Having babies means so many frequent, unexpected moments of problem solving. Baby sleep is its own complex subject, but even something as basic as what they should wear can be surprisingly difficult - especially with cold weather. I've had 3 winter newborns (1 November and 2 December babies) and shop strategically - I don't want to waste money on things we won't use and am focused on values like quality, non toxic materials, safety, and supporting baby's development.
Here are the main things I look for and some specific items I've used over the years. But feel free to jump straight down to my recommendations here.
Whenever possible, I'm sticking to organic, natural fibers for my whole family. But especially during the first months, baby's skin is extra sensitive and I do my best to set them up with a highly supportive foundation so that their body can grow and thrive. Natural fibers tend to be more breathable and more temperature regulating. I stick to 100% cotton, wool, and silk (usually blended with wool).
I swaddled my first baby, but once I learned more about natural gross motor development and primitive reflex integration, I stopped with my next children. Swaddles and contraptions can offer a sense of short term convenience, but my goal is generally to support for long term health. Freedom of movement is something I value from birth. From newborn, we usually use a wearable blanket like the one linked below. I love these for night and daytime in a bassinet when it's pretty chilly because they still can move around freely inside the blanket. If it's cold, they have a warmer layer underneath. If it's not super cold I might do a long sleeved top and no pants. I avoid polyester for many reasons but especially for little ones as they aren't able to regulate temperature on their own. They tend to get very warm and then stay very warm in synthetic fibers. It's really easy (and dangerous!) for young children to overheat.
The absolute best way to regulate baby's temperature (according to research!) is by being skin to skin, next best is simply holding at your chest. Of course, baby can't sleep on top of you all the time (though my children might disagree). But in especially chilly times or if you feel like baby is cold, start with a snuggle and then use cozy clothing.
The good thing about winter newborns is that they're not on the move. So while having warm clothing is great, if you go out in the car or stroller you can easily put a warm (natural fiber!) blanket on top. You don't need to rely just on clothing that's a pain to get on and hard to quickly get off once you're back inside. Layers are the easiest way to go and not everything has to be baby specific. We often used throw blankets we already had or even a warm adult coat on top of the carseat works just fine.
My Favorite Cozy Baby Items:
Wearable Blankets for sleep (and stroller outings):
100% Organic Cotton Newborn Sleep Sacks: these are easy to get on, easy to zip, and easy to keep on for diaper changes as long as they're wearing something with snap bottoms.
Woolino Wearable Blanket: These are the best. Cozy but breathable, easy to wash and dry. If I was putting together a registry I'd get the smallest size in this style. When I'm taking a more cost conscious approach, I usually get the 6-18 month size in this version that has foot holes and start using once baby is big enough (even when they're not walking). The first few months, I just stick to the less expensive cotton ones above.
Winter Thermal Blanket with Sleeves: For consistently cold winters like in the northeast, I would get this long sleeved sleep blanket for convenience.
Baby Socks & Booties:
The best wool blend socks: These are the best socks because they actually stay on. I still buy these for my big kids because of the quality and how thin they are. Note that they do NOT have grippers on them, so they're not great for the toddler stage without shoes on.
Furry Baby Booties with Grippers, Organic Cotton Lining: These aren't 100% cotton but they are warm for if you go outside often and live somewhere extra cold. I like that the fabric touching baby's skin is organic 100% cotton.
100% Cotton Booties: Depending on the climate where you live, you could probably just make do with socks and these 100% cotton booties that will work for warmer weather too.
Outerwear:
Thermal Footed Coverall Romper with Hood, Organic Merino Wool: This might be my favorite thing my children ever wore. So cozy and beautiful. People would stop us all the time asking where we got them. Not cheap, not necessary, but I love them.
Organic Merino Wool Baby Receiving Blanket, 31x40: Smaller sized blanket great for throwing in the stroller or carseat and laying on the floor. If you don't already know about merino wool, it's a wonderful material as it's naturally moisture wicking, clean, thermoregulating and breathable, etc.
Sheepskin Rug: I use this for napping around the house, under a sheet in a bassinet, or for play time when it's chilly. Soft and comfortable, but also warming on cold floors. The downside is that it's not machine washable, so if baby is prone to spit up or diaper leaks, I'd lay a washable layer on top.
Wool & Silk baby hat: This isn't super warm - it's more of a breathable layer to protect baby's head. I like this one because of the under chin tie - it actually stayed on my baby's head. I like thin layers like this because you can easily come inside from the cold and let baby keep sleeping/adjust to the inside temp without any concern for overheating. This hat layered with the hood from the wool romper is perfect.
Looking for other recommendations and shopping guides curated for simplicity and quality?? Check out my Free Recommendations master list here:
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