Breath of Fresh Air
Getting some fresh air with our baby…
I’m always very excited when it turns to February. The days are finally starting to stretch out! Yay! That means a walk or bike ride earlier or later in the day is possible. Thinking back to my baby days I used to get out each day for a walk whenever I could. We all agree that you generally feel happier when the sun is shining and you get to spend more time outside and not just for just the summer months! Regardless of the time of year, it’s good to take advantage of the outdoors. During lock down I was fortunate to have the space and time to go outside and breathe in the fresh clean air.
It’s a proven fact that just one hour a day improves our health and wellbeing. Even more benefits if you can do this with your baby in tow! Fresh air can help de-stress and improve physical and mental wellbeing. So …Enjoy Nature with Your Baby!
Check the weather before leaving the house. Make sure not to overdress or underdress your baby. Put as many layers on the baby as you are wearing and then add accordingly. If you use a pram or push chair have a blanket on hand, if you use a baby carrier that’s an additional layer by itself. If it’s super sunny outside, don’t expose your baby to direct sunlight for too long. Keep them in a shade or under a pram umbrella. Don’t use any sunscreen just yet. But what about cold weather? If you dress your baby appropriately there’s nothing to worry about. If you do the back of the neck test-if warm your baby is warm. If cold, then add on another layer.
In Scandinavian countries parents keep their babies outside for a few hours a day. They only keep them inside when there are extreme temperatures. Extreme, meaning 0 degrees Fahrenheit! And fresh air is not the only thing your baby can benefit from while outside. The stillness of inside is exchanged for the exciting sensations of nature. Your baby will feel the wind and the sun on their skin, and when old enough to take notice of the surroundings, they’ll observe the trees, feel the grass and enjoy the blue skies. Remember those benefits every time you don’t feel like going outside with your baby because you are too tired or the weather is not the best. All weather is exciting and new to a baby. I spent many hours out with my son throughout his early years. Discovering the colours, shapes and textures of trees, leaves and sticks, the sky, clouds, sun, rain, trees, leaves, fields, animals. It is all a new discovery -and sharing it with your baby is exciting as its all new!
I loved taking my son out -getting fresh air and stopping to show things from nature was a pure joy to see his reactions and a great bonding time for us both.
Your baby will soon be surrounded by crazy cartoons, computer games, noisy toys and bright colours, which are all inferior to the benefits of nature to your baby’s health.
Even if you don’t feel like walking for a long time, just put your baby in a pram or baby carrier or sling and they can take their nap in the embrace of fresh air. When my son was born, I would walk him across fields, woods and up the hills wherever we could get out-we would go. He always slept better after a good walk.
Before he went to school I would make sure he was out during the day for set times and always a walk before tea.
Obviously as they get older and they are at school that gets harder to enjoy the same times together but the baby and toddler time is when you have the most influence and hopefully time.
Here are 6 physical reasons why you should spend time outdoors in the fresh air to improve your wellbeing:
Fresh air is good for your digestive system: Fresh air increases the flow of oxygen helping you digest food more effectively so this will particularly help if you need to be making and replenishing milk reserves.
Fresh air helps improve blood pressure and heart rate: Avoid polluted environments particularly if you need to improve your blood pressure. Stay away from the busy traffic as the body will need to work harder to get the amount of oxygen it needs over polluted car fumes.
Fresh air makes you happier: The fresher air you get, the more oxygen you will breathe which will increase the amount of serotonin (the happy hormone) you inhale, consequently making you happier.
Fresh air strengthens your immune system: By increasing the amount of fresh air, we get, will increase the amount of oxygen which helps our white blood cells function properly by fighting and killing bacteria and germs.
Fresh air cleans your lungs: Your lungs dilate more from having an increase of oxygen so fresh air improves the cleansing of your lungs. You release airborne toxins from your body when exhaling through your lungs.
Fresh air gives you more energy and a sharper mind: You may have noticed after spending time outside, you come back indoors feeling brighter and perhaps ready to get back to tasks. More oxygen results in greater brain functioning, improving your concentration skills and providing you with more energy. It may help lessen the baby blues some of us might feel, days, weeks following our baby’s birth.
Enjoying the fresh air tucked up in the pram.
Cuddling up to Dad whilst walking.
In addition, venturing outside will also help you produce vitamin D from the sun (when it does come out), which is essential for many bodily functions including supporting our immune system, strengthening our bones, teeth and much more. Include outdoor works with your baby. Pushing that pram up a hill, across fields, in a park, around the block! Do what you can and enjoy time outdoors together and get the maximum health benefits from the fresh air. I used to walk with my baby in the pram and then after 6 months he could be put in a front sling. We used to walk and sing and I was very fit quickly and resumed my pre-baby figure within that first year of breastfeeding and outdoor walking. (once I stopped breastfeeding I piled the weight back on but that’s another blog!)
Aim for an hour walk and soon it will be like a workout as you speed up over each walk. Remember a healthy refreshed mum is better for baby. This will help you feel more refreshed and allow you greater energy levels. Without a break, your activities could take a lot longer to complete and maybe tiredness will come on earlier.
What can Ubere Mama do to help outdoors? If you want to breastfeed whilst on your walk- the great Francesca hoody you can wear as an under piece or outer layer-that you can easily unzip and allow your baby to easily feed from. For warmer days, we have our great Susie tops and Mia vests that allow no fuss, easy, comfortable and speedy access to breast whilst out and about. Or mix and match and layer. In Ubere Mama tops I fed from a mountain top, beside lakes, in restaurants, cafes, in fields and on a beach. In fact, everywhere and anywhere! Initially I was conscious of having to breastfeed out and about and worried about covering up baby from winds-but with these items, I could easily unzip and my son could feed quickly and snuggly. A quick 5, 10, 20 min feed without having to move from wherever I was. It was a quick response to my son’s early needs!
So, take a look at Ubere Mama clothes-I would recommend for enjoying your breastfeeding with baby outdoors.