Summertime is a fun time for the whole family. Nursing mothers need to have fun too. You cannot stay at home while the rest of the family goes to the beach and pool. There are necessary precautions you need to take to keep your newborns safe from the UV rays of the sun and keep yourself protected and discreet while nursing in the sun and in public. Your baby’s skin is delicate and extremely sensitive to just about everything, especially the sun and its harmful rays. While enjoying the outdoors with your baby, you can keep their skin protected with infant safety hats. Here are more tips to help you out.
First of all, you need to prepare for where you are going. If you are going to the beach with no sun protection built-in, you need to take an umbrella and possibly a pop-up tent as well. Depending on how old they are, you want to choose an appropriate tent. Newborns can sleep the beach day away in a small pop up tent that closes on all sides with screening and made with UV protective fabric. Older infants who are mobile, need a half tent so they can see their environment and have some room to roll around during naps.
Dress your baby in the sun-protective fabric that covers the head and body. Look for baby clothes with a high SPF. Most clothing only offers an SPF of 4-8. Be sure to include 100% UV protective sunglasses for the eyes.
Avoid exposure to the sun between 10 am and 4 pm when the sun’s rays are the strongest.
Make sure to dress infants in a lightweight, long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and wide-brimmed hats – cover the neck, arms, and legs.
Depending on the age of your infant, apply sunscreen to any exposed part of the body such as the hands, face, and back of the neck. Cold compresses can help if an infant becomes sunburned.
You want to make sure you take a few extra sets of clothes, swimsuits, and dry towels to avoid any skin irritations from sitting in wet clothing. Babies have very sensitive skin and need some extra precautions. At the beach, it is impossible to avoid getting sand in the diaper area, and that too could cause irritation so just be aware of that and change as often as possible.
Conclusion
A baby’s skin does not produce melanin as well as older skin, so your baby entirely relies on you to prevent sunburn and to protect their skin from cancer-causing rays. Avoid direct exposure to the sun with infant safety hat until your baby is old enough to wear sunscreen and even then, limit their time in the sun.