Baby, It’s Cold Outside

After hours of feeding, changing, rocking and entertaining a baby, there’s nothing like a quiet romp through the woods to soothe the soul. Breathing the chilly air, enjoying the silence broken only by the crunch of snow underfoot really goes along way to restore a new mom’s sanity. And, yes, you can enjoy the peaceful outdoors with a baby in tow.

Just because it’s cold and snowy out doesn’t mean new parents have to spend their days enjoying winter scenes through window panes. With a little preparation (i.e. 15 minutes of dressing baby in layers of warm clothes just as baby decides to poop so the whole process can start over again), snowshoeing or winter walks don’t have to become a thing of the past.

As long as the wind chill is not absurdly low and it’s not a blizzard, there’s no reason a healthy baby can’t spend some time outdoors. Fresh air is good for the tyke and exercise will help get a new mom back into shape.

Like anything else with a baby, a lot of gear is needed for even a short journey. First, a sturdy child carrier is a necessity. For winter activities, I like a front carrier because it keeps a small infant next to your chest where your body heat helps keep her warm. I can also wiggle her arms and legs to help ensure that they don’t get too cold (and that she doesn’t sleep through the whole venture).

Kelty makes a rugged front carrier called the Kangaroo that accommodates kids until they are about 6 months old. The child pouch separates from the harness which makes this pack easy to get on and off. It also has Velcro and straps around the leg openings to prevent baby from falling out. The pack is available at Cadillac Mountain Sports, L.L. Bean and other outdoor stores. An older child can ride in a back carrier and, if you’re walking on sidewalks or well-packed trails, a baby jogger is an option. Both offer attachable shields that keep wind and snow from pelting baby.

What to wear

Just as for an adult, dressing in layers helps keep baby comfortable. Remember, though, that your baby won’t be moving around and exerting himself to stay warm, so he needs to be dressed more warmly than you. Also, you need to protect baby’s skin from the wind and sun, which when reflected off snow can cause quite a burn. If baby’s cheeks and nose get red and dry from exposure to wind, apply a little vaseline or lotion.

Start with a long-sleeved T-shirt and socks topped with a warm outfit such as a sweat suit. Then, I put booties and mittens over the hands and feet. A hat with flaps to cover the ears completes this layer.

The bundled baby, who is now wailing at the top of her lungs because she’s impatient with the whole process, is then stuffed into a baby bunting with a hood and sleeves that fold over to form mittens. Patagonia’s thick Polartec buntings have two front zippers that make getting baby in and out of them a breeze. In addition, zippers at the legs allow you to use the bunting bag style or with two separate legs (a necessity for a car seat or child carrier). Other companies make quilted buntings which are warm, but I find them too thick to fit into a child carrier. Older, mobile children should be dressed in a waterproof snowsuit and boots that will keep them dry as they inevitably roll around in the snow. If any of their clothing gets wet, it should be removed as soon as possible.

Unable to move much because of all her clothing, my 3-month-old daughter is then put into her carrier and strapped to mom who then puts on an extra-extra-large jacket that provides protection from the wind. With a baby in such close quarters, I found a jacket with zippers at the armpits (pit zips) to let out some of the warm air a good idea. (By this time, baby is asleep from all the effort of getting dressed.)

Whew! We’re finally ready to go. But not for too long. As with so much else with a baby, outings have to be timed around feedings and diaper changes. That means your ideal outing will be about three hours long. Children, like adults, need more to eat when they’re out in the cold because they expend energy keeping warm.

So, if you do plan to feed in the wild, carry a bottle in a pocket close to your body or in a pack with a warming packet. If you’re breast-feeding, don’t trap baby’s food source under too many layers. Specially made shirts with flaps in the front, coupled with a pullover will ensure as little skin exposure as possible. Several companies (Sierra Designs and L.L. Bean come to mind) make Polartec pullovers with zippers that extend to your bellybutton. Or consider layering jackets that zip all the way down the front. Unless you want to torment your baby by exposing her tender bum to frigid air (not to mention getting through the countless layers of clothing), I’d skip diaper changes on the trail.

Where to go

Keeping in mind the three-hour time frame, there are plenty of good hikes in the Bangor area. Several trails at Acadia National Park fit the bill, with the Eagle Lake loop being one of our favorites. We can make it around the lake, on foot or snowshoes, between feedings and diaper changes and then head to Bar Harbor for lunch or an early dinner. Lily Bay State Park on Moosehead Lake is another great option. The walk from the park entrance to the lake is a good one that can easily be extended by venturing out onto the lake. Closer to home, the University of Maine forest is crisscrossed with trails. Just stay off the ones marked exclusively for cross-country skiing, unless you’re skiing. But I wouldn’t recommend skiing while carrying a baby because of the potential of falling. All of these venues offer relatively flat terrain that makes for easy walking (if the snow is packed) or snowshoeing.

Where to buy baby gear

Most baby clothes, it seems, put form before function. Those bows around the collar are cute, but won’t do much to keep your baby warm. There are, however, a few companies that make real cold-weather gear for tiny people. That old Maine standby, L.L. Bean, sells Polartec buntings, overalls, hats and mittens that combine warmth with good looks. Bean also sells baby carriers and joggers. Check out the outlet stores for the best deals.

Patagonia also makes great cold-weather baby gear, including buntings and tiny mittens with Velcro closures called Pita Pockets. The company also has a separate line of children’s clothing, called Seedlings, that is made from the scraps left over from making adult clothing. Patagonia gear is quite expensive, but good buys can be found at the outlet store in Freeport. Cadillac Mountain Sports, which has stores in Bangor, Ellsworth and Bar Harbor, also sells some children’s clothing and baby carriers.

If you want to find someone who really knows a lot about the cold, you might look toward northern Minnesota. It’s here that Susan Shurke and her company, Wintergreen Designs, make clothing that really stands up to the cold. Shurke’s husband, Paul, has led expeditions to the Arctic and accompanied famed adventurer Will Steger to the North Pole, so this family knows something about surviving in extreme conditions. Wintergreen offers a few items for infants. They can be found at www.wintergreen.org or 1-800-584-9425.

If you need some outdoor gear for yourself and don’t want to spend a fortune, check out Sierra Trading Post, a company that sells discontinued and overstocked clothing, packs, snowshoes and skis from major companies such as The North Face, Lowe Alpine and Karhu. The company also sells some children’s items. You can reach them at 1-800-713-4534 or www.sierratradingpost.com.