# We're freezing our butts off, here...



## HidaShara (Jan 7, 2008)

So the weather took a quick dive south around here. My apartment feels less than 20 degrees C (68 F) nowadays, and we have very poor heating. DH and I are already bundled in wool socks and sweaters.

DD is 2 months old. We have been co-sleeping (much to the horror of my MiL, who bombards me with paranoid emails about how we're going to smother her in our sleep - but that's another story) with her, observing all the safe-sleeping "rules" including keeping comforters away from her (and thus, us).

During the summer, it was fine... DD slept on top of the sheet and we didn't need the comforter. But this absolutely won't do anymore. We're freezing. DD is bundled in layers right now and okay, but I have also been holding her all day and we've got a lot of body heat being shared back and forth. At night, though, DD likes to sleep on her back *next* to me, rather than on me. Even in layers, I suspect she's going to be cold at night too.

Any thoughts? I know a lot of people sleep with the blankets on... but is this really a good idea? How big a danger *is* a comforter to a baby? Is there and age or a developmental point at which it becomes safer? I miss keeping warm in the winter by snuggling up with my DH under piles of quilts, sharing heat and keeping it in! I'd love to add DD to our little pile, but I don't want to endanger her.


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## Shami (Oct 9, 2007)

Your question may be a little hard to answer because I can't say go ahead, use a comforter, she'll be fine. I can tell you how we solved this problem. I put her in layers and put a very warm baby blanket on her. I used my own lightweight blanket and dh used his own thick comforter. I had to keep covering her up at night because she kicked her blanket pff, but because she had layers and I was right next to her she never got really cold. Now she is old enough, strong enough to share my lightweight blanket with me. You will know when she can handle sharing a blanket with you. It just sort of evolves as she grows and as her mama you will know what she can handle and when.

Have you thought about swaddling her? You can do a swaddle with arms in or arms out. We did this until she out grew the need to be swaddle...about four months. Some swaddle longer than that, but it's all based on what your dd likes.







:

Also, you could try one of those super warm sleep sacks. It's like a little sleeping bag...super warm, but she can still move more than a swaddle.


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## Danielle13 (Oct 31, 2007)

we use a comforterer







:


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## Pumpkin_Pie (Oct 10, 2006)

DS was born in March, and it gets COLD here. What I did was pull the comforter up to his waist, and use a pile of his baby blankets over my shoulders. He would snuggle up to me on his side, and I would also be on my side, so that kept his top half warm, and the baby blankets kept me (relatively) warm enough without dangling down on him.


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## aikigypsy (Jun 17, 2007)

We use a comforter, too. If DD's head is level with my nipples, the comforter winds up at about waist level.

I didn't worry about it as much as I probably should have, and once she was rolling I worried even less. A mobile baby can move out of the way if there's something in his or her face, and even younger babies are pretty good at turning their heads as needed.


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## GooeyRN (Apr 24, 2006)

I don't put a comforter on my babies until they are a year old. You can put them in a warm fleece sleeper, then get a blanket sleeper with the arms out so they dont over heat.

http://www.rgnaturalbabies.com/organ...sleep-sac.html


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## laohaire (Nov 2, 2005)

I used a comforter or whatever I wanted. For me, cosleeping meant I was quite aware of DD and where she was, etc. I would have known if the blanket was on/over her head. That's not true for everyone, but I think true for many/most mothers.

I also laid DD as high in the bed as possible where I could still nurse her. Then when she was done nursing, I scootched down so I got maximum blanket coverage (up to my chin like I like it) but she just had blanket up to her waist.


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## HidaShara (Jan 7, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *GooeyRN* 
I don't put a comforter on my babies until they are a year old. You can put them in a warm fleece sleeper, then get a blanket sleeper with the arms out so they dont over heat.

http://www.rgnaturalbabies.com/organ...sleep-sac.html

Those are beautiful.









How did you get blankets on yourself without getting them on your LO?


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## GooeyRN (Apr 24, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *HidaShara* 
Those are beautiful.









How did you get blankets on yourself without getting them on your LO?

I burrito myself up to my waist.







I wear a button down soft sweater on top to w/ nothing under it. It keeps me warm and ds has easy access to the boob.


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## henny penny (Mar 26, 2008)

We didn't use any covers over ds. Disana makes a beautiful wool sleep sack that is WARM. It doesn't open at the bottom though which is kind of a pain.http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/wool_sleep_sack.htm
Ruskovilla and Engel make some very soft woolen baby shirts and bodysuits and footed sleepers.
I think sleeping next to you she will be warmer than you might expect and she will let you know if she needs a warm snuggle.
Even though we live in relatively warm Kentucky, the bedroom stays at about 62 degrees in the winter since the fireplace is not close by. Ds stayed warm at night with a few well chosen woolen pieces and our radiated body heat.


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## gretelmom (Jun 22, 2005)

Buy the warmest sleep sack for her, and invest in some really warm PJs and long johns to sleep in for you guys, until she can easily roll over, pull her head up easily, swipe things off her face, and even get her shoulders off the ground. I didn't give DS a blanket until he could crawl. Even then, I only use a lightweight cotton one over his fleecy sleepr.


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## mama*amber (Apr 16, 2008)

I would have his head up between our pillows, he'd be wearing a soft hat, a warm sleeper, and possibily(if it were super cold,) a baby blanket tucked around his chest covering his neck. Our comforter would be at our shoulder level which was about his lower-torso level. I'd scoot him down a bit to nurse and then back up to sleep.


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## Aliviasmom (Jul 24, 2006)

I used a comforter. DD came home the first week of December. She slept on my chest for the first week or two, because I had had a c-section and couldn't roll over yet. Because I was breastfeeding, I just wore button-down long-sleeved shirts/sweaters to bed, and slept with them unbuttoned. We would sleep with her face between my breasts, and the covers up to about her shoulders. As I got better at rolling over, so did she.







And we were therefore able to add more blankets. I sleep hard, but that was my BABY there with me. I very easily caught anything that happened.

Oh, another thing I did was wear gloves with no finger-tips to bed. Kept me warmer, and I was still able to help her latch on without getting glove fuzz in her mouth.


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## Vancouver Mommy (Aug 15, 2007)

My kids are older (1 and 3) and they despise blankets. They flail and kick the minute a sheet or blanket touches their legs. I am dreading cooler weather and seriously thinking about just going to ikea to get two twin comforters for dh and I.


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## New_Natural_Mom (Dec 21, 2007)

I've been wondering about this too. DS isn't into swaddling and HATES sleep sacks (of which I bought like 6 before he was born b/c I kept hearing how great they are.) It is getting cold here. I took some sweatshirts and cut holes in the chest and wear a nursing bra so I can unlatch one side at a time. DH and I now have separate sheets and covers (why oh why didn't we think of this before! Oh the freezing nights I could have saved when he stole "our" covers.) I put DS in a fleece sleeper. I also asked my MIL to knit me arm warmers. I haven't found the perfect solution yet. I think layering will come into play and perhaps a space heater. We have cathedral ceiling in our bedroom and I hate it. Impossible to heat that room.

**Give your MIL a copy of Our Babies, Ourselves. That ought to shut her up about co-sleeping.**


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## 4Marmalade (May 4, 2004)

I have 3 month old twins co-sleeping with us. It's getting much cooler here now and I pulled out a couple of handed down sleep sacks. I've never used them before but they've been working great. They aren't super warm though so I may invest in a couple of warmer ones. I sleep with one baby beside me and the other on top of me so they nurse throughout the night. I have one light, holey blanket that I use on top of me up to my waist. I find we stay pretty warm but we'll have to dress warmer over the winter months.


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## Twinklefae (Dec 13, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Danielle13* 
we use a comforterer







:

We do too. I worried a little at first, but we live in Canada and our house is FREEZING







: in the winter. However, the first time I woke from a dead sleep to move the blankets a little further away from his face, I knew we'd be all right.

We use a comforter to my waist and I use an extra blanket to cover the top part of me, which makes it easy to keep DS in the free and clear.

Oh, and for the pp who is cold because her LO's kick off the blankets, I pull the blanket up under his bum, if that's the only way he will sleep. (Don't know what we'll do in the colder weather, but I suspect he'll kick the blankets off less then.


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## Norasmomma (Feb 26, 2008)

We used a comforter also, I just had it by my waist and I wore a ls t-shirt. DD always slept in my armpit on my boob. She slept in a onsie because she is like her father-hot blooded, little miss sweaty head. By the time it was really cold she was also sleeping on her stomach all. the. time. She flipped over constantly. I just made sure the blankets were away from me.

To the OP, I would be blocking the e-mails from my MIL. My grandma constantly said the same thing, she also told me that babies standing in your lap cause bow-leggedness. Whatever.


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## Treece (Apr 5, 2006)

I have two sons. DS1 was a Sept baby. DS2 Jan baby. Both were born during colder months here. With both I used a blanket with us. I was SUPER aware of ds1. He stopped breathing a few times and I am convinced cosleeping saved his life. I have never been as aware with ds2 and he has never stoped breathing. No one tells us not to so no one to argue with. But back to the point: I used whatever i cover myself with with each of them. With ds2, we both are naked excepts unders/diaper. I dont' remeber with ds1, but I think it was similar, maybe I wore pj bottoms. ???

Long story short: Do what works for you and your baby.


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## lovemybabies924 (Aug 8, 2008)

i use the regular comforter too







what i did when ds was super small was lay him next to me and tuck the corner of the blanket under his back and under his armpit so only 1 arm and his head was out. but now hes 1 and sleeps between me and his dad and he hates blankets on him too so i have to wait untill hes asleep!


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## ~savah~ (Aug 24, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mama*amber* 
I would have his head up between our pillows, he'd be wearing a soft hat, a warm sleeper, and possibily(if it were super cold,) a baby blanket tucked around his chest covering his neck. Our comforter would be at our shoulder level which was about his lower-torso level. I'd scoot him down a bit to nurse and then back up to sleep.

Our daughter was born in Dec. and this is exactly what we did. We used a night light for the first few months so we could both make sure the blankets we not touching her face. Our comforter never got close and since she wasn't moving her blankets always stayed in place.


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## widemouthedfrog (Mar 9, 2006)

dd hates blankets. We used a warm sleep sack as long as we could, and now at three she just dresses in warm pjs.

I slept with no comforter until she was ~6 months (hated that!) and then moved to one that I put up to my knees. She was born in June, so I didn't need a lot of bedding for a while. I dressed in warm clothing to go to bed. A bit nuts, but it satisfied my paranoid streak and my need to cosleep.


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## mom2noah (Oct 12, 2003)

When my DS was an infant and we lived in a cold space I just bundled him warmly. I would have him in a onesie with a sleeper over it, and a Halo sleep sack over that. The sleep sack was fleece and kept him warm.

It was harder for me. I slept in long sleeve tops, and would burrow down so that my face was parallel with DS's. That way my lower half could be under the covers.


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## Treece (Apr 5, 2006)

I also remembered that ds2 slept on my arm for awhile and we slept on the couch till he got mobile in his sleep.

****NEITHER ONE OF THESE ACTIONS IS RECOMMENDED AS BOTH ARE DISCOURAGED BY THE EXPERTS****

This was how I knew tha blanket was not on his face till he got a little older.


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## hedgehogs4 (Aug 22, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *New_Natural_Mom* 
I took some sweatshirts and cut holes in the chest and wear a nursing bra so I can unlatch one side at a time.









I would love to see a picture of that!









Quote:


Originally Posted by *laohaire* 
I used a comforter or whatever I wanted. For me, cosleeping meant I was quite aware of DD and where she was, etc. I would have known if the blanket was on/over her head. That's not true for everyone, but I think true for many/most mothers.

I also laid DD as high in the bed as possible where I could still nurse her. Then when she was done nursing, I scootched down so I got maximum blanket coverage (up to my chin like I like it) but she just had blanket up to her waist.

This is exactly what i do - i also wear long sleeves for when i'm nursing.


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## treehugz (Apr 15, 2008)

thanks for this thread... we just forked over a small fortune to refill our kerosene tank so we're going to have to keep the heat low to make sure it lasts all winter. my dd and i are both cold-natured... it already seems cold to me. i'm sleeping in pants, heavy socks, and two long-sleeve t-shirts (the under shirt has a really wide neck i can pull down so i still covers my belly when nursing)... plus a sheet and light fleece blanket up to my waist and my dd's waist. she's in just a sleeper for now, but will be adding a sleepsack soon. and it's just september!! i'm dreading winter!


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## tbone_kneegrabber (Oct 16, 2007)

last winter we did a sleeper and a sleep sack on cold nights. dp and i have our own sheets and blankets. My blankets were a couple of thinner blankets and dp got a comforter.

we moved this summer and now have oil heat so i think we'll be much colder this winter, we'll have to see how it goes!


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## angelandmisha (May 16, 2008)

Our bedroom is much cooler than the rest of the house so I'm always cold at night. We have a king sized bed and what we've done is to take 2 of our blankets or quilts, fold each in half with the fold in the center of the bed. Then we each have our own blanket without having to worry about it covering up baby's face and without having our covers kicked off by baby, who can't stand having anything on him when he's asleep.

I also use a baby blanket for my shoulders.

Hope you keep warm this winter! I miss snuggling up with DH for warmth too


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## ~pi (May 4, 2005)

from a fellow TO mama with a midsummer babe. We were in your shoes two years ago.







:

What we did:

- put DS in long sleeves and a sleep sack
- for me, cut nursing slits in an old long underwear top from MEC and layered a fleece on top
- DH and I used separate blankets so that they didn't cover DS
- used a space heater (carefully!) on the very cold nights
- moved to the guest room whenever it wasn't in use (our bedroom is by far the coldest room in the house)

Best of luck!


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## sunnygir1 (Oct 8, 2007)

We went through a very cold phase when dd would ONLY sleep on top of me...thus, no blankets on my upper part. I would wear a tank top, a long sleeved shirt, and a sweatshirt that opened in the front. I would lay on a wool blanket that I then wrapped around my shoulders. I dressed dd warmly too, and she laid on my belly, and we had blankets on our lower parts and tucked around from the one around my shoulders. It was quite a production, but we stayed warm. Some nights we wore hats too. Good luck!


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## consciousma (Jul 4, 2008)

warm blanket under baby, a light blanket to babies waist & I wore a fleece poncho-type wrap or fleece baby blanket to keep my upper body warm.


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