Dressing an April Baby, tips for spring days

Spring weather is always changeable, and April can be especially unpredictable. If you’re expecting your baby in April, you may be feeling a little unsure about which baby clothes you’ll need to buy.

Mornings are often still chilly, while by the afternoon temperatures can climb as high as 20 to 25°C, with rain, showers, wind and occasional sunshine all taking turns. Our climate has become rather unpredictable, and it’s not always easy to plan ahead, but there are still a few essential pieces we’d recommend to help you prepare.

A newborn’s ability to regulate body temperature is not yet fully developed, so it’s very important to dress your baby appropriately. Whether they’re sleeping, relaxing at home or out for a walk, they should always feel comfortable and safe. In this article, we’ll show you how to dress your April baby in layers, using easy-to-mix pieces, and what to look out for when choosing the right TOG rating for unsettled spring weather.

Dressing April babies in layers

LiaaBébé recommends dressing babies born in April in layers.

• For sleep: At an air temperature of 22 to 24°C, a bodysuit, a babygrow and a 0.5 TOG sleeping bag are ideal. Above 25°C, the same outfit is usually enough without the babygrow.
• During the day: The same outfit used for sleep works perfectly well, it’s comfortable and flexible.
• For outdoors: At around 5°C, a bodysuit and babygrow with a footmuff on top work well. In milder weather, a 2.5 TOG sleeping bag can be a great alternative to a footmuff.

The right room temperature for a newborn

According to professional guidance, 22 to 25°C is considered ideal. As newborns are still developing their temperature regulation, they need a slightly warmer environment than adults do. If you keep within this range, you can help prevent both chilling and overheating, so your baby stays safe and comfortable.

Take care to make sure your little one is not exposed to direct draughts. Ventilating the room is important, but it’s best to open a window in another room rather than letting cold air blow directly onto your baby.

What should a baby wear at a room temperature of 22 to 25°C?

If the temperature stays steady through the night, LiaaBébé recommends a bamboo bodysuit and overalls up to 24°C, with either a sleeping bag or a blanket on top. At around 25°C, a bodysuit under a sleeping bag or a lightweight blanket is usually enough.

When choosing baby clothes, the most important things are:

• soft, stretchy fabric and easy dressing

• temperature-regulating properties, so your baby’s body does not become too cold or too warm

Essential clothing for April babies

• Short-sleeved or long-sleeved bodysuits in bamboo fabric, available in plain colours or lovely cheerful prints

• Babygrows with a zip for easy changing and dressing

• Sleeping bags in 1.0 to 1.5 TOG, with 2.5 TOG also useful outdoors, roomy and stretchy

• Lightweight and warmer baby blankets, socks, a cotton hat and mittens

If you choose bamboo fabric, layering becomes much simpler, because this textile has temperature-regulating properties. It can help keep your baby cool in warm weather and cosy in cooler temperatures, while helping to prevent sweating. That makes it much easier to adapt your baby’s outfit to the temperature on those changeable April days.

Daytime clothing for your newborn

Very young babies do not move much yet, so they produce less body heat. Daytime outfits can be very similar to night-time ones, usually one layer more than what you yourself would find comfortable. This helps your baby stay warm even when the environment changes around them.

Dressing your baby outdoors in April weather

Outdoors, the differences in temperature can be greater. That’s why layering is the most practical choice. It allows you to adjust clothing easily if the temperature changes suddenly, whether you’re out for a walk or spending half a day away from home.

Mornings are often still cool, so over a long-sleeved bodysuit and a babygrow, a light jacket and a thicker blanket or a suitable footmuff can work well. A 2.5 TOG sleeping bag with an extra blanket gives added warmth, but you can also use a winter footmuff. A little hat and socks are also a good idea.

At midday, if the sun is out and it’s around 14 to 16°C, a bodysuit, babygrow and 2.5 TOG sleeping bag will usually be comfortable and enough. If needed, you can add a blanket too. When layering, always go by the actual temperature on the day.

In April, daytime temperatures are usually around 10 to 20°C, so 1.5 and 2.5 TOG sleeping bags are often the most practical for outdoor use when your baby is also wearing a bodysuit and babygrow underneath. TOG ratings are primarily based on indoor temperatures, but they can still be a useful guide outdoors if you’re dressing your little one in layers.

What does TOG mean?

TOG is a unit of measurement that shows the thermal insulation of a fabric, in other words how warm a sleeping bag or little blanket is. The higher the value, the thicker and warmer the sleeping bag. The right TOG rating should be chosen in relation to the room temperature:

• 0.5 TOG: 23 to 25°C

• 1.0 TOG: 21 to 24°C

• 1.5 TOG: 20 to 23°C

• 2.5 TOG: 18 to 21°C

Why is bamboo fabric the best choice?

One of the main benefits of bamboo is its temperature-regulating ability. It helps keep your baby warm in winter and cool in summer, wicks away moisture and allows the skin to breathe beautifully. Your baby’s skin stays dry, which can help prevent rashes and rubbing. Based on feedback from our customers, these fabrics are not only wonderfully comfortable but also very durable, so they can be used for longer.

Your feedback means so much to us

We always love reading your messages, and today we’ve brought two of them here as well:

• “We simply adore them. The fabric is so soft, and while my girls already need size 74 in other brands, size 62 still fits perfectly in LiaaBébé because it’s so stretchy. I can only recommend it to everyone, you’re guaranteed to fall in love.”
  Petra
• “We love the products. Even after repeated washing, the colours have not faded, nothing has shrunk in the wash, and the quality has stayed just as lovely as before.”
  Johanna

FAQ

How can I tell if my baby is too warm or too cold?

Feel your baby’s skin under their clothes at the neck, chest or back. If the skin is flushed and damp, they are too warm. If it feels cold and looks mottled, they are too cold.

What should we take with us if the temperature changes quickly during a walk?

• a lightweight jumper

• a hat

• a blanket

• a footmuff

• lighter layers in an easy-to-remove order

Is an extra blanket needed alongside a sleeping bag?

Usually not, if you’re using a 2.5 TOG sleeping bag. On very cold days, below 10°C, a thin blanket can be useful as an extra layer, so it’s always worth keeping one in the pram.

When dressing an April baby, the key is layering, choosing the right TOG ratings and using natural fabrics. If you keep these in mind, your baby will be dressed comfortably and safely, whether at home or out for a walk. If you’d like to choose baby clothes more consciously and want that extra reassurance that the fabric can adapt to your child’s body temperature, then bamboo may be a lovely option for your family.

Discover LiaaBébé babywear and build the perfect spring wardrobe from the very first days.

Written by Mónika Veres

References:

NHS - How to dress a newborn baby

The Lullaby Trust - How to dress your baby for sleep