# No snowsuit in a car seat so... what?



## Megan73 (May 16, 2007)

I know you're not supposed to put a snow-suit clad babe in a car seat.
It wasn't an issue last year - we didn't have a car.
But how do you keep your babe warm when it's really cold out?
I prefer not to idle the car too long because it's bad for the environment.
But I don't want DS to freeze with just a blanket over him - not to mention the frigid walk from the house.
What to do?


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## Katie T (Nov 8, 2008)

I still use winter hats wrap them in a thick blanket to hurry to the car w/then strap them in and quickly put the blanket over them if he was wearing a light shirt i would put a zip up hoodie on as long as u dont have to reajust straps i think its fine


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## titania8 (Feb 15, 2007)

a fleece jacket is fine. something thin and not bulky.


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## creekprincess (Jan 11, 2008)

AS PP mentioned Fleece is good. Along with a fleece blanket or two, with the hat and mittens. With DS I use to make sure he had on some baby leggs under his pants and most of the time he wore fleece pants.

For the RF child when you go out to warm up the car you can heat up a corn/rice bag and take it out the put in baby's seat to help warm it up since it can take longer for RF seat to get the heat. (if you do this I would wrap a blanket around the bag so DC's seat isnt too hot)


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## Equuskia (Dec 16, 2006)

You can put the coat over the baby (put it on backwards) after baby is strapped in.


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## ashleyhaugh (Jun 23, 2005)

car seat pochos are good too. i made one for ds last year. now we're not anywhere near as cold as canada, but its another layer that helps. i put a hood on mine, then the poncho goes over the straps.


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## Peony (Nov 27, 2003)

For babies/toddlers I use a fleece suit for older children a fleece jacket. And I usually resort to warming up the car.


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## momoftworedheads (Mar 6, 2003)

I use 2 blankets and then a cover over the seat like this:

http://www.mysweetdreamsbaby.com/carseatcovers.htm

if you're baby is too big for that, then i have this blanket that loops around the convertible seat.

good luck!!


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## TheGirls (Jan 8, 2007)

Last year when DD was little (born in May), I put babylegs and fleece pants on her, with a long sleeved shirt and a fleece coat. Hat and mittens too. On cold days I'd set a thick fleece blanket on our heat vent before leaving so it was nice and warm, then I'd tuck that around her (after buckling the harness). I don't usually warm the car, either, but my car gets warmed up really fast. She never complained, and she is not a fan of the car to begin with. Now if I could just figure out how to keep her cool in the summer...


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## Equuskia (Dec 16, 2006)

covering your carseats with a white sheet or blanket helps keep them cool in the summer. I don't have that problem now because the carseat is a light color and doesn't get very hot.


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## Megan73 (May 16, 2007)

Thanks, mamas.
Looks like I'll be investing in a remote car starter and a two-piece snowsuit.


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## paxye (Mar 31, 2005)

I live in Quebec and it gets cold here....

I use the Kokkoon

It really keeps babies warm so that they just need to be normally dressed. I keep the carseat in the car and just bring them to and from the car in the wrap under my coat... if the car is very cold (like in Jan when the temp is often below -20) then I let the car warm up a bit before getting baby out of my coat...

And before anyone says anything... the Kokkoon is a car seat cover but the material between the baby and the carseat is minimal and is just a thin layer of dense fleece and there is no compression... The warmth comes from the top layer. There is also nothing interfering with the straps either because of the design and you don't have to adjust the straps at all to accommodate baby after the Kokkoon has been installed so there is no difference between a normal clothes and the Kokkoon. It has also been crash tested and approved.

oops... I just realized that your babe is over a year now... At that age we do this trick... http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=29772


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## EmmyJane (Jun 7, 2009)

Hi
I used sweaters and blankets when my daughter was a newborn. I would also start the car and let it warm up as I too live in Canada. The second year I bought a two piece snowsuit. She would wear the bottom part and a sweater. I would bring her jacket just in case something would happen. I also kept an extra blanket in the car.


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## octobermom (Aug 31, 2005)

You could move here







Sorry J/K of course

Deanna


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## Anastasiya (Jun 13, 2006)

deleting because i don't have time to finish my post...will later.


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## reducereuserecycle (Jan 16, 2007)

wool is really warm too.

if you concentrate on the head and feet being completely covered and in wool that is a good start anyhow.


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## Oliver'sMom (Jul 17, 2007)

I second the car seat poncho. I got the largest sized one and it covered ds completely from head to toe in a little warm coccoon (sp?). I would put him in baby legs, fleece pants, a long sleeved shirt and a fleece jacket. He was always really toasty and I never had to re-adjust the straps or worry about warming up the car or blankets falling off of him, etc. Plus the poncho is just so darn cute!


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

I dressed the kids in layers last winter: tights under fleece pants, a thermal shirt with a long sleeved shirt and a fleece jacket. I keep blankets in the house and they grab one on the way out, and put that on over the harness. We take the blankets in stores etc with us so they stay warm.


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## Yooper (Jun 6, 2003)

I always read these threads with interest as we live in a VERY cold and snowy climate. We are in coats 6 months every year. Blankets, layers, and ponchos (often stuffing her under my coat during transit to and from the car) worked great when dd was a baby and toddler but now as a KID I am at a loss. Not only for her but for ME. I do wear my winter coat in the car. Pre-warming the car is simply not practical most of the time, especially on the return trip from wherever we are going. It is not like I can idle the car in the parking lot of a large store unless we are standing there freezing while waiting for it to warm up. And our car is not parked close to the house even at home, making pre-warming difficult without remote start. Dd is still in a 5 point harness and I do find myself cramming her in with a winter coat. We keep the straps set at the non-coat setting so I guess we are being as "safe" as we can be, even if dd is terrible uncomfortable. But for those days when we are in and out of the car constantly, often walking in very very cold air/wind/snow, a little fleece jacket is just not going to do it. Not for the adults either. It would be sweet if a coat manufacturer would make a coat designed to thread a seatbelt through it.


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## paxye (Mar 31, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Yooper* 
I always read these threads with interest as we live in a VERY cold and snowy climate. We are in coats 6 months every year. Blankets, layers, and ponchos (often stuffing her under my coat during transit to and from the car) worked great when dd was a baby and toddler but now as a KID I am at a loss. Not only for her but for ME. I do wear my winter coat in the car. Pre-warming the car is simply not practical most of the time, especially on the return trip from wherever we are going. It is not like I can idle the car in the parking lot of a large store unless we are standing there freezing while waiting for it to warm up. And our car is not parked close to the house even at home, making pre-warming difficult without remote start. Dd is still in a 5 point harness and I do find myself cramming her in with a winter coat. We keep the straps set at the non-coat setting so I guess we are being as "safe" as we can be, even if dd is terrible uncomfortable. But for those days when we are in and out of the car constantly, often walking in very very cold air/wind/snow, a little fleece jacket is just not going to do it. Not for the adults either. It would be sweet if a coat manufacturer would make a coat designed to thread a seatbelt through it.

Yeah, I really think that many people don't get it when it comes to cold weather... though I wouldn't want a coat to be made like that because not all carseats are the same...

My three are all still in 5 point harnesses and the trick that linked to before works great and they are not uncomfortable because the harness is too tight...
http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=29772


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## Twinklefae (Dec 13, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *paxye* 
Yeah, I really think that many people don't get it when it comes to cold weather... though I wouldn't want a coat to be made like that because not all carseats are the same...

My three are all still in 5 point harnesses and the trick that linked to before works great and they are not uncomfortable because the harness is too tight...
http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=29772

We're in the same boat. We used a fleece suit when DS was tiny, but last year, we did the coat trick a lot, and made sure that the straps fit properly over a shirt.







: He needed something warmer than just a fleece sweater.


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## Yooper (Jun 6, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *paxye* 
Yeah, I really think that many people don't get it when it comes to cold weather... though I wouldn't want a coat to be made like that because not all carseats are the same...


I was thinking more for me







Like a velcro opening on the front sides of winter coats to thread the seatbelt through.


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