When walking with a baby. How long should you walk with an infant at different times of the year? Where to walk with an infant

With the birth of a child, the lives of parents include many responsibilities and worries, as well as millions of questions regarding the care and upbringing of children. One of the most common questions is about walks with a child, their feasibility and duration. Of course, no one questions the health benefits of daily exercise for the baby. Another question is when and how much you can, and also need, to walk with your baby.

Walking with a child in winter

The most pressing issue is walking with a child in winter. Is it really necessary to expose both yourself and your child to the risk of getting sick by scrupulously adhering to pediatricians’ recommendations about daily walks?
It all depends on several factors: weather conditions, the age of the child, the location of the walk, and the child’s well-being.

Weather conditions

The most important indicator. The duration in particular, and the validity in general, of the child’s and mother’s outdoor time in winter depends on it. If the weather is sunny, windless, without severe frost and snowfall, it is not only possible to go for a walk, but even necessary with a child of any age! The main thing is to choose the right clothes or blanket (blanket) for the little ones, take care to protect the stroller cover from the wind and choose the right time for optimal sleep.

According to the pediatrician’s advice, you can walk up to -15 ºС inclusive. But mothers rarely risk going out when the thermometer is at this level. An ideal alternative would be a “walk” on the balcony or near the entrance (in a private house, the best option is to go out into the yard). It would also be useful to take care of regular ventilation of the room, otherwise the portion of fresh air, even during a long walk, will not be enough.

Child's age

If your child was born in winter, you need to gradually increase the walking time, starting from 10-15 minutes a day, ending with a full two-hour walk. The individual characteristics of the children will also be important: some children behave well in a stroller, others cannot lie quietly for half an hour, which requires a corresponding adjustment of the duration of walks. As a rule, most parents, after a month of “getting to know” their child, can say exactly how the child tolerates daily exercise and what is its optimal duration.

Place of walk

Not everyone, unfortunately, can boast of living in an ecologically clean area, close to a forest or park. You can often see mothers with strollers near a busy road, but the benefits of such a “health” walk are very doubtful. It is advisable to choose the cleanest and safest place possible for such purposes. Even a couple of hours a day in the yard, away from traffic and smoke, can provide the child with useful oxygen, albeit in smaller quantities.

Child's well-being

Focus on the child's health. If the main signs of the disease are present, it would be a bad decision to go outside in any weather; it is better to sit at home for a day or two, limiting yourself to regular ventilation.

Other factors

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In winter, you should also take into account possible temperature differences between the street and the premises. The life of a young mother, in addition to caring for the child, also includes inevitable household chores, so almost all mothers combine daily walks with equally regular shopping. At the same time, you cannot leave a stroller with a child on the street, and in winter the temperature in stores is significantly higher than outside, which cannot have a favorable effect on the baby. A baby who sweats in the store is at risk of catching a cold.

Walking with a child in spring and autumn

The most successful period for outdoor recreation with a child is the off-season, during warm and dry weather. Even in autumn there are sometimes surprisingly sunny and warm days. It will be easier for children born in spring or autumn to gradually adapt to the world around them. A daily promenade will help with this.

The recommendations are a lot like walking in winter. Except that the weather means more time spent outdoors. The duration and frequency can be increased, again focusing on weather conditions and the experience of previous walks.

Clothing for mid-season festivities should be appropriate, but for the little ones it is still better to use a blanket or envelope, only less insulated than in winter.

No less important will be the method of transportation; a transformable stroller is ideal; in this type of transport it is convenient for the baby to sleep and study the world around us. Many children successfully fall asleep under the gentle rocking motion while moving, some prefer to get to know the area good sleep.
Some mothers prefer to walk with the child in a special carrier - a sling, which ensures continued contact between the mother and the child all day long.

To use a baby carrier, you should wait until your child is at least three months old. This movement is not intended for long walks, but is only suitable for short trips.

If you need to stay outside for quite a long time, consider the option of “on-the-go” feeding your baby. For different cases, this is either a bottle with formula or breast milk in a special thermos container, or finding a secluded place for breastfeeding.

Walking with a child in summer

For summer babies, getting to know the world around them is much easier than for those born at other times of the year. On a warm summer day, the weather literally requires you to stay outside with your baby longer. The main thing here is moderation. Even under the most ideal weather conditions, time spent outdoors should begin with a few minutes, gradually increasing to the usual period (2-3 hours a day).

It is important to choose the right hours for your walk: it would be optimal to walk with your baby twice a day, in the morning between 8-00 and 10-00, and in the evening from about 18-00 to 21-00. During these hours the sun loses its aggressiveness, and the air temperature becomes comfortable.

It is important to dress your little one correctly. Choose as much as possible natural fabrics, light colors and a minimum of accessories. If for the cold season there is a moderate content of synthetic fibers in outerwear will give it additional thermal characteristics, then for summer - the main quality is the moisture and air conductivity of the material, the ability to help regulate body temperature.

For older children who sit independently in a stroller, a sun protection cap or bonnet is required. Buy sunscreen. The main thing is to choose the highest quality children's cosmetics, but not “adult” cream.

When preparing for a walk, you also need to prepare the things you need for each day along the way. Every mother has in her stroller:

1. spare diapers 2-3 pieces
2. set of clothes
3. dry and wet wipes
4. light blanket or blanket
5. raincoat
6. bottle of water (for warmer months)
7. container with spare pacifier

Gradually, taking into account the stages of the child’s growing up, this set is supplemented with various rattle toys and replaceable bibs (many mothers cope with increased salivation during teething in this way).

When your baby is old enough to explore the road on his own, pack a small first aid kit with you: a band-aid, an antiseptic (you can buy a universal antiseptic cream, or you can get by with regular peroxide). Mom must be prepared for any situation and have everything she needs at her disposal.

Separately, I would like to say about the role of disposable diapers; no one argues, this thing is very convenient for both the baby and the mother. But if the air temperature reaches high levels, a “greenhouse effect” can form inside the diaper, which is fraught with irritation and rashes on the skin, as well as many other gynecological and urological problems.

Therefore in the summer the best option There will be regular knitted rompers or cotton panties. For long walks, you can purchase reusable cloth diapers, the range of which has increased significantly recently and no longer resembles the old gauze pads from the times of our parents in design. According to the standards and advice from various children's forums, it is quite possible to sew such diapers yourself, even with a minimum of tailoring skills.

Summer is the time for hardening and maximum exposure to the fresh air. You have an ideal chance to gradually harden your child.

Conclusion

Walking with a baby, however, as with a child of any age, is not only a tribute to the recommendations of pediatricians, but also a unique opportunity to get out somewhere with the whole family, to involve the father or other relatives in the process of education. This is a moment of unique unity with your precious son or daughter. Enjoy these moments, because they pass so quickly in the eternal bustle of life.

In this video you will find the answer to how to properly pack your baby for a walk.

Every mother knows that a toddler should spend at least two hours a day outside. Have you ever wondered why it is so important to walk with your baby?

If you count all the kilometers that you have covered while walking with a stroller, you will get a very significant distance. And it’s not surprising, because you walk with the baby every day for several hours. But why does everyone, from your mother to your pediatrician, unanimously repeat that it is necessary to walk with your baby? Let's try to find the answer to this question together.

The child is being tempered

Thanks to daily walks, the baby quickly learns to cope with temperature changes. Sleeping and playing in the fresh air enrich the child's body with oxygen, and this has a positive effect on the functioning of all organs and systems. In addition, walking on a sunny day is an excellent prevention of rickets, since under the influence sun rays Vitamin D is synthesized, which is necessary for the normal development of bones and teeth. But to make the walk really useful for your baby, dress him according to the weather. Avoid overheating - this is very dangerous for small children. If your baby sleeps during a walk, you can additionally cover him with a blanket.

The child gets used to the daily routine

The change of day and night is something incomprehensible for the baby: he will have to get used to it and learn to live according to a certain regime. A daily walk, always at the same time, will certainly make this easier. Usually babies fall asleep easily and quickly in the fresh air, so with the help of walks you can adjust the time of daytime sleep. If you want your baby to sleep longer, go for a walk with him immediately after feeding. A well-fed baby can sleep for 2-3 hours in the fresh air.

The child's appetite improves

Active outdoor games are a great way to improve the appetite of a little “non-eater”. A large dose of oxygen combined with active movements will make the baby feel hungry faster. After a long walk, children tend to eat a larger portion than usual. If your baby is breastfed, you should avoid feeding outside in cold, windy weather, even if the baby requires breastfeeding right away. This could be very dangerous for you!

The child discovers the world

At 4-5 months, the baby begins to take an active interest in the world around him and watches with interest what is happening around him. And after he learns to sit, nothing on a walk will be left unnoticed: falling leaves, a barking dog, flying sparrows. Use a walk to help your little one explore the world: tell him what’s happening around him. Even if it seems to you that the baby doesn’t understand anything yet, don’t skimp on your words. The more you communicate with your baby, the better he will develop, because the child remembers individual words and gets used to the melody native language, learns to distinguish intonations. He develops a passive vocabulary.

The child's mood improves

And not only for him - a walk in the fresh air will benefit you too, because it is a way to take a break from monotony. When going for a walk, think through the route in advance and try to change it as often as possible: today go to the park, tomorrow to the playground, the day after tomorrow to the park. And remember that fast walking not only helps burn excess fat, but also increases the production of serotonin - the hormone of happiness. If your baby can already walk, don’t stop him from running, jumping and frolicking in the yard. This is very beneficial for his physical and mental development. Try to take part in your toddler’s games, come up with new fun things to do, or just give free rein to your imagination, try to return to childhood for a while.

The purpose of walking with a child in the first months of life is mainly to find him “in the fresh air.” The baby begins to receive any impressions only at about six months, or even later, when he can already be awake on the street. Let's take a closer look at this reason for the widespread long walks with a baby.

The tradition of going on long walks with your baby, regardless of the weather, was originally based on the discovery of physiologists that the developing brain needs oxygen. And only then mothers noticed that in the fresh air the child sleeps longer and deeper, and such sleep is automatically considered as beneficial.

However, if the situation with the walk is analyzed in detail, it turns out that in addition to the abstract benefits of receiving portions of oxygen, such walks have many disadvantages.

Firstly, the thermoregulation system in a child in the first months of life is just developing.

The same physiologists noticed that the baby is not able to maintain its body temperature on its own. His body is designed to be warmed by the body of an adult, his mother, in the cold. Having a baby in a stroller does not provide this opportunity. Therefore, in winter, a child is wrapped in countless layers of fabric, dressed in countless clothes, but it is not always possible to keep warm. Practice shows that children with whom they often walk for a long time in the cold often suffer from colds.

Secondly, in a stroller the child is separated from his mother, which goes against his psychological needs and innate expectations for up to six months.

After 5-6 months, the child gradually begins to emerge from the manual period, but until the baby begins to walk on his own, the unfamiliar environment on the street continues to frighten him, the abundance of impressions overloads him, therefore at this age it is better when the child is with his mother “ in your arms."

Thirdly. Large doses of oxygen and motion sickness from riding in a stroller certainly cause the baby to fall asleep. But many children fall asleep as a result of deep sleep, the rhythms of which are disrupted. Deep sleep without paradoxical sleep is harmful to a child's brain development.

In addition, a soundly sleeping baby may not wake up for feeding and may sleep for 3 or 4 hours at a time. If this situation is repeated day after day in relation to a child under 2-3 months, then this ultimately leads to the fact that the child receives an insufficient amount of milk.

Even if the baby wakes up to feed, it is difficult for the mother to organize breastfeeding during a walk, and she either “saves herself” by intense rocking or uses a pacifier. Both of them are of no use.

But here we note that after three months the baby suckles much less often during the day, mainly around dreams, and even 4-hour breaks in feeding once a day are already quite acceptable.

And the most interesting thing. Observations have already been accumulated of children who walked in the fresh air in the first months of their lives irregularly and not for long: their mothers took them outside mainly only when they were going about their business. These children are not at all behind in development from their peers, and often, due to more proper care, they are more mentally and physically healthy.

A well and frequently ventilated apartment has enough oxygen for the baby’s brain to fully develop. And if you use air purifiers and humidifiers, the “air freshness” in a city apartment can compete with the “air freshness” on the streets of a metropolis. And in order to replenish the need for vitamin D, you only need to spend 2 hours a week outside during daylight hours.

Why are so many disadvantages unknown to doctors, and why do pediatricians continue to strongly recommend long walks even in the cold season?

The answer is still the same. Medicine does not perceive a person holistically. Highly specialized specialists know only their area, their body system, and when treating it, they often “cripple” other systems.

There is knowledge that oxygen is beneficial for brain development. This means that it is necessary to ensure its supply through walks.There is no further analysis of the circumstances surrounding such walks.

A ordinary people, they don’t even know about the negative effects of walking.

Well, let’s also add that until recently the psychological needs of a baby in the West (and in Russian pediatrics to this day) were not studied in detail by anyone and were not particularly taken into account.

Compared to the physiological needs of the body (the same supply of oxygen to the brain), they were considered something deeply secondary and easily replenished. If a baby is separated from his mother in a crib or stroller and is worried, it is believed that his mental discomfort can easily be compensated for by a pacifier and rocking. But that's not true.

So how can you organize walks with your baby without compromising his mental and physical health?

It is not recommended to go outside with a baby under one year old in the cold season. long time. At least until six months, if the air temperature is below minus 10 degrees, it is generally better to postpone the walk and put the baby to bed in a well-ventilated room.

If the mother still believes that the baby needs “fresh air,” she can place the child on a closed balcony after he has passed through the REM sleep phase. It is best to put the baby to bed in this way for no more than an hour or two, depending on age, since then you need to take a break for feeding.

If the temperature is above zero, you can walk for more than an hour, or two, or three, but in this case you need to think about organizing feeding outside if the child is less than 3 months old. After six months, the baby can definitely wait to breastfeed throughout the entire walk, especially if it happened while he was awake.

If in the middle of a walk the child begins to go to bed and asks for the breast, you cannot refuse him this. At the same time, if a child calmly falls asleep without breastfeeding once a day after six months, this in any case will not have a negative impact on breastfeeding.

It is best to use an ergonomic carrier, since the baby simply needs physical contact with the mother during the manual period. If for some reason it is not possible to use exclusively a carrier, it is recommended to put the child in the stroller (under the cut) only at above-zero temperatures and only after the onset of the slow-wave sleep phase.

At the first sign of dissatisfaction, the baby, of course, needs to be picked up or placed in a carrier. At first glance, it seems that in cold weather a baby is warmer in a stroller than in a carrier, since it is possible to wrap him up well. This is wrong. During a long walk, the child’s body cools down more and more due to imperfect thermoregulation. In a carrier, the baby's belly (the place that should be warmed first) is constantly warmed by the mother's body.

Both mother and child can dress in special clothes designed for winter walks with a carrier. Also, the mother can choose the type of carrier that is convenient for her, taking into account the “bulkiness” of winter clothes. When using a baby carrier, it is convenient to put your baby to your breast almost anywhere, at any time of the year and unnoticed from others.

In addition, a child placed in a carrier does not need to be rocked to sleep. He instantly falls asleep on his mother’s chest, feeling her protection, smell and warmth. Very small babies under the age of three months usually sleep during walks in the “cradle” position. Starting from three months, the child can already be carried in a vertical position, he sleeps well in this position, it is physiological for him.

Until about 6-8 months, it is better to go for a walk with the baby for his nap. You can put it on your chest before getting dressed, after or after leaving the house, when it is in a carrier. What is more convenient to do is decided by every mother in practice.

Almost all children do not like to dress and loudly express their dissatisfaction. There is no need to worry about the baby's sobs - all his basic needs are satisfied, his mother is nearby, and he cries because he does not understand why he needs to get dressed. There can be only one recommendation here: dress the child as calmly and quickly as possible. And, of course, a pacifier should not be given to a breastfed baby under any circumstances.

After dressing, you can immediately let your breasts calm down. If it is difficult to tear your baby off the breast, but he is already dressed and you need to leave the house, it is better to first quickly dress him, put him in a carrier, and only then breastfeed. If a child falls asleep and does not wake up from being dressed and placed in a carrier, it is better to first put such a child to the chest and then dress the sleeping child.

After 6-8 months, babies no longer always fall asleep during a walk, and you can go out with them for new experiences while they are awake, and put them to sleep at home.

Some children begin to walk before they are one year old. It is important that the baby, as far as possible, walks outside on his own and does not ride in a stroller or carrier. From now on, using a stroller will no longer be stressful for the child. But here it is important that the mother does not abuse the stroller; she uses it only when she is in a hurry or tired.

For at least one and a half years, you need to use a stroller in which the baby sits facing his mother. And we must not forget that using a stroller often makes it difficult to practice following behavior. It is best, of course, to continue to use the ergonomic carrier, but also only when mom is in a hurry.

If the problem of walking with the child is solved by the mother’s assistant, who categorically refuses to carry the baby in an ergonomic carrier, then it will be optimal for the child if, up to six months, the mother’s assistant puts him in the stroller after he has fallen asleep, and takes him out of it without waiting for him to wake up. . It is important that the child does not feel thrown into the unknown in the stroller, torn from his hands. In such a situation, it is best to put the child to sleep on a closed balcony.

At 8-9 months, the manual period ends completely, and the baby will no longer be able to severe stress wheelchair training. Here it is important to use a stroller in which the child will sit facing the mother’s assistant.

For thought: B.P. and L.A Nikitin. We and our children.

“When your own children appear, willy-nilly you begin to observe the children on the street more, gradually even comparing your own with others. Maybe that’s why we somehow paid attention (watch for yourself - check!) to this: some kids in the stroller the look is indifferent, lazy, somewhat dull, like that of old people tired of life. They do not look around, are not surprised at anything and are not happy, well-fed, sedentary, incurious.

This surprised us: we had not seen this among our guys, who were always interested in everything. What's the matter? Maybe some innate mental characteristics are at play here? We could not answer this question. And then somehow we read this.

African mothers usually carry their newborns on their backs. The child is constantly with the mother: while walking, during any work, on holidays, at night and during the day. What she sees, he sees too - what a change of impressions! And also a constant feeling of security, physical closeness to the mother. So what? African two-year-old children's intellectual development is far ahead of their "bed" European peers from a civilized society.

Then, of course, a lag may occur - this is how the level of development of society affects the child. Recently, psychologists have experimentally proven that in the first months of life, a baby gets a lot from simply looking at the objects around him.

These are the amazing discoveries that resulted from thinking about a simple question: is it worth carrying a child in your arms or keeping him in a crib and pushing him in a stroller, blocking him from the whole wide world, leaving for viewing only a piece of the sky and his mother’s face, which is often not addressed to him, but to a book or... to another mother with a stroller"

The onset of winter - snowfall, low air temperature, cold wind - is not a reason to cancel walks with children. Even with little ones. Is it possible to walk with a newborn baby in winter?

Walking has a very beneficial effect on the mood and development of children. After walking, children after a year gain impressions, life experience and get very tired, and very young ones - newborns - fall asleep wonderfully in a stroller during winter walks. The main thing is to follow some rules.

How to walk in winter with a child

How to walk with a child in winter, of course, should be decided by the parents themselves. At what age to start walking with a child, only parents can decide. Some mothers who gave birth to a newborn in winter begin to walk with him within a month, and some wait until summer. – this is not a reason to cancel walks. Frosty air has its advantages. It is more saturated with oxygen, there are no microbes and viruses in it, therefore more oxygen enters the baby’s blood, and he has no chance of getting sick. In the frosty air, babies sleep very well and for a long time.

At what age can you start walking with your newborn in winter?

The baby’s adaptation to the outside world begins from the first minutes of life. And by the age of two weeks, the baby is already ready to go outside. Don't worry if your baby is born in winter. Walking with your child in winter is very useful for both him and the young mother. The newborn’s body is saturated with oxygen, and the young mother takes a break from everyday worries.

There are several conditions for winter walks with a child. It should not be below -5 degrees outside during the first walk with the newborn, for later walks - -10 degrees. From one month on, keep the temperature to -15. It is better to keep the duration of the walk to no more than fifteen minutes in the first three months. And in the first month, five or ten minutes in cold weather of -5 degrees is enough.

I have personal experience, when my son, who was born in January, and I walked about a month after birth in frosty weather of -18 degrees for about half an hour. Until I got cold. He was well wrapped in a blanket and lying in a stroller. Half an hour later we went home, because I myself was cold, but he felt very good. He slept for another two hours after the walk. After that we walked every day for half an hour. He felt great and slept for a long time. When we stayed at home, he was more capricious and did not want to sleep during the day.

How to dress your baby for a winter walk?

The air layer provides warmth during a walk. That is, there should be an air gap between the layers of clothing. Three, maximum four layers of clothing will provide the baby with warmth. A newborn who lies motionless in a stroller only needs to be dressed in four layers of clothing. And for a baby after one year, who can move independently, three layers of clothing are enough.

To check whether your baby is cold or not, put your hand behind his collar. If it's warm there, then everything is fine. If not, go home quickly. It’s a good sign when a child has red cheeks during a winter walk, which means he is active and not cold.

Children love frosty air, snow, and ice. They are ready to run and jump through snowdrifts for hours in any frost. In addition, walking with a child is very beneficial for all family members. Both mom and dad become closer and more united during walks with the child. Until about the age of four or five, a child can only go downhill, ice skating or skiing with his parents. When, if not at this time, does the whole family get closer? Both mom, dad, and baby enjoy walking together, riding slides, sleds, ice skates, creating an ice fort or ice sculptures.

During such events, do not forget that the baby may become hypothermic. Check his mittens - they quickly become covered with snow and ice, so you need to have spare ones with you. Dress your child according to the weather. It is very good that now winter overalls and jackets with pants are made for children that are light and comfortable, waterproof and very warm. Children feel much more comfortable in them than before (remember those clumsy sheepskin coats and hats?).

How much time should I walk with my child in winter?

, depends on the age of the baby, his state of health and, of course, the weather outside. If it’s minus five, ten or fifteen degrees outside, take a walk with pleasure. If the baby is less than a year old and is in a stroller, walk for about half an hour, preferably after feeding. Scientists have found that it is better to take children under one year for a walk after feeding. They feel better and fall asleep immediately. If you take a hungry baby for a walk, after an hour or half an hour he will become very hungry and start begging, and you will immediately have to run home and feed him. Therefore, about half an hour after eating, it is best to walk with your child in winter. Such a walk can last for half an hour, or even more, or continue on the balcony.

If the baby more than a year, it’s also better to feed him first, and then get ready for a walk with the child. If the child is over a year old, the walk continues until the baby gets tired. Naturally, take into account the weather - the temperature is at least -15 degrees, the wind is not strong. It is very good to keep your baby busy with something. For example, ride a slide, build a snowman, clean the path. Such classes can last for half an hour or an hour. I don’t think it’s possible to walk with a child for more than an hour in winter.

Is it possible to walk with a sick child in winter?

It depends on how sick the baby is. If the baby has a slight cold or a slight cough, just keep the walk to a minimum. Frosty air will provide the child with oxygen, he will sleep better. But if you have a child, it is better to stay at home. Just wrap him up well during the daytime sleep and open all the windows so that the frosty air enters the room.

Do not deprive your baby of walks in the cold. He will get good mood, easy hardening and your life experience. And also, if the whole family is present during such walks, there is also the support and love of loved ones. whenever possible. In the northern part of Russia this is not possible so often; you need to “catch” good weather in order to take a walk with your child in winter. Do not wrap your baby tightly - he moves especially actively after reaching one year. Give him this pleasure.

When discharged from the maternity hospital, the certificate or discharge summary indicates recommendations for caring for a newborn baby. When everything is fine with the child, the recommendations are usually brief “ breast-feeding, swimming, walking.” And if everything is more or less clear with bathing and feeding, then walking with a newborn raises many questions: when to start, how long to walk and what to wear? And is it really necessary to walk for a tiny baby, who can be exposed to infections, drafts and toxic exhaust gases on the street? The answer is actually simple - absolutely.

Perhaps not all places in the city are suitable for walking with a recently born baby. However, the importance of open air (even if not very fresh) and sunlight difficult to overestimate. Although the opinions of doctors regarding the duration of walks for a newborn and their appropriateness, the traditions of care and education should not be taken into account.

The child’s immunity must be consistently strengthened, but if he is raised in greenhouse conditions, you can achieve the exact opposite result. Therefore, regular exposure to the air with your baby is the key to his future health.

To dispel doubts about the undeniable benefits of walking, you should listen to the following arguments:

1. Even if a family lives in a big city, the oxygen content in the open air is still much higher than in an apartment, where it is “eaten up” by heating and confined spaces. Due to the constant lack of oxygen, children sleep worse and lose their appetite.
2. The thermoregulation mechanisms of a newborn baby are imperfect: fresh air and differences between room and street temperatures help to improve their functioning, as well as strengthen the immune system.
3. For proper formation of musculoskeletal and nervous systems Vitamin D is needed, especially the variety cholecalciferol (also known as vitamin D3). It is practically not present in food, but is formed in the skin under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. Walking allows the baby to get the dose of vitamin necessary for the body, even on a cloudy day.
4. Long walks in the fresh air strengthen the mother’s body and allow her to quickly get into shape after childbirth.

And finally, walks with newborn babies are a great opportunity to get closer to fellow mothers and make new friends!

By various reasons some mothers replace walks with sleeping on the balcony, which causes a lot of controversy among both pediatricians and parents. Among the arguments against such a replacement are a reduced flow of fresh air, a lack of sunlight and, most importantly, the child gets used to sleeping in a stroller, which can later lead to problems with the baby sleeping in the crib. Nevertheless, the air on the balcony is much cleaner, since exhaust gases do not rise there, and if it is not glazed, then ultraviolet radiation will be enough for the baby. Walking on the balcony is acceptable if the family lives on upper floors, in houses without an elevator or no one to help the mother take out and carry the stroller. However, if there are still helpers, and the mother has chosen a light stroller or sling, it’s definitely worth going for a walk - this is the key to the baby’s health in the future.

When and how long to walk

Many doctors recommend starting walks with the baby immediately after discharge from the hospital. However, for reasons of prevention, it is recommended to wait 5–7 days if the child was born in the summer, or a couple of weeks for babies born in winter. If the outside temperature is below -10 degrees or above +30, there is strong wind or heavy rainfall, then it is also recommended to wait until more pleasant weather for the newborn’s first walk.

The duration of the walk depending on the age of the baby is shown in the table below. With each walk, it is advisable to increase the time spent outside by 5-10 minutes per week.

These numbers are quite approximate and may change depending on weather conditions or the baby’s well-being. During winter snowstorms or severe frosts, it is not very wise to go for a walk, but with the arrival of sunny and warm spring and summer days, you can spend all your free time outside.

A newborn most often sleeps during a walk: the movement lulls him to sleep. But as they grow older, the duration of wakefulness increases, and the baby looks at the world around him with interest, sitting in a sling or examining the stroller from the inside. A couple of months after birth, you can attach bright toys to the stroller: this will make walks more exciting for the child.

When the time has come to go outside with the baby and the weather is favorable, the mother has to solve a rather difficult task for inexperienced parents - how to dress a newborn for a walk and what might she need to take with her?

As for clothing, pediatricians used to advise sticking to the classic “plus one” formula, when a child wore one more layer of clothing than an adult. But thanks to the variety of styles of children's clothing and modern materials, from which it is made, the baby’s equipment should be selected strictly individually and taking into account weather conditions.

Summer

At first it may seem that on warm days you can walk with your baby for as long as you like; summer weather can be fraught with many dangers for the baby: extreme heat can lead to overheating, and a sudden rise in wind or heavy rain can lead to hypothermia and a cold. That is why you need to prepare very carefully for the first walk with a newborn in the summer. The following tips may be helpful:

1. 1. The optimal set of walking clothes for a baby can consist of a vest and rompers, a slip (thin overalls with long sleeves), a dress or bodysuit with short sleeves, shorts and socks. However, a hat is desirable in any case, even if the baby is in a stroller.
   2. The only possible material for infant clothing is pure cotton, which breathes well, does not cause allergies and maintains heat transfer comfortable for the child.
   3. The best colors for a baby's summer clothes are white, blue, soft pink, cream, but it is better to choose a snow-white hat or panama hat: the reflective properties of the color will prevent overheating and heat stroke.
   4. Blouses and rompers for summer walks should be sewn very well, without rough seams or appliqués that can rub and cause discomfort to the baby.
   5. If the newborn's first walk in the summer is planned in a sling, then you need to dress the baby lightly: high air temperature and the warmth of the mother's body can cause overheating. The baby will be quite comfortable in a sling even with just a hat and a diaper, but a sleeveless bodysuit or a thin T-shirt is still worth wearing. It is advisable to take a sleepsuit or onesie with you on a walk in case you need to take your baby out of the sling. As for the color of the sling, it should only be light: dark fabric that absorbs the sun will create a very difficult atmosphere for the baby.
   6. You can check how correctly the baby is dressed by touching his neck: it should only be warm, a hot neck fold indicates an increase in temperature or overheating, and a cold one indicates that the baby is cold.

A summer walk with a newborn is not complete without a pair of diapers, a spare diaper and a long-sleeved blouse, as well as a warm blanket that will help protect the baby in case of a sudden change in weather.

It should be remembered that the most comfortable temperature air for a newborn + 23–25 degrees. At temperatures above +30, it is recommended to postpone the walk until cooler weather sets in.

Autumn-spring period

For mothers of babies born in spring or autumn, it is not easy to choose clothes for walking, because the weather at this time is so changeable. Therefore, it is necessary to take care of any unforeseen situations. The following tips will help you get your “autumn” or “spring” baby ready for a walk:

1. On warm May or September days, you should not bundle up your baby: if the temperature is not lower than +10, he will be comfortable in a bodysuit with a long sleeve vest or thin blouse, thin autumn overalls and one warm hat.
2. If it gets cold outside to +5 and below, you need to add a thin hat to your baby’s outdoor outfit, which is worn under a warm one, and change the autumn overalls to winter ones.
3. For walks in a sling, it is not necessary to “insulate” the baby much: he will be warmed by his mother’s warmth. At the beginning of autumn or at the end of spring, a thick summer walking overall over a bodysuit and a blouse or slip will be enough for him, and in the cold - an autumn overall and one hat.
4. Warmth for a child should be provided by a multi-layered outfit, and not by the thickness of one overall: it is better to take off an extra blouse from the baby than to make him sweat in hot winter outerwear.
5. For a walk, it is recommended to take a thin blanket or blanket to cover your baby in strong winds.

A great option for the off-season is a transforming jumpsuit with a detachable warm lining. During warming, it can be removed, and the ability to turn the clothes into an envelope for walking with a newborn will help protect the baby from hypothermia.

Winter

Walking in winter is not always pleasant for the mother, but it is very useful for the baby. For those who want to make walking with a newborn comfortable and safe, the following tips will be useful.