all seasons. And a mom/baby wool dickey that can be worn fastened together or separately. (Both made by MaMidea in Finland if anyone is interested.)

[Tabitha]

Wow! Reading these posts about keeping the baby warm remind me how spoiled I am in the desert! I love reading about it, though. I have bigger concerns keeping baby cool enough in the summer!