Your first winter with a baby in Canada: what nobody tells you
Minus 20 degrees, a newborn, and no family nearby. Here's what you really need to know about the Canadian winter with a baby.
The first Canadian winter with a baby is an experience that appears in no manual. It shows up in WhatsApp groups at 11pm. In voice messages to the moms you left back home. In the eyes of a baby who has never seen this much snow.
What I did know
I knew it was going to be cold. Very cold. The kind that takes your breath away when you step outside.
What I didn’t know was that the biggest challenge wouldn’t be the weather. It would be the loneliness of not having anyone who could be there in 20 minutes when the baby has been crying for hours and so have you.
What nobody mentions
That going out with a baby in winter is a 40-minute logistical operation. Layers, thermal onesie, blanket, car seat cover, warming up the car, the fact that cold outdoor temperatures affect how the car seat straps behave…
And by the time you’re finally ready, the baby fell asleep.
What actually helps
- A local community. Public library mom groups are free and are lifesavers.
- Accepting that you’re going to ask for help. Asking for help isn’t weakness — it’s survival.
- Baby winter gear, ahead of time. Don’t wait for the cold to arrive to look for what you need.
Was your first winter also a chaotic, beautiful adventure? Tell me in the newsletter.