Why You Should Get Your Newborn Outside Every Morning
Getting outside every day may not be included in the “how to care for your baby” pamphlet when you leave the hospital (or maybe it is if you live somewhere in Scandinavia) but it should be! Going outside everyday has SO many benefits for your newborn baby, but especially getting outside in the morning hours.
I know as a new mom, the list can seem endless with things you “should be doing” with your newborn— as if you need one more thing! But don’t worry, this one is pretty easy and enjoyable for both of you (win-win!)
In general, we all know fresh air and sunshine is good for pretty much everyone, but it’s especially good for newborn babies!
Here are seven more reasons you should be getting your new little bundle outdoors at the start of every day.
1. Helps regulate their circadian rhythm
When babies are born, they don’t exactly know night from day (hello sleepless nights.) They’ve just spent nine months in a dark womb, sleeping at all hours of the day, so we need to establish patterns to help them learn to be awake during the day and asleep at night.
One way to do this is by exposing them to lots of light during the day. Going outside first thing in the morning, or even letting them nap outside, is a healthy habit to help them regulate their circadian rhythm and help improve their nighttime sleep.
2. Vitamin D
Newborns tend to be deficient in vitamin D since the amount they get from breastmilk or formula isn’t usually sufficient.
It is generally recommended that infants under six months of age should be kept out of direct sunlight since their skin is too sensitive for the UV rays, especially during peak hours between 10-4. However, other studies show that sunshine in the morning hours, before 10:00 and no more than 30 minutes, can be enough to boost baby’s vitamin D levels.
Vitamin D is crucial for supporting bone development, preventing rickets, and strengthening the immune system.
3. They can experience the benefits of grounding
There are so many health benefits to getting outside and getting grounded (for my full article on the benefits of grounding, click here.) Grounding (or earthing) is what happens when we walk barefoot on earth’s surface, like grass or sand, and have direct contact with earth’s electrons.
So can babies benefit from grounding too?
Absolutely!
Of course, newborns can’t just walk around barefoot, but you can hold them above the ground with their bare feet touching the grass or sand. You can also breastfeed them skin-to-skin while you are barefoot on the earth. Then you’ll both reap the benefits of grounding!
Grounding has a calming and rejuvenating effect and can reduce inflammation, balance the nervous system, and help fight disease. And since it lowers cortisol levels, it can improve the quality of our sleep. And anything that can naturally improve the quality of baby’s sleep is worth a try!
4. Supports healthy brain development
Babies brains make neural connections through real-life experiences, and nature offers the most stimulating environment for baby’s developing brain. There are so many sounds, colors, and smells going on outside and your baby’s brain is absorbing all of it.
When we are inside, the sensory experience can be a bit more limited for our newborns (especially if you’re postpartum and spending a lot of your recovery time on the couch watching movies like I did lol.)
But the sights, sounds, and smells of the outside— birds singing, light breezes, crunching leaves, maybe a drizzle of rain, the smell and sound of the ocean, sunshine, the feeling of sand or grass, even the sound of a car going by all make for an enriching experience for baby’s developing brain.
5. Strengthens their immune system
In Finland, parents are encouraged to bring their babies outside everyday (and even nap outside everyday) to help strengthen their immune system. In the book, There’s No Such Thing As Bad Weather, Linda Akeson writes that a well-known pediatrician in that part of the world named Arvo Ylppo recommends “exposing children to sunlight as well as fresh and cold air regularly to create ‘sound blood’ and prevent disease.” She explains that cold air specifically was believed to “increase immunity against bacteria by improving blood circulation in the lining of the nose and mouth.”
If you live in a colder area, you may feel hesitant to bring your newborn outside, but the cold air is actually good for them! Unlike popular belief, cold weather does not make babies sick—bacteria and viruses do. Whether it’s warm or cold, fresh air helps minimize bacteria, improve blood circulation, and boosts brain function.
6. Improves sleep
Since exposing your baby to sunshine helps regulate their circadian rhythm, and grounding can lower cortisol levels, the quality of baby’s sleep can be greatly improved by going outside first thing everyday.
If your baby is fussing or having a hard time going to sleep, try walking them outside! Whenever our newborn baby girl was crying or fussing and wouldn’t go to sleep, bringing her outside always did the trick! It was blazing hot outside at the time, but I would pace with her on our patio under our cool misters, and she would instantly relax and go to sleep. Pacing her around the house never worked as quickly as fresh air and the quiet hum of the outdoors.
7. You get all the benefits too
Getting outside every morning is not just good for baby, it’s good for you too, mama!
Be kind to yourself and try to spend the first few moments of the day outside with your little one. Bring your coffee, take off your shoes, and take a deep breath. You can relax knowing that your baby is benefiting from these precious moments they get to spend greeting the day with mama. =)
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Very thoughtful, with detail we don’t think about. I like the addition of benefit for the parent.
There is such a tendency to be protective that we keep babies from things that are beneficial. Glad to see the benefits like vitamin D spelled out