How to Survive Summer as a New Mom

5 postpartum wellness tips and lots of really cute babies.

If you’re having a summer baby, you are one lucky mama, right? Nope, not so fast. As good as summertime can be for the psyche, it can be bad for your brand new babe. From bug bites to high temps to the scorching sunrays, everything about summer seems to be after your little one’s well being — and thus your sanity; and you, mama, well… You can’t even splash the heat away for at least the first six weeks postpartum. So what’s a new mom to do to keep her cool all summer long?

Fear not. Even with a newborn in tow, summer is still not the time to hide indoors. You just need to make sense of this (sweaty) transition into motherhood and know what to do so that you and your little one have the safest, sunniest summer yet. That’s why we recently hosted NYC mamas and their babies for a Well Rounded Postpartum Wellness Workshop at Pure Yoga, and gathered some of NYC’s foremost wellness and parenting experts to give our guests a little summer pep talk.

From new mom nutrition hacks to summer babywearing tips, here’s what new moms should do to welcome their new bundles and the hottest season of the year with confidence.

1. One of the best things about summer is all of the fun and adventure to be had…and babywearing makes spending time with your little ones that much easier. With Ergobaby’s mesh carriers, parents and caregivers can keep baby close while staying cool too! Two tips for babywearing in warm weather: keep a layer of fabric between you and baby to help make things feel less sticky. Also, you can slip a flexible, soft ice pack into your zippered pocket to help help keep you and your baby a bit cooler. Happy babywearing! — Christina Soletti, Ergobaby

2. Moms on the go need to think about their own nutrition, too! Here’s a great tip! Sneak some of your little’s delicious, fresh baby food. Just spread some apple puree on a piece of whole wheat toast or swirl some mango puree into a cup of Greek yogurt and voila! A healthy (and fast) snack for mama! — Michelle Muller, Little Spoon

3. Sunscreen should be worn year round, but it is especially critical during the summer months when you typically spend the most time outdoors. Be sure to apply sunscreen on your face and body. After a fun day in the sun with your little ones, Vichy’s new clean moisturizer – Mineral 89 – is the perfect dose of strength and hydration your skin needs. — JamieRagusa, Vichy

4. Skip screen time and choose playtime! For many of us summer involves a little bit of extra travel. Next time you are on the road or in the air, skip the iPad, which passively entertains, and encourage your little one to actively engage in play instead. Whether that means singing songs with a rattle, making up a story with finger puppets or playing dress up, take the opportunity to unplug and turn to play! — Allison Klein, Rose & Rex

5. When it comes to cooking (and eating!), use what’s in season. Apricots are plentiful in the summer. Add to store-bought salsa for a summery twist. And be creative! Grill summer peaches on the BBQ and top them with coconut milk ice cream for an extra sweet summer treat. Don’t forget to stay hydrated. Instead of ice cubes, add frozen fruit to a pitcher of water and voila! Gorgeous kid-friendly summer sangria. Arielle Haspel of Be Well with Arielle, in partnership with FreshDirect

In between workshops and talks, our mama guests got to indulge in a healthy, energizing lunch from Sweetgreen and sip on yummy mocktails made with organic baby food ingredients by Little Spoon. For those who needed a break, HelloSitter came to the rescue and took over rocking and soothing duties while mom ran to the bathroom or got a pampering face massage from the experts at FaceLove, capped off by a refreshing spritz of Vichy’s Mineralizing Thermal Water.

Meanwhile, babies got to lounge around on soft swaddles from Just Born, then took turns in the cozying up on giggle’s gorgeous gliders in the FreshDirect Feeding Nook.

As usual, our guests got to leave the event with an adorable Maptote bag (can you really ever have enough cute tote bags, mama?) filled to the brim with gifts from our event sponsors and some extras from June & January, Comotomo, Earth Mama Angel Baby and babo botanicals and got to choose their fave nursing gear from our Belabumbum Bra Bar.

Scroll down to get a glimpse of the event, and hope we’ll see you at the next one!