Cold Hands?? How can I keep them warm?

okay - so while napping...bunny girl is FOREVER pushing away blankets, coverings, etc. from her hands.. i tried putting mittens on her hands and she gets them off... i seriously cover them with a SECOND blanket (leaving one on her legs) and within SECONDS - she has her hands out...

she has a blanket on her now (the a/c is on) - it's on her legs - so i just got up and put one on her hands/arms and i didn't even get it SET on her and it was pushed off not 3 seconds later...

now when she wakes up from her nap - her hands will be FREEZING & i'll spend the first 10 minutes of her crying for food trying to warm up her hands in a blanket (holding her hands with my own with a blanket wrapped around them)...

are there any tricks you've found that work? should i try socks - or will they go the same way as the mittens and be pulled off a few seconds later?

thanks in advance!!!!!

Re: Cold Hands?? How can I keep them warm?

DS has the same issue--we have him in all long outfits with the feet because his hands and feet are so cold! Do you have any of the long onesies with the arms that fold up to cover the hands? That helps...But in general, if we keep him in a warmer outfit, I find his hands and feet are warmer. We're wearing all winter-weight stuff like terry cloth (but he's in our central air mostly all day).

Re: Cold Hands?? How can I keep them warm?

we have some of the 't-shirts' from the hospital that have the fold over hand thingies - that NEVER occurred to me - because they're long sleeved and she gets SOOOOOOOO warm....but i guess it's better that she be warm than have freezing fingers...

Re: Cold Hands?? How can I keep them warm?

I read that newborns hands are always cold, it has something to do with their nervous system not yet being mature, or something like that....it doesn't mean that they (the baby) is actually cold.

Re: Cold Hands?? How can I keep them warm?

Cold hands are totally normal for an infant---I always checked the back of DSs neck to see if his body was actually cold.

Re: Cold Hands?? How can I keep them warm?

DS would never keep anything on his hands (and he always broke out of the swaddle). His hands always felt so cold but the ped told me that as long as the back of his neck was warm then he was fine.

Sorry - Nicki said the same thing (which is good because I was afraid it was too long ago to remember the right thing)

Message edited 7/6/2009 7:54:23 PM.

Re: Cold Hands?? How can I keep them warm?

My dr old my cold hands on a baby are normal.

Re: Cold Hands?? How can I keep them warm?

We have a bunch of newborn PJs that have the hand coverings and those seem to work well.

Re: Cold Hands?? How can I keep them warm?

Mattea is ALWAYS kicking blankets off..breaks out of her swaddles and had such a problem with mittens! I found Gerber mittens at Target that have a thicker elastic around the wrist and she has YET to break out! THey are cheap too! 4 pairs for 3.99! Try them...but like the PP said cold hands are totally normal in infants; we use the mittens because she scratches her face like crazy!

Re: Cold Hands?? How can I keep them warm?

Re: Cold Hands?? How can I keep them warm?

yes... madisons hands were always cold.. totally normal for newborns...

Re: Cold Hands?? How can I keep them warm?

Cold hands and feet are normal. DS would have almost purple feet sometimes yet his body was warm.
If you have the AC running durning the day I would just keep her in a cotton strechy with no undershirt. If you don't have the AC running and it is kinda cool with ceiling fans then I would put a onsie with pants. If it is just hot then just a onsie.
I would just let her be. If she is kicking the blanket off of her I would not put a blanket on her. When my 2 were little I used to put a receiving blanket on them from the waist down. When DS was about 2 months old he managed to shimmy his way under the blanket. Lucky for mommy instincts something told me to check on him from my deep sleep. Then with DD at about a month old I went to get her from her nap (she was crying) and she kicked the blanket (lifting her legs up and then slamming them down) and she kicked the blanket over her face. That's when I took the blankets out. DS didn't get a blanket again until he turned 2.5 and DD will be 2 on Thursday and she doesn't like them.

Re: Cold Hands?? How can I keep them warm?

Yup, Mason's hands and feet are always cold. The Ped said it's totally normal. It's just they have poor circulation. Mason is usually always warm

Re: Cold Hands?? How can I keep them warm?

thanks so much girls!!!! nice to know that she's doing SOMETHING normal!!!!

Re: Cold Hands?? How can I keep them warm?

Don't worry about it too much in all honesty. The reason babies hands (and feet) are so cold is because they don't really *need* to use them as of yet. Their bodies restrict blood flow to those extremities so that the blood can be diverted to their organs and other more important parts/systems of their body. As your baby gets older you will notice her ands and feet warming up to a more normal body temp. (SEE BELOW FOR MORE INFO)

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My baby's hands and feet are cold

Before you crank up the thermostat or wrap your little one in another blanket, feel his torso. If it's warm and pink, your baby isn't chilled. Because his circulatory system is still developing, blood is shunted more often to vital organs and systems, where it's needed most. His hands and feet are the last body parts to get a good blood supply. It can take up to three months for his circulation to adapt completely to life outside the womb. In the meantime, it's common for his tiny fingers and toes to feel chilly and look pale. As your baby becomes more mobile and active, his circulation will improve.