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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

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Original poster

Keeping baby's room warm

28 replies

WhatWouldCaitlinDo · 14/10/2012 18:26

We live in an absolute icebox and while DH and I are toasty warm in bed at night, DD (who is 3 months old) is already waking up at night cold and it's only October. I am dreading the proper winter.

We have got a 2.5 tog baby sleeping bag for her which she is going in for the first time tonight, and I am putting her to bed in a babygro/sleepsuit and long sleeve vest. Any other ideas?

We are also looking at getting a heater for our bedroom / the nursery when she is old enough to move to her own room. Any suggestions on type / safety / alternatives, etc?

OP posts:

Iggly · 14/10/2012 18:28

Cosleep?

Why don't you get a heater for your room? How do you know it's the cold waking her? Check her chest and back as cold hands are not an indicator of being too cold.

TirednessKills · 14/10/2012 18:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

sparklingwine · 14/10/2012 18:39

We used to live in an icebox, and I always had an oil filled (electric powered) radiator in the kids room when they were small. It had a timer on it to come on inthe early hours, and a thermostat that I set so that the temp didn't dip below 16, or above 19.
It was totally safe and obviously not right next to cot. I told midwife that's what I was doing and she was happy with it.(I had been worried about putting too many clothes on ds during the day & her comment was that no-one would overheat in my house!)

Original poster

WhatWouldCaitlinDo · 14/10/2012 18:51

I'm pretty sure it's the cold waking her up - when I felt her chest last night it was cool to touch. We brought her into our bed and she slept fine, but we didn't! So it's ok for one offs / emergencies but isn't for us long term (i.e. until the weather improves in May...)

Should I put a blanket on over her Gro bag?

OP posts:

poocatcherchampion · 14/10/2012 18:53

Yes add a blanket. Dd 7 mo has two already. But remember overheating is less desirable than being to cool.

Tryingtothinkofnewsnazzyname · 14/10/2012 19:06

I also have an oil filled radiator in DS's room - our heating is not reliable. Like Sparklingwine above, I have the controls set so it comes on when needed and goes off when temp is high enough. I would recommend them.

Tryingtothinkofnewsnazzyname · 14/10/2012 19:11

Original poster

WhatWouldCaitlinDo · 14/10/2012 19:15

Is an oil filled radiator better than a fan? Being able to set the thermostat would be good, I don't want DD going hot and cold, am sure it would be dangerous.

OP posts:

crunchingautumnleaves · 14/10/2012 19:18

Another thing that'll help keep her warmer is another feed - if it's been a while since she last had milk, she could be getting cooler because of that. Also a new nappy as that'll cool down if she's done a large amount of wee. You could try putting some cotton leggings or joggers over her sleepsuit (in addition to the long sleeved vest underneath). And I'd definitely recommend terry sleepsuits for when it's winter - so warm & snuggly, I wish I could get terry pjs! Mothercare sell them. You may find them more cheaply elsewhere though. Have you got a room thermometer so you can actually check how cold it is?! Place it near to the cot. If the room itself is definitely cold, adding more layers may keep her body warm but her head, face & hands could get v chilly. For heating the room, I definitely second an oil filled radiator like these. I've had many good years from the De'Longhi ones.

OneNiceGreenLeaf · 14/10/2012 19:19

Our house got really cold last year when DD was tiny. I used to pop a cardy on her over the grobag if I woke in the night and she seemed chilly.

crunchingautumnleaves · 14/10/2012 19:21

Oil filled radiator definitely better than fan heater - safer & longer lasting. I find fan heaters good for short blasts of heat but no good for longer, like overnight, warming of a room.

crunchingautumnleaves · 14/10/2012 19:24

You may also try delaying moving her to her own room til after winter if that's at all practical for you - a room with 2 adults in it too will already be warmer generally.

CurlyKiwiControl · 14/10/2012 19:29

I put ds in his sleepsuit with socks underneath and a proper pj top over ... In addition to bag and long sleeve vest :)

lambinapram · 14/10/2012 19:31

I found Purflo sleepeing bags with arms to be warmer than other sleeping bags.

PigletJohn · 14/10/2012 19:45

if you use an electric heater make sure it has a thermostat.

An oil-filled electric radiator is the safest, as it has no red-hot element. Both convector heaters and fan heaters are capable of scorching or even starting fires if e.g. a garment falls on them (or they are used to dry wet washing)

WillSingForCake · 14/10/2012 20:58

We bought this radiator from Argos to put in our baby's room and it made a huge difference to her sleep, as she was waking from the cold. We turn the dial to a very low temperature, then use a timer plug so it comes on for 10 mins every hour during the night. It's not enough to significantly raise the room temperature, but just seems to take the edge off.

PigletJohn · 14/10/2012 23:34

when you buy a convector heater like that, it often comes with wall-hanger clips and also feet. The advantage of hanging it on the wall is that it can't be knocked over.

ArthurShappey · 15/10/2012 01:22

Get an oil filled radiator with a thermostat. Don't get a fan heater, too dangerous.

justbogoffnow · 15/10/2012 02:47

My sister lived in a v v cold flat and she put a soft cotton hat on her baby after discussion with the midwife about most heat being lost from the head

TirednessKills · 15/10/2012 07:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

upinthehills · 15/10/2012 07:32

I kn

upinthehills · 15/10/2012 07:32

I kn

upinthehills · 15/10/2012 07:36

Woops! I know hoe you feel it is so hard to know what to do and all the messages put the fear of god in you about overheating. The reality is gro bags can be very thin. My mm
.
I too found a cardi or jumper on the top half worked well as well as socks. Once my dc got a bit bigger they went into fleece suits and in the depth of winter wore them inside grobags.

Iggly · 15/10/2012 12:57

Yes get an oil filled radiator not a fan. Then you can room temp up to 18-19C and stick with the 2.5 tog grobag and sleep suit or long sleeved vest.

Pascha · 15/10/2012 13:02

Another vote here for the oil filled radiator. We got DS's one out of the loft yesterday as his room was 14° in the morning. He now sleeps in long sleeved vest, pyjama bottoms and 2.5 tog grobag.

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