Bit of a weird question, but it's been bugging me LOL

[TillyG]

Hiya

Haven't really been in to the parenting part of this forum before (tend to hang out on the huge Big Brother thread!) but there's something I've been meaning to ask ever since I moved to Australia in February.

Why does everyone cover their babies up so much? eg, in a pram, there will be a muslin cloth hanging from the pram-hood right over it so you can't see the baby. Same with pushchairs. And when there's a baby in a sling (and why are they always baby-bjorn ones?!) bubs invariably has a blanket or cloth over its head.

Now, I can understand it when it's summer as you want to keep the sun off them but it's the middle of winter here now and I just don't get it!?

So, anyone care to explain why ?

PS - hope I don't come across as too aggressive or p*ssy - typing in a hurry as DD (2y10m) could wake up anytime :laughing:

Tilly x

[jessgray]

i often wonder the same thing lol my ds only has a blanket on him when he is asleep in the pram otherwise it doesnt stay there lmao

[kirstenriley]

my friend (and i used to when DS was little) puts the blanket over the pram hood so that is nice and dark inside so bubs can sleep.....but then i figured if i kept that up DS would never sleep unless it was dark!!!!

not sure about the others though.

[TillyG]

:laughing: you mustn't be round my way as literally EVERY child is "hidden"... it's almost in the realms of Wacko-Jacko-ness

Maybe their babies are really ugly ;) :laughing:

[~Emmylou~]

I notice this alot too.
I think people are trying to get their bubs to sleep in the pram and if they can't see out then they're more likely to go to sleep?

I'm pretty strict about making sure she sleeps at home, I'm not real keen on dragging her around and expecting her to sleep so we don't usually worry about covering her up. When we're out and about she's looking around bright as a button :D

[Mister Noodle]

Where are you from?

We get a lot more sun here than some parts of the world, so UV protection actually is an issue. Perhaps that accounts for some of the difference you're seeing.

[TillyG]

D'oh I hadn't thought of it being to get them to go to sleep! DD was always one of those babies who would sleep when she felt like it, regardless of what else was going on (hence her ALWAYS falling asleep as I was coming into land when I flew to my parents... an hour long flight and she'd be bright as a button until 10mins before landing - awkward b*gger!)

[TillyG]

Where are you from?

We get a lot more sun here than some parts of the world, so UV protection actually is an issue. Perhaps that accounts for some of the difference you're seeing.

From the UK.

I understand the sun issue but not when the weather's as cr*p as it has been these past few weeks LOL I know that UV rays can get through when it's overcast, but surely not when it's peeing it down!?

I think I'll just put it all down to (another) quirk of Australia - it's amazing the little things that are done differently here :)

[Ana Gram]

You know you can actually get sunburnt in winter, that's why I always covered her up.

[babylover111]

yeah i agree with emmylou, the muslim wraps over the top of the pram help to block out visual stimulation because otherwise they're too busy looking around to fall asleep then can become overtired :eek:

[TillyG]

You know you can actually get sunburnt in winter, that's why I always covered her up.

Oh right. Forgot about that really. Being from the UK, where you're lucky to even SEE the sun in the height of summer, it's a big mental shift to be here where it's so much sunnier :)

[TillyG]

yeah i agree with emmylou, the muslim wraps over the top of the pram help to block out visual stimulation because otherwise they're too busy looking around to fall asleep then can become overtired :eek:

That makes some sense I guess.

I just always loved DD being able to have a good look around at things, even when she was weeny.

[Pixie]

I do it no matter the weather, UV is always there just the same as if she's in her sling which isn't a BB it's a hugabub she always wears a hat. Also the muslin wrap deters people from touching her. :)

[Milliner]

I always put the blanket over DS pram when he is tired if he can't see whats going on around him he will fall asleep. If I don't do it he will just cry!!!

[Ana Gram]

Oh right. Forgot about that really. Being from the UK, where you're lucky to even SEE the sun in the height of summer, it's a big mental shift to be here where it's so much sunnier :)

That's why you see a lot of poms come over for a holiday in the Aussie sun and end up looking like lobsters!

[TillyG]

That's why you see a lot of poms come over for a holiday in the Aussie sun and end up looking like lobsters!

Ah, they're not doing so badly for sun at the moment though :) 38C in loads of places... poor wee things can't cope though as the UK just isn't "built" for hot weather... but neither am I - that first month I was here (arrived 13 Feb) was hellishly hot!

[Lil X-men]

Yes I am from NZ and found my first summer here pretty nasty!!
DS is 15months old now so ahrldy ever goes in the pram. But when it was overly sunny I would cover his pram, and also if he went to sleep I would cover it up too, just to stop any distractions waking him up as he was a light sleeper.
I never covered him up to hide him from people though, I loved to let him be upright and looking around and smiling at people.
The sun is a concern over here though so I can understand people's tendencies top cover up bubs outdoors. I used to use a shade screen thing, so he could still see out, but the mozzies and sun couldn't get him.

[Oscar's mum]

I never ever covered Ozzy when he was smaller in the sling or the pram unless we were outside in which case I would put a hat on his head in the sling and the UV pram cover on the pram.

[cheezelkat]

I only ever cover when outside, and do it to protect bub from UV rays.

[razzle]

I still cover E when she falls asleep in the pram, the bright lights of the shops sometimes partially wake her and if there's a blanket over the pram then usually she just goes back to sleep.

[SnoozesWithCats]

I covered up Julia to stop her being poked out of her sleep by all the other kids while we were at the park with Rachel!

Funny thing though - she hated it, she'd never go to sleep while the cover was on, she liked to drowse off looking at the interesting people. So I always had to sneak the blanket on once she was asleep.

[KarniF00l]

UV rays is a problem everywhere not just australia.. but yeah thats why my baby is always covered.. oh and in the winter to keep the cold breeze out aswell.

[lukaelmo]

Sun sun sun...

I cover the dude up because of the sun too... you can easily get burnt here in winter...

[Funkychicken]

Well in the middle of winter I cover my baby up because it is cold! Baby's bodies can't regulate heat like adults and if their tiny organs get cold (ie.kidneys, lungs) it can actually slow down their growth-the body is working too hard trying to generate heat and their organs suffer.
Apart from that, a brand new or very small baby has a sense of sacredness about him/her and the first few weeks should be a time to stay shrouded and protected from the world. If the baby is there for all to see, people tend to touch, grab and want to pick the baby up.:)

[kymmy]

I only use a sheet to cover my baby in pram for sun (UV) protection.
I now have a better pram so that makes it easier.
I think ppl cover up indoors cos they want bubba to sleep.
Esp if they are used to it being darkened at home.

[Mischief]

I do it to keep grotty strangers from coming up and touching my nice clean baby with their dirty unwashed hands and breathing their germs on him! LOL

Also if he cant see everything that is ging on around him he tends to sleep sooner than getting over tired and over stimulated! :D

[gidgeroo]

You might find that lots of people pop bub in the pram for a sleep and then go for a walk (or bub only sleeps in a moving pram) - that might explain some of the covered up bubs.:sleeping:

I only cover DS2 up when the sun is directly in his eyes or when he's asleep. There have been windy days when I've covered him so no dust etc gets into his eyes. :cool: I think its important for him to be aware of his surroundings and to be looking around at where we're going.

He's pretty cute but I doubt anyone is going to steal him out of the pram.;) g

[Niki]

my ds loves to look around so i dont cover the pram, he is nosey like his mum

[TillyG]

Thanks for all the replies girls - much appreciated :) Hope you didn't feel I was having a go or taking the mick at all, as that wasn't my intent.

I think part of it is that I never used to see many mums & bubs at all in the UK - so to suddenly see LOADS of prams with covers on made me stop and think.

I used to drive everywhere in the UK but now we don't have a car so I'm out and about more often.

Thanks again :)

T x

[Corie]

when maddy was a newborn like a few weeks old i used to cover her up so she wouldnt get wind....

[twins+another]

I used to cover the twins when they were little so that it didn't take 4 hours to do the grocery shopping. People seem to have a strange attraction to twins, so to stop everyone from wanting to have a look, I would hide them!

[bigglet]

I used to wonder about the same thing!! My newborn was always able to sleep anywhere anytime regardless so I never had to cover her up..... and then recently at 5 1/2 months she is so aware of her surroundings now that I've done the old "pull out a blanket and cover the pram" with it just so there is nothing stimulating her and usually she goes off to sleep within minutes. I never thought I would do that myself!! :laughing: Obviously it works!!!

[JeSsIkA]

like other have said,.block out all the stimulation from the lights and noise in the shopping centre.... otherwise DS would not sleep and then i would have very overtired baby to deal with..
i never did it with DD bc she used to sleep where ever we went but DS is not so good at sleeping

[KaM]

I usually use the muslin wrap to block out the sun when we go walking more then anything . .and sometimes if the shopping centre lights seem really bright I will kind of half cover her . .

I have noticed heaps lately that some poor little bubbas seem like they are going to suffocate. Ill be walking through the shopping centre and you'll see some poor little baby who's rugged up to the nines with blankets upon blankets and their poor little faces are so red. . I even saw in the parents room once this little boy about 2 weeks old and he had about 4 layers of clothes and then about 4 blankets .. I couldnt help but feel so sorry for the poor little buggers . .dont mean to sound bad. . lol . .just feel sorry for them

[TillyG]

I have noticed heaps lately that some poor little bubbas seem like they are going to suffocate. Ill be walking through the shopping centre and you'll see some poor little baby who's rugged up to the nines with blankets upon blankets and their poor little faces are so red. . I even saw in the parents room once this little boy about 2 weeks old and he had about 4 layers of clothes and then about 4 blankets .. I couldnt help but feel so sorry for the poor little buggers . .dont mean to sound bad. . lol . .just feel sorry for them

That drives me nuts too :laughing: In antenatal classes we were always told that baby should wear one more layer than you. So if I'm wearing a t-shirt, baby should wear a vest and a t-shirt. If I'm wearing a t-shirt, jumper and coat, baby should have the same plus a vest.