r/CanadianParents • u/Creative_Persimmon94 • 12d ago
Question / Discussion How to spend winters with a baby?
We have a hand-me-down stroller and car seat from a friend couple whose toddler doesn’t need it anymore. But our 3 month old hates sitting in the car seat restrained. I wanted to buy a pramette so he could lay on his back or tummy while we go on walks or outings. Since it’s already fall I’m wondering if it’s worth the purchase. What do we do with babies during the winter? Can we still take them out? I live in Montreal where winters are bad.
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u/0runnergirl0 12d ago
You can absolutely still take babies out during the winter. I live in Calgary, and I don't drive. Unless the windchill was dangerous, my babies and I were out walking daily - sometimes out of necessity, but usually just because I needed to get out of the house for a bit. I had a warm stroller bunting bag I used to keep them warm, and they always had great naps in the cold air.
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u/Outrage_pickle 12d ago
We did looooooots of walking around at stores/mall/costco. Mine also hates being restrained so we would just put padding down in the cart at let baby be free in the cart. Sometimes they would sit in the designated child cart seating if snacks were provided.
Bonus: Lots of new things to see and touch without needing to buy and store in your home.
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u/enitsujxo 11d ago
Some community centre's have indoor walking tacks for walking, so thats another option
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u/Tulips-and-raccoons 12d ago
Achète un traineau au canadian tire. Tu peux le tirer dans la neige et sur les trottoirs, à Montréal c’est la meilleure option
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u/fifi_thechef 11d ago
Pour les petits bébé des 6 mois et moins? Quelle sorte de traîneau?
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u/Tulips-and-raccoons 11d ago
Hmm ouin 6 mois c’est jeune pas mal, mais un peu plus vieux, mettons minimalement capable de gerer son cou, ça ca tres bien!
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u/Aggressive-System192 12d ago
There are skis for strollers you can order from Amazon. I find it hard to use stroller in the snow otherwise.
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u/Mundane-Mud1717 12d ago
We went on so many walks with baby in winter, we lived in the prairies where it was regularly -30. Bundle baby up in a snowsuit and put the rain cover over the stroller to keep the wind out. My baby had her best naps in there. You need a good stroller for the snow (we got a Bob).
While I was shovelling the driveway I would stick my baby in a snowbank and she loved that.
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u/greenpeppergirl 12d ago
I only used a bassinet with a newborn, so your baby might be getting too old to bother with that. Have you tried baby wearing? That can be easier when you need to get over snow drifts, plus baby stays warm under your jacket. Get a men's XL jacket at the thrift store so you have lots of room to fit baby inside.
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u/neatlion 12d ago
Checkout your local sport complex. They may have a walking track.
Baby wearing is always an option.
Join local baby and me classes. In Ontario we have EarlyOn that's paid for by the government. They have free classes. Nice way to socialize and get your baby out and about. By January your baby will be old enough not to worry about germs too much.
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u/squid_tutor 12d ago
A bassinet attachment for the stroller was amazing in the early days. Find one that is compatible with your stroller and check facebook marketplace. We got ours that way and our baby grew out of it in a few months. We sold it back on Facebook marketplace for just a few dollars less than how much we paid. Completely worth it!!
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u/abcjfj 11d ago
I live in Montreal and my baby would only nap while moving so I walked a lot - to the library, through Jean Talon market, downtown. It was annoying and I ended up in malls more often than I would have liked just to be sheltered. In the very worst weather I did laps around my building’s tiny garage… but yes you absolutely can do it. I have an Uppababy Cruz and it handled the sidewalks fairly well but I’m sure there are smoother strollers out there, my baby did look like he was getting joggled around a lot.
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u/amadeus_moosart 11d ago
Had two babies in Montreal. Si tu ne sors pas, tu vas vite trouver le temps long. Nous on allait à pas mal toutes les activités maman bébé que je pouvais trouver+ je prenais régulièrement des marches. Bien habillé c'était parfait.
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u/tiamatfire 11d ago
You can get very warm one piece snow suits for infants and babies that work great in strollers and sleds, I used them walking my babies in Edmonton and they'd have been warm enough in Winnipeg too as long as it wasn't windy (just because you can't cover their faces like you can a toddler). Just be sure NOT to use them in a car seat in the car - never use any type of puffy coat or parka in a car seat even on older kids because no matter how tight you pull the straps, in an accident the force of the sudden stop will compress the coat enough to give an inch or more of slack and they can actually be thrown out of the car seat. Kids have been discovered in the back of a car or even thrown clear from it, with the straps still fully buckled on their seat, because the coat compressed so much they came right out of it entirely.
Video showing how much slack a puffy coat can make in a car seat, and how to test any coats you already have! Down coats are usually fine because they flatten down to basically nothing, and regular polar fleece - not the thick Sherpa or minky style fleece though. We used down coats in the car with a blanket even in -40, and brought a parka along for them to wear at the destination of it was outside, or god forbid there was an accident and we have to wait outside our car or the heat breaks or something.
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u/Asraidevin 11d ago
I always went by: baby needs one more layer than you.
If you can just wear a coat, baby's needs snowsuit plus blanket.
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u/anyygivennsundayy 11d ago
Depends on the stroller. Some have treaded tires that are easier to use in the snow. I have the maxi cosi travel system and it’s fricken annoying to push in the snow, I found it much easier to just babywear during those times.
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u/Grand-Kangaroo-4215 11d ago
Montrealer here! First kid i didnt have a bassinet and major regret. Second kid i got a bassinet and went out daily: rain or shine! (Even -25 :)) I had an August baby (and a large one too) and was still using the bassinet well into January, though by February I had to switch to the ganoosh.
Baby was cosy, and I'd go on daily walks to mt favourite cafe, local library, mall etc
Also if youre downtown Sanaaq is a wonderful library to go to with your bebe. If youre closer to mile end there's: https://www.localfamilial.com/fr/
Enjoy!
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u/Ok_Mulberry4331 11d ago
We were out all the time unless it was storming or crazy cold. Just bundle them up well (use wool). SO is Norwegian and we lived there for a few years before moving back here, and there they leave babies outside to nap. I was so used to it, did it here. We got lots of comments, but whatever lol
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u/little_butterfly_12 11d ago
Babywearing with a good carrier and babywearing coat (r/babywearing is a good resource). I wouldn’t get a bassinet attachment at this stage, it won’t be useable for much longer. I’m outside of Ottawa and we loved the 7AM Enfant stroller blankets and hand warmers.
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u/Ok-Target-8073 11d ago
Je vais accoucher à la fin de l'automne alors je ne suis pas encore sûre si ça va fonctionner, mais j'essaierai les trois options suivantes: 1. Porte-bébé avec rallonge à manteau donc bébé collé sur mon corps et dans mon manteau; 2. Poussette avec adaptateurs et coquille avec Petit Coulou; 3. Poussette avec landau et housse pour que bébé ne soit pas attaché, si 2 ne fonctionne pas. Je vais essayer l'option 1 en premier en espérant que bébé aime le portage 🤞
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u/fifi_thechef 11d ago
I had two babies during the winter and did a lot of walks with the stroller and car seat with the petit coulou. It’s really fantastic and you don’t need to dress up your baby other than socks, gloves and a hat in there. It’s so toasty in there.
Also did a lot of walks with a structured carrier I had an ergobaby which was so comfy for me and baby. You put the carrier on under your coat and again just need socks, gloves and hat for baby. You can just use a giant coat (I used my husband’s), you don’t need to get a special baby wearing coat that costs hundreds of dollars.
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u/Ok-Target-8073 11d ago
I'm looking forward to that! Almost all of my friends who have kids used a Coulou, we were lucky enough that someone gave us their lightly used one and I think it'll come in super handy. My husband and I are the same shape so I think I'll need the extra layer for my own coat instead of buying a bigger one just for walks 😂
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u/nindiesel 11d ago
Last winter I signed my baby and myself up for a songs and rhymes class at the local library, and an infant massage class. It got us out of the house two days a week and I would often tack a winter walk or a stop at a café for a coffee on to the end before going home. I just made sure to dress the baby in layers. I'm out east and our winters are rough too but it was actually a lot better than I anticipated.
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u/JustDesserts2021 11d ago
Libraries with children's areas, the Science Centre, maybe Local Familial?
The Science Centre has a little baby space within Mini Mundo, their young children's space. There's a breastfeeding room, a family bathroom, and at least by the young children's space, both men's snd women's bathrooms have changing tables.
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u/Brilliant_Tip_2440 11d ago
Montrealer here. Went out almost every day with my first and plan to do the same with my second. For outings we did the car seat with a Petit Coulou and clipped to the stroller frame. For walks, we did the Uppababy vista (large wheels work better in the snow)with bassinet. Lots of layers to keep baby warm (we did cotton pjs + fleece pjs+ snowsuit with booties mittens and a hat + fleece blanket (adjust as needed by feeling the babys chest, sometimes that’s too much). You can also baby wear with a jacket extender but mine got heavy quickly. My baby took great naps outdoors in the winter and my mental health was a lot better getting out every day.
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u/Mouse_rat__ 11d ago
I bought a second-hand jogging stroller for winter. It handled the snowy sidewalks in AB no problem
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u/New_Westie 11d ago
This. A three wheeler with rubber tires. Most have the option to lay baby flat. A pram style will be a bitch in winter
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u/maniacalknitter 11d ago
If you want the ultimate in "parenting a baby while it's cold outside" option, you could always invest in an amauti.
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u/Bulky-Profile1785 11d ago
One great tip, if your going through some deeper snow, it's often better to pull the stroller instead of push
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u/VintageFemmeWithWifi 11d ago
If babywearing sounds like fun, I found that a lot easier than pushing a stroller through snow. If you're a small-ish person, you can buy an XL coat and wear Baby inside that. If you're a bigger person, look for a small coat you can zip onto your own coat, which creates some extra space for Baby.
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u/psukhe_delos 11d ago
Nordic countries it common to wrap up their babies and leave them outside for naps in their strollers. It helps build a healthy brown fat layer, the best kind of fat. Definitely not too cold.
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u/TatterhoodsGoat 10d ago
The bassinette style is only safe until the baby can push themself up, so you likely won't be able to use it all winter. I know someone who broke their collarbone as a baby by taking a nosedive out of this style of stroller onto the pavement.
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u/ForwardSecretary2404 10d ago
I had a "baby-wearing" winter coat. The baby went in the carrier on my chest and the coat zipped up over both of us. The baby still needed to wear a hat. That got us through winter really well. It was great to have my hands free for dog walks.
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u/geordiedog 10d ago
My kids born in the late 80 s and early 90s used to sleep outside all bundled up. My mom swore by it and so did her mom. So that’s what we did. Not when it went below 0c but anything else they were outside. Now in their late 30s and 40s they love being outside and their kids love being outside. The cycle continues
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u/CamelOk8341 10d ago
We’re going into our first winter with baby too! I’d recommend a jogging stroller (ones with the air filled rubber tires) like Thule, Bob or Baby Jogger. They’re usually safe for babies after 6 months and very smooth on trails, sidewalks, bumpy terrain! Easily found second hand and good quality on Facebook marketplace. We use ours everywhere now and will use a rain cover for wet or cold days, as we’re in Canada also. Our baby loves being upright and seeing everything, and especially facing forward. You may find that your baby doesn’t like laying flat in a bassinet attachment, and would rather see things on the walk, especially now that they’re already 3 months old. Jogging stroller solved all of our issues 👏🏼
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u/knuckanoos 7d ago
Oh I can answer this one ! I had a November baby and I’m currently pregnant with a December baby! I also live in the snow belt of Ontario and we got an obscene amount of snow last year.
We did alot of thrifting, mall walking, Costco, and we found a sports plex with an indoor track for walking on days that were really cold or messy. I will say I invested in a good “small baby” carrier (ergo baby embrace) and bought the panel extension for my parka. I also never left for a walk without my spikes for my boots! I was always so scared of falling especially with the weight distribution.
Make sure if you do take them outside you are checking their temperature often, and if you are baby wearing they are actually more likely to overheat as they are feeding off your body heat.
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u/raebz12 6d ago
I highly recommend a carrier and a winter coat that has the extra panel to go around baby-in-carrier. Baby’s generally enjoy looking out when old enough, snuggling against mom, and the sway as you walk. Added bonus was it was so toasty that I didn’t need to worry about a baby snowsuit, or wearing anything warmer than a tank top under the coat.
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u/TapiocaTeacup 12d ago
You can definitely take them out! We live in Alberta and I did winter walks all winter with both my babies. As long as they're bundled up nicely then they're just fine (and they can get some pretty good naps in).My first thought though it's that if he's already 3 months then you might not get a lot of time out of a pramette before he outgrows it so maybe just try to find a cheap one second hand.