# Help! Freezing all night long.



## LCB (Jan 23, 2007)

Ok mamas, I need some advice here. It's winter where I am and I am a cold, cold person. I hate the cold and usually sleep with a down comforter pulled up to my nose, and also snuggled up to my warm DH. I have a three month old cosleeping now, and night nursing so my usual winter sleeping style goes straight out the window. I can only have non-fluffy blankets pulled up to my waist. I wear a cardigan over a t-shirt so that my baby can nurse, I just pull the t-shirt up. I am FREEZING and lay awake all night. My LO is in the nursing all night phase so it's not like she just nurses for a few minutes and then stops. I don't know what to do. I'm starting to resent her because I am so cold at night. We can't turn our thermostat up anymore and I don't feel comfortable using my fluffy down comforter with her in the bed. What can I do? Ideas?







:


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## adoremybabe (Jun 8, 2006)

Our bedromm averages around 65 degrees at night. Are you wearing really warm pajama bottoms? Socks? Our cosleeping night nursing 18 months old DD typically ends up so that her whole body is higher in bed than both DH and me. So it makes it nice for us to be able to cover up all of the way. Most of the time she ends up not covered but the 3 of us seem to radiate enough heat to keep her warm. She never feels cold.

Aside from that, I don't have any other good suggestions. Maybe you can turn the heat up for a tad before you go to bed??? I know that resources can tight for a lot of people but being freezing at night is the pits.


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## peainthepod (Jul 16, 2008)

DH wears a hat to bed when he's really cold. No, seriously. He looks silly but swears by it. Try that, maybe?

I run hot so I only WISH I had your problem. Felix and I are a sweaty mess every morning even if I go to bed in just an oversized tee shirt and underwear.


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## ~Megan~ (Nov 7, 2002)

A heating pad near your feet might help


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## woodchick (Jan 5, 2007)

I find that if I have a fatty snack just before bed I feel warmer all night. Even something as simple as a piece of toast with butter.


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

I've always pulled the covers up to my shoulders and baby's shoulders.

-Angela


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## adoremybabe (Jun 8, 2006)

There are also hot/cold packs that are made with corn, beans or rice. They can be heated up in the microwave. I think that they stay warm for quite some time.


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## SandraS (Jan 18, 2007)

We have a heated mattress pad on our beds, and I do pull our comforters up to cover baby. They're not metal or plastic, they're breatheable...









Get the heated mattress pads - those rock.


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## Honey693 (May 5, 2008)

I stick DD way up by the headboard then scoot about half way down the bed. That way i can pull the covers up to my nose and she's not covered. TI does require both of us moving when she needs to nurse, but I'm usually half asleep and don't mind that.


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## LovinLiviLou (Aug 8, 2004)

I had the exact same problem. Here were my tricks:

I would close a lot of our vents at night, close our door, and let the bedroom thus become hotter than the rest of the house. So, not turning the thermostat up but trying to corral the heat in our bedroom . . .

I used really thick blankets up to my waist.

On the top, i would wear mulitple layers, with homemade nursing slits cut in - think of a t-shirt and then a sweatshirt with slits cut in them so that you can nurse. I'd also do a cardigan over that.

I second the hat idea - get a cozy hat and keep the heat in your head!

At one point I got really desparate and would turn us all sideways on the bed so that I could totally cover myself with the blankets when we weren't nursing. In retrospect, I could have just changed the direction of the blankets, I guess . . .

good luck!


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## Full Heart (Apr 27, 2004)

I have a long sleeved night gown that buttons from the top down. I just leave it un button around my breast area. Before I got that I wore a thermal shirt (its really stretchy) and stretch pants to bed. Socks are great if you can keep them on. I end up taking them off in my sleep for some reason. I even had gloves to wear to bed but I take off in my sleep. But there are lots of ways to stay warm and you have gotten some great ones here.

I have the curtain liners that keep light out. I can't remember what they are called. But they also keep heat in/out as needed (summer/winter). These work great to keep the room warmer from the chill coming through the windows. These have been great for keeping my room even temperatured summer and winter.


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## edamama (May 26, 2007)

You've gotten alot of good suggestions already. I have just one more thought. Could you get a small portable heater for your room?


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## pdxmomazon (Oct 13, 2005)

:

I pul th eblanket up to my waist (over her legs) and them I have a separate blanket on the bed that i pull over the "top" shoulder. I make sure it goes down my back and not over the baby. It helps a lot.


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## Limabean1975 (Jan 4, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alegna* 
I've always pulled the covers up to my shoulders and baby's shoulders.

-Angela

I did that with DS, too. For the first while I just blanketed myself by kind of wrapping/cocooning myself. Separate blankets for DH and I.

If you are not comfortable with that, there's been some great clothing suggestions. Sweater yourself up! One sweater not enough? Double or triple up! Maybe a shawl would work. And a hat can really make a big difference.


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## Drummer's Wife (Jun 5, 2005)

you've gotten great advice, I was just going to say turn the heat up.

Ours is set at no lower than 72 at night and keeps even naked sleepers warm.


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## KimPM (Nov 18, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *allielb* 
You've gotten alot of good suggestions already. I have just one more thought. Could you get a small portable heater for your room?









: We used one of those portable electric oil-filled radiator-style heaters. Works great!

The other thing is, you could consider whether you want to limit some of her all-the-time night nursing. Being able to cover your front side at least with clothing would go a long way in keeping you warm. I'm not saying night wean, just limit the length of time she stays on there. She probably won't like it at first, but should get used to it if you are consistent.


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## Pumpkin_Pie (Oct 10, 2006)

Use all those baby blankets that seem so silly and little and cover your shoulders. Seriously, when DS was tiny, I would have a stack of them on my torso and shoulder. They didn't keep me completely warm, but I was a bit warmer. They are the perfect size to keep you covered, but they are up off your little one.


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## MountainMamaGC (Jun 23, 2008)

Dh and I each have our own comforter and Lilly has her own blanket or she just cuddles in under one of ours.


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## mimie (Mar 7, 2003)

I had the same problem. I put a space heater in our room and kept it nice and warm.

And I vowed to have my next child during warmer months.


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## mommy2maya (Jun 7, 2003)

omg I just got microfleece sheets and the warmth factor is incredible!


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## gillibean (Nov 28, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Lydiah* 
Dh and I each have our own comforter and Lilly has her own blanket or she just cuddles in under one of ours.

That's what we do too. Mine is usually bunched up against my back with the edge of it going over my shoulders. A few years ago we were talking about snowmobiling with one of our friends. He stressed that it was important to keep our kidneys warm since all of our blood was filtered through them - cold kidneys = cold body. I've found that making sure my lower back is well covered helps a lot in staying warm. Hats are also great at that.


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## PTmorgan (Oct 23, 2007)

I was in the same position you were in, and boy was I cold! Good suggestions so far. The thing that helped the most for me was to have a fleece blanket up around my head/shoulders, and across my nursing arm.


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## yaM yaM (Nov 9, 2003)

I second the hat idea (something soft & cozy like fleece) and want to even mention -- don't be shy to wear a scarf, too! We live in a dry desert climate that doesn't get cold enough to need central heating. We only use space heaters but at night I find that they give us sore throats. So we just use hats and scarves. I love pulling the hat down over my eyes to make it darker, too, and it's so wonderfully warm. I also sleep with my robe on over my jammies. All this adds up to not even needing to worry about kids kicking blankets off in the middle of the night. Snug as a bug in a rug.









HTH


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## Twinklefae (Dec 13, 2006)

I wear:
Flannel PJs
Wool SOcks
A men's undershirt with nursing slits (cut by me!)
A sleep bra

On our bed:
Comforter
Sheet
Blanket

We each have a seperate blanket as well, which is not made into the bed.

DH wears a hat, and pulls the covers up over his ears.

DS in the middle, I tuck the blankets under his chin.

Blanket hits me at the waist, I cover the difference with my extra blanket.

Hope this helps!


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## simplehome (Jul 13, 2004)

I use fluffy bedding myself, but what helps me out when DD kicks off the covers is one of those tube things meant to hide your belly (like this)

I am so much warmer when I wear one!


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## MAveggiemom (Feb 26, 2008)

I am also cold at night and worry about blanket's near DS's face. Here's what I do:

I wear a nursing cami (Glamourmom or similar) under a deep v-neck t-shirt. I can pull the neck of the t-shirt aside, unclip the cami, and nurse. My arms and entire torso are covered this way.

I pull DS close to me, and pull the covers up to my own shoulders. (We're both side-sleepers, which is the only way this works)... then I wrap the covers around my top arm and lay that arm across DS's waist. This way, he's covered up to his waist, I'm covered pretty much everywhere, and we're snuggled up warm together.

I dress him only in cotton at night (I worry about him overheating in polyester with our shared body heat), but on cold nights he gets a long-sleeved onesie under a footie sleeper, since his arms and torso aren't covered.

Good luck, and stay warm!


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## wallabisfarm (Jun 22, 2007)

our house is not very heatable and it gets coooold inside at night. I find hot water bottles a life saver - one near my feet and another to have near my back or chest make such a difference, even when I can't get the covers up to my shoulders. dh swears by a fleece hat or, if he is really cold, a ski hood sort of thing that goes around his neck and covers his head. good luck!


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## HappyMommaBear (Sep 4, 2007)

You and your baby have great instincts to avoid suffocation. If you are close enough to your baby to be touching, you will both be fine. You will know if something is wrong with the baby, unless you are under the influence of medication or alcohol - something to affect your sleep - because you have all your feelers out to protect the little one. Also, babies are amazing things. They fight to live. This is not to say that you should not be careful, but a baby can smash its little nose into the bed and still be ok. Especially with you right there!! Honestly, I woke up recently to find my son nursing in his sleep, but he had turned completely around and burrowed under the covers. Only his feet were sticking out.

Get a warm blanket, snuggle close to your little one, and keep warm. You will be ok.


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## LCB (Jan 23, 2007)

Several of you mentioned cutting homemade nursing slits in a shirt...so I ended up doing that. It made a big difference! I hear you about limiting her time....she seems to have other ideas though....


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## chely7425 (Aug 8, 2007)

Have you seen those blankets with legs and arms and zippers down the front? Like a blanket sleeper for adults? That could work...


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## 2xshy (Nov 27, 2007)

I hear ya on this. I just had to move my bed into another room for this reason.
Pulling the covers up won't work for us because my 8 month old is ALL over the bed when she sleeps, from up in my hair to hanging by my feet. I do use covers and cover myself all the way up, but I don't use a heavy comforter like I would need to stay warm. I dress her warmly so she is fine but i was not. Our bedroom was a bit drafty and we sleep on a futon on the floor and the floor was freezing so I moved into another less drafty rooms. I second the idea of a space heater, if I could not move the bed I would have gotten one.
good luck!


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## AlpineMama (Aug 16, 2007)

Before we moved our bedroom didn't have heat. And it had bad insulation. And it got C-O-L-D. We co-slept with DS for the first year and then with DD there when she was a newborn. (We still co-sleep with DD but we've moved since then.) Out of necessity we NEEDED warm clothes and many layers of blankets. I kept the babies in the crook of my arm by my neck. And I'd wear DH's sweatshirts that were really big. If we needed to nurse I would pop the kid UNDER the shirt and open the neck enough so that she could get air that way. When they were really really really little I would just sleep bare skinned tummy to tummy with them under a shirt with me. I would be on my back and they would be on my chest. Also, don't forget warm socks for both of you.

None of us ever froze and neither kid suffocated.


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## earthmama4 (Oct 13, 2008)

I was freezing too...I know how miserable that is! Sorry to hear you are going through the same thing.







:

I found a WONDERFUL portable electric heater at Walmart. Its called the *Honeywell Cool Touch Energy Smart Heater*. It was only $40. If you check Walmart.com you can check if its available at your local Walmart by putting in your zipcode - if not you can order it. With a baby around I made sure has all the safety features, and this one is super safe. The outside of it stays cool, but it puts out a nice heat and really warms up the room. I loved it so much I got another one last week for a few other "cold spots" in the house. We are all toasty and sleeping much better now.







:

I highly recommend one! or two!


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## Pyrodjm (Jan 9, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alegna* 
I've always pulled the covers up to my shoulders and baby's shoulders.

-Angela









:

If it is VERY cold I put DD in a blanket sleeper also.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

DD flips out if a blanket touches her at night, so I totally hear you! I sleep in a tank top (nursing or regular with a slit cut in the neck for nursing, and WARM fleece pajama top with buttons and I only unbutton a middle one to slip a boob out at night. I'll put a cardigan over that if I need to.

I sleep with a twin sized comforter (not down) and pull that up to my shoulders but only over the back half of me. It doesn't get on DD, but covers my legs, back, and shoulders. It took some time and practice to figure it all out, but it totally works. DH uses his own blanket if he is in our bed (he sleeps in the guest room a lot lately since DD is a light sleeper).

Oh - and snowboarding socks and fleece or flannel pajama bottoms.

DD sleeps hot and seems to do just fine in a onsie under long cotton pajamas with socks or a fleece jumper thing (she can't wear footie pajamas) with socks.


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## talk de jour (Apr 21, 2005)

socks, long sleeves, long pajama pants & a hot water bottle at your feet.


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## amlikam (Nov 19, 2008)

My MIL got us a heated blanket for XMAS- FANTASIC!!! LOVE IT- swear by it...

We live in an old drafty house... sometimes its too warm other times not warm enough- ever- even with the space heater....

DD also has her own blanket... but I am a light sleeper and she usually kicks it off throughout the night anyhow.... (she is 6mo)

It depends on your sleep needs... the other thing you can get is one of those union suits (you know the red ones with the butt flap in the back?) they button all down the front so you could just undo a few in the middle....

My husband uses a hoodie at night.... and when I am super cold this helps.. plus you get the "feeling" of blankets on the face without the blankets bunched up so close to your LOs face.....


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## spirit4ever (Nov 4, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alegna* 
I've always pulled the covers up to my shoulders and baby's shoulders.

-Angela

We do the same thing, i've done that for all 3 kiddies. Also, I've bought a bunch of men's t-shirt/undershirts, the cheapy ones from walmart and cut slits for each boob, then wore a warm button pamama top, that way i just had to undo the few buttons to allow a boob to pop out!! worked great for us


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## paulamc (Jun 25, 2008)

We were visiting DH's aunt and uncle at their old country house a couple of weeks ago, on one of those really, really cold nights. The room we slept in wasn't heated at all except for a space heater they left on for us. Despite the space heater, it was FREEZING! I couldn't sleep at all. Finally I turned on the electric blanket they keep on the bed, just on low, and it made a huge difference. So, not sure if you'd consider an electric blanket, but on cold nights it might be something to consider.


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## KnitLady (Jul 6, 2006)

Can't help but respond...

Heated mattress pads and heated blankets are not safe for co-sleeping with babies. It may be okay if the baby was not on the pad or under the blanket at all, but I don't think I would even do that.

Before having a baby we had a heated mattress pad and it was heavenly. I wouldn't use it with a baby though.


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## amlikam (Nov 19, 2008)

oh no- I'm greedy- DD doesn't get to sleep under heated blanket - just daddy and I .... and the dog and cat







:

I also work it around so it is on my hips not shoulder


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## InDaPhunk (Jun 24, 2005)

Four years in Los Angeles, 4 in Florida...now we're in Maryland and I'm







:.

Silk long johns are the greatest invention ever! I wear them under everything, there are different weights, thin ones go under jeans, thicker ones I wear at night, to sleep etc. Wear these then layer over them, they work wonderfully with no bulk and IME it keeps you warmer than an initial layer of thicker clothes. Get silk socks and wear wool or thick cotton ones over them.

Land's End Silk Long Underwear these sit at the waist, good for nighttime but not to wear under clothes, IME. It can be done but to me it's weird to have something under my jeans that goes so much higher than my jeans, and rolling them down is funky. I don't do super low rise but I sure don't wear Mom Jeans.

Winter Silks Long Underwear some of these sit below the waist.

Keeping your neck warm will keep you warm overall. TRUST ME. This will stay in place even when you're asleep.

Land's End has free shipping all. the. time and you can return what you don't want to Sears. So easy.


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## ~PurityLake~ (Jul 31, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alegna* 
I've always pulled the covers up to my shoulders and baby's shoulders.

-Angela


Same here... and there has always been a baby in the middle since May 2005.

I second the suggestion to wear a hat. My grandmother has worn a hat to bed for as long as I can remember because she always gets cold at night.


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## Mama Poot (Jun 12, 2006)

We have a somewhat fluffy comforter and a heavy goat's wool blanket. I keep the comforter just below chest level and I drape the wool blanket over my arms so I'm not cold. Our bedroom is chilly at night, 65F or below (probably below). I dress Fleur in a warm sleeper plus a sleep sack. I keep the blankets away from her as much as possible, but I know she is still warm. I am very comfortable at night-and I don't sleep with any clothes on! I've never worried about my kids getting smothered by the blankets. If anything happens, they kick them away and kick them off of ME!


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## Anastasiya (Jun 13, 2006)

I wear a tank top with a fleece robe in the winter. The robe keeps me very warm, and since I keep it open it also gives the baby easy access.

We also have those warm sheets - I refuse to use those sheets that get SO cold - what are they? cotton? You know - the crispy ones.

We also have a wool comforter that I pull up to mid chest.

Our heat at night is at 64-65 degrees.


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## Twocoolboys (Mar 10, 2006)

I haven't read the other replies, so I apoligize if this has already been said.

I wear long johns under pajama pants and I wear a tank top with an unbuttoned flannel pajama shirt or cardigan over it. To nurse in a tank, I pull my breast out of the top instead of lifting the shirt up. The tank tops are just the cheep Hanes ribbed ones - nothing fancy. They are very stretchy.


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