Electric Blankets- are they safe to use?

[Mslad]

Since the temperatures have dropped where I live, I've started turning on my electric blanket for 15 minutes before bed and turning it off when I get in. Last night on one of my many trips to the loo I was freezing so turned in the blanket, telling myself just for 5 minutes. I fell asleep with it on and woke about an hour later, sweating and completely panicked that I've overheated the baby! I'm 15+3 weeks pregnant. Am I over-reacting? I googled it and there were a lot of people saying how dangerous it is. Surely if it was that dangerous there would be much clearer and louder health warnings on a par with smoking and alcohol?

Any thoughts?

I have used an electric overblanket nearly every night since I've been pregnant, and I'm 34 weeks today.
I use it for much more than an hour most nights...I don't see how it would harm the baby.

Thanks for your response stripy it was the overheating part that made me worry! but I'm trying to talk myself down from the ledge with the usual stuff 'your body sweated and woke you up- a natural way of dealing with things, if
I lived in Australia I'd be sweating all the time, etc etc'

That's what I think too, what about women who live in super hot countries - their babies seem to do just fine!

I've woken up overheated tons of times (my blanket is on for an hour before it switches off), but I think baby is well prorected in there, so I don't worry about it.

*protected

Phew! I am going to put it to the back of my mind now. Thanks so much for the reassurance :)

Overheating means heating your core temp by 1-2 degrees, for this to happen you would pass through feeling nauseous, lightheaded/dizzy, etc, like with sunstroke or similar. Waking up sweating isn't overheating, if you're sweating your body is cooling you.

I have been waking up dripping in sweat some nights and never considered it anything to worry about with overheating, it's just a highly irritating symptom of this "joyous" time!

The whole time I was pregnant this summer, I kept waking up running with sweat, with my nightie completely soaked! My baby is absolutely fine.

Mslad - guess we can keep to our electric blanket-using ways. :-D

I'm dreaming about putting mine on and crawling into it already Stripy :)

I've been under mine already today...bliss!