Can't reduce room temperature...terrified of overheating & SIDS

[NannyLB]

New to this site & parenthood (!!) so not sure if I'm going about this the right way but would b grateful for some advice from real parents as the various professional guidelines and resources have me worried!

I have an 8week old and am terrified about overheating. Our flat is warm anyway but with the recent hot weather it has got worse and no matter what I do (windows open, fan on, blinds closed during day etc) I cannot get our bedroom temperature (where baby sleeps in his moses basket) below 22-24C - my GroEgg thermometer is constantly glowing red and making me feel awful! I know the guidelines to reduce risk of SIDS suggest 16-20C is recommended but I cannot get room temp within this range. Baby sleeps in a vest and nappy and I have put a light sheet or cellular blanket over him (to his waist) when I've thought he felt cooler in the night (although generally he is warm without) I am just obsessed with the temperature and terrified about SIDS / baby overheating in the night - does anyone else have a similar situation and any advice?
Sorry for wordy post but This is causing great anxiety and reducing sleep even more than usual so any reassurance would be appreciated!

Many thanks in advance!

[Mogz]

First try and calm down, you sound very anxious, you're doing the right thing by asking for ideas so have a while you wait for people to come along.
Have you tried placing a bowl of ice cubes and water in front of a fan blowing in the direction of baby? Not right at the cot as you don't want to create a chilly draft.
Congrats on your lovely baby and good luck battling the summer temperatures!

[LittleBearPad]

I hated my groegg thermometer after about three weeks last summer when DD was born and a heatwave arrived. The red glow made me feel so guilty - bloody thing.

You are doing all the right things to bring the temperature down as much as possible but try not to worry if the groegg stays red. Just a vest / nappy combo is good and if you really worry you could try just a nappy. He'll let you know if he's chilly.

When you are worrying about the temperature remember that there are lots of babies in much hotter countries than the UK and they sleep in warmer rooms and they are ok.

The risk of SIDS is very small, I imagine you're following all the other guidance and so please try not to worry (I really do know this is hard).

If it makes you feel any better I ended up hurling my groegg across the floor one day - it still worked though and it turned red straight away again - grrrr.

[SavoyCabbage]

That's what I was going to say. I live in Australia and we freeze milk bottles with water in and stand them in front of the fan.

If its hot outside, don't open your windows or curtains/blinds at all until the sun drops. We have to do that all the time here. "Closing your house up" people call it. It stops the heat getting in in the first place.

[cornflakegirl]

You might be aware of this already, but having a window open (for a through-draught) or having a fan on won't actually change the room temperature as measured by a thermometer. It will change the temperature of the people in the room, as the flowing air assists the body's natural cooling mechanisms.

You can tell by touch how warm a baby is, so use that as your guide rather than the thermometer if you have a fan on. And keep doing all the other sensible stuff you're doing. (Can entirely sympathise, we had similar weather the year DS1 was born, and I was also really worried.)

[larrygrylls]

Haha,

22-24 will be absolutely fine! It is amazing, really, that any babies at all make it in the south of Europe, Asia and Africa, what with night temperatures often not falling below the high 20s/low 30s. Also strange that most post natal wards are 25-30 degrees. If 16-20 is ideal, 22-24 will maybe push a 1 in 4,000 risk to a 1 in 3,500, or something like that. Bin the thermometer and just make sure the room is not sweltering.

Really, people

[cornflakegirl]

larry did you mean to be so rude? OP is a new mum trying to do the best for her baby. And the rest of us have offered sensible advice and said not to worry too much. There's no need to patronise us.

[larrygrylls]

I meant everything bar the last two words. Those I honestly typed by accident (no idea how.. think I meant to start a sentence and didn't) and did not notice. Apologies, they do come across as patronising.

[worldgonecrazy]

Check baby's temperature by feeling the back of the neck. You are doing all the right things, and it is perfectly normal for new mums to worry about SIDS.

Chuck the thermometer in the bin - it is causing you anxiety and serving no real purpose. You know if it is too hot or too cold. I was worried about DD so I bought a rabbit fur and a bamboo blanket to go over her legs in the cot and she just slept in a baby gro. Natural materials breathe more easily and allow the body to cool, so I [prefer them to manmade materials.

[Bumpsadaisie]

Please don't worry.

People in Spain, Italy, Greece, Morrocco all have babies, they all survive the warmth.

My son's room is always around 24 in the summer and 21 in the winter. We live in a cosy cottage with thick walls and he has got the water tank in his room. We just open window and he sleeps in the lightest grobag (0.5 tog) and just his nappy.

Get rid of the thermometer, and rely on your instinct. If your baby is bright red, drowning in sweat and distressed then he's too hot. Otherwise he's fine!

[NannyLB]

Thanx everyone for your advice and comments - it really is reassuring to hear and much appreciated! Will keep an eye on baby's temperature as you suggest and maybe banish the angry looking gro egg for now!

[LittleBearPad]

I think mine yellow (ie the correct temperature) for about one night last winter then the bloody thing went blue (too cold). I gave up then.

The sad face is also particularly guilt inducing.

Don't worry OP. it will be ok.

Congratulations on your new baby.

[flatmum]

get rid of the thermometer. It will be fine :) It is th erisk of overheating through being too wrapped up in multiple layers that is associated with SIDS risk (no air circulation) not an ambient temp of 24C. And having a smoker in the house is a far bigger risk.

Please dont stress - I remember being exactly the same with ds1. With ds3 I don't think I ever measured the temp in his room. Just keep him cool sleeping in light clothes, use cellular blankets, it will be fine.

I also got very anxious first time around. Some peopel dont agree but we got a breathing monitor (dual pads) and have used it with all children throughout the time they were in their cot or moses baskets, really helped me stop obsessing over SIDS risk.

[Mutley77]

I know how you feel. Although all these temp recommendations kind of make it easier in some ways they cause added stress, of course you can t make the weather cooler!

Tbh our room was 22 to 24 last night and based on a temp guide I had Dd was in a long sleeve vest and 1 tog grobag. I hope that wasn't too much for her but she didn't seem hot at all.

But going on your instinct is definitely best and if you have a nagging doubt remove a layer, that's what I do and 2 of my dc have been fine with that...

However I
never was brave enough to trust my instinct and put a blanket over a grobag when they had cold hands and arms, although lot of my friends did!

[honeytea]

I really worried about sids and still do even though ds is over 6 months

We bought a portable air con machine to try and cool our bedroom, without it our bedroom is 26 degrees, with it we can get it down to 22 degrees, we live in a country that has hotter summers than the UK so I was especially worried about the heat.

At 22 degrees I dress ds in just a 1.5 sleepingbag and a nappy, I would say your baby is probably safer in a babygrow than a vest + blanket, I think blankets are a risk as they can cover their faces.

Your baby is at less risk of sids because it is summer so that is a good thing.

We bought a breathing alarm and it really helped, I hopethe worry eases soon.

[BoohPear]

It gets to 28 degrees in our bedroom most mornings in the summer. My baby has been sleeping in a short sleeved vest and 1 tog sleeping bag with the fan only just blowing into her cot.

Its worrying but you really will know if they are too hot or not. Their tummy should feel lovely and warm. Not cool or hot/clammy.

[Pinklady08]

My lg's room is always red as the sun is on her window all afternoon from about 1pm. Shes 15 months nearly and now I put her to bed in just a pj top an put her bottoms on when I go to bed as her body temp drops even if the room temp doesn't. I put damp towels on the radiator in her room to lower the temp.
When she was newborn even at a few weeks old I put her to bed in just a nappy or a nappy and vest. (she hates blankets an being tucked in). If she was too hot shed scream her head off until I put her in just a nappy.

Your little one will let you know if theyre uncomfortable.

[SimLondon]

yes - breathing alarm, we used angelcare movement and sound monitor. Although one time i forgot to turn it of - and was halfway down the stairs when it went off and i nearly dropped DD when it went off :-)

[stillenacht]

If you can get a portable air conditioner. We have one for my DSs room, it's excellent .

[jammiedonut]

Might be a bit late here, but if you're worried he's hot, why is he sleeping with a vest and a blanket? We've had ds in his nappy, covered with a muslin (which he usually shrugs off anyway) as its been so hot. Feel his tummy to check if he is too warm and just make sure he's hydrated, he'll be fine!

[AlexDent]

Myself and my husband had a huge problem with jumping from too hot with low humidity and then from too cold and high humidity. We had a heater in the room and also a humidifier. We got into lots of arguments over what was best as our son was coughing intermittently. I believe this was down to low humidity at times.
We ended up getting a room thermometer that records to our phones. It was a wifi one called babytempnet. It was brilliant as we could look back through the night to see what we we where doing wrong. Id encourage anyone to follow the basics of 16 - 20 degC and a humidity level agreeable to your child. Often the problem is that your device is giving incorrect readings.
Great article here:
www.eyeonthenew.com/post/safest-temperature-and-humidity-for-a-babies-room