Caleb was born during an atypical hot season week, with cool breezes and 80 degree days.  In Cambodian tradition, we were actually able to dress him head to toe in cozy clothes.  This not only allowed us to sidestep the constant unsolicited advice from all Cambodians that he needs to be covered all the time, but also the judgmental looks from nurses and lectures from doctors.  While we certainly didn’t break out the fleece or wool onesies, we did keep his skin totally covered except for his face, utilizing hat, gloves, booties and cotton onesies. 

It’s not just newborns who are traditionally kept at very warm temperatures post-birth – it’s also mothers.  There’s a tradition of “roasting” the new mother and baby by putting them on a bed with hot coals underneath and covering them, head to toe, with warm clothes.  Here’s a short article that explains these, and other post-partum practices. In Phnom Penh, this is not practiced as much as in the countryside, but it is still very common for post-partum mothers to cover up completely and stay home for 1 month. 

After his first week home, hot season decided to arrive in earnest, and we quickly ditched the fully-covered baby look.  In an effort to avoid heat rash and excessive sweating, he gets a lot of time in just his diaper and plenty of naked time, too.  We still get morning breezes which are very pleasant from our third floor bedroom balcony, but around noon most days the temperature is closer to 100 and the heat index is well over that.  We cope just like we have other years – lots of fans, showers mid-day, and hydration. 

One thing I did not remember was how much water a breastfeeding mother should drink.  It’s recommended that a breastfeeding mother drink 16 cups of water a day (1 gallon).  Seeing as its hot season, I would be drinking that much a day without the breastfeeding!  I haven’t been monitoring my intake precisely, but I am drinking somewhere close to twice the recommended amount and I feel parched all the time.  I have water bottles stashed in every room and I often will drink an entire liter at once. 

Like other years, my heat rash covers my neck, particularly on the sides and back where my hair is, though I do keep my hair up almost all the time.  This year I’ve also had it on my chest and arms, most likely due to baby snuggles.  His arms also carry the red dotted pattern of heat rash, though his does not seem to itch. He’s worth every itchy irritation and as long as he is happy to be snuggled, I will keep doing it!   I know that by the time my maternity leave is over, the rains will be starting and he will already be close to rolling over, so this is the time and temperature that I have and I am grateful for it.