Is she too hot in HAB?

I love putting one month old DD in HAB and she mostly loves it too, but it sometimes seems like she is getting too hot (a couple of times has cried out in obvious distress, coupled with a red face). I thought perhaps I was overdressing her and yesterday had her only in a short sleeved body suit but she still cracked it after about an hour. My mother and MCHN have both warned me about overheating her in the sling and now I am stressing about using it. It is Melbourne winter right now, our house is not warmer than 20 degrees, it's not like it is the middle of a summer heat wave or anything! Maybe she's cracking it over something else? I don't know. Anyone else had a similar problem? I'd love to keep using it because she's happy most of the time and I love wearing it, am I just being paranoid about overheating?

Lisa in L-Plates...:lol:

Hi Lisa

I don't really have any experience with HAB (yet) but am wondering, do you feel hot in it? If not then I would think that it might be something else. Is her distress linked with maybe pooing or just being generally uncomfortable with the position she is in. You are right when you say that it isn't like we are having a heat wave at the moment - so maybe look for other things when she shows signs of distress.

Good luck :)

Thanks for your reply Taffy Lou, no, I'm not hot. It is probably something else - that was what I was thinking/hoping. If only I could read her mind, ha, ha... It's just that I was a little paranoid due to mother/MCHN in my ear about overheating and wondered about other people's experiences. I guess using a sling is a lot about confidence isn't it?

I had DD at the end of May last year and she spent the best part of the day in the HAB during the first 3 months or so. And that is in South East Queensland... and Maya was a hot and sweaty baby. I usually dressed her in either a singlet and a All-in-One (Just a cotton one, not a towelling or fleecy one), or, on cold days I put a long-sleeved bodysuit under the All-In-One. I also dressed myself a little lighter. She often had warm, red cheeks, but she didn't usually get upset. She absolutely adored the HAB. I guess they do get quite warm cause most of their body is heated by your body heat (while only a small part of your body is up against hers, IYKWIM). If however she even gets upset when she only wears a short sleeved body suit, then maybe she's getting upset about something else? The act of getting upset makes most babies hot and red in itself, so maybe she's hot because she's upset rather than being upset because she's hot???
I wouldnt worry too much about overheating her, to be honest... Just follow her clues. If she gets upset for whatever reason, take her out of the HAB. DD loved the HAB, but once she got a little older, she didn't like being too restricted while awake. She loved being really snug when sleeping in it, though.

You can also try and go for a walk outside to cool her down???

Sasa

Its important to ensure you aren't too warmly dressed, as underneath that sling is her clothing, your clothing, the sling, natural body heat and there isn't much airflow.

Being such a littley I assume she is bascially cocooned in her sling?

You could try pulling up the top cover (where the pocket is) to have her legs out a bit.
Bringing the side arms in so that not so much of you (and her) is covered.

I too used the HAB from about 3 months of age with my DD and I live in Brisbane, it was summer. I just followed the basic, dressing my lighter and adjusting the coverage of the HAB. I love my HAB.