Caring for your baby in winter

Your baby's first winter can seem daunting as you worry about keeping her warm and protecting her from seasonal colds. We have helpful tips to make this easier on you.

Find answers to some of the most common challenges new parents face when winter sets in.

Should I stop massaging my baby in winter?

If you keep your room warm, massaging your baby can be as enjoyable and beneficial for your baby in the winters as it is in the summer. Massage can warm her up too by stimulating her blood circulation. 

To make the massage comfortable, prepare everything you'll need before you undress your baby:

• Use a heater to warm the room you'll use for your baby's massage. Make sure the heater is not near your baby so that there is no chance of a burn injury.
• Prepare the bath water and bathing items like cleanser, shampoo, towel and change of clothes if you are following up the massage with a bath.
• Warm up your hands well before you begin so your baby doesn’t feel cold from your touch.
• Warm up the massage oil lightly, just enough to feel like the same temperature as your warm hands.

Your baby might cry at first if she feels cold when you undress her. But as you warm her up with warm oil, and soothe her with your strokes, she will quickly start to enjoy it. If she doesn't, don't hesitate to stop and give her a massage another time.

You can keep her partially dressed if you feel this will help. Undress her pants first and after you're done massaging the legs and feet, cover them with a towel and undress the upper half of her body.

Remember to keep her nappy on or cover her private parts in case she pees during the massage. You can also keep the massage short and quickly move her on to her bath or dress her again.

What massage oil should I use for my baby in winter?

Mustard oil has been used for generations in India for baby massage, especially in winters. It is a thick oil that is believed to have heating properties.

Some mums heat the oil with garlic, carom seeds (ajwain) or fenugreek seeds (methi dana) first. According to traditional Indian home remedies, these are heating ingredients that give additional benefits to the oil and help boost the baby's immunity. But if your baby has sensitive or dry skin, eczema, or any other form of rash, mustard oil might not suit her.

Most mums will confirm that their baby benefited from mustard oil. But research suggests that mustard oil can be aggressive on the skin's protective barrier leaving it more prone to drying or irritation.

So if your baby's skin is already sensitive, or you notice that it looks red and irritated after her massage, change to an oil that is gentler on the skin. If you do use mustard oil, make sure to wash the oil off well in her bath after the massage.

Other massage oil options for sensitive skin in the winter include sunflower oil, safflower oil, grapeseed oil and unscented mineral oil. Olive oil, another popular choice for baby massage, is similar to mustard oil and can also aggress the protective skin barrier.

If you don't plan to follow the massage up with a bath, it's best to use baby lotion. This won't leave your baby sticky or slippery, or leave stains on her clothes