Newborn... room temperature between 13-15ºC/humidity 57-60%...What can I do to keep him warm?

[Rex2021]

Hi there!

My baby boy is due in December and I have been monitoring the room temperature in the last few days and it is low: the range is between 13-15 degrees and the humidity is between 57-60%.

During the day, it might go up a bit up to 16º, but after 9pm is starts to drop.

What can I do to keep him warm at night?

I have 2 sleeping bags and I read that I must use a bodysuit underneath plus a babygrow and the 2.5 sleeping bag.

Any suggestions?

Many thanks

[LizzieBW]

Hello Rex 🙂

My baby isn't here yet so can't speak from personal experience but I had a similar concern about room temp and appropriate overnight wear and found a wee site that broke it down simply for me. I'm sure other women will comment from their own experiences with baby but I'll attach the screengrab I saved for you in case it helps support what you're already thinking! Xx

Room temp vs baby clothes

[Rex2021 in reply to LizzieBW]

Thank you! What is the real difference between a babygrow and a sleeping suit?

[LizzieBW in reply to Rex2021]

My understanding is they're the same thing just different names used interchangeably 🙂 I have a wee mix of closed feet, open feet and long/short sleeved sleepsuits/bodysuits so far xx

[Mcra]

I'm not sure. The recommended room temperature is 16-20 degrees and although with enough layers they'll be warm, I'd be worried about baby's head as you are not supposed to put a hat on them.

[ThisIsUsRRR]

LizzieBW thanks for this. Rex2021 I am due 16/12 first baby! Boy 😊 I also found this - emmasdiary.co.uk/baby/baby-... got so confused with all the different clothing names but this might also help lol - cottonboulevard.co.uk/blog/...

[Gladys_Friday]

Hiya, I live in a cold house too, it's an old stone cottage and we've not had any heating in the bedrooms.. We've just got some pretty high tech heating installed and can't recommend it enough. It's far-infrared heating panels, they cost a fair bit but they are highly efficient and the 2nd cheapest to run after gas central heating. We got ours from Herschel. You can get plain white panels, mirrors or even photo / image heating panels. They don't heat the air in the room like normal convection heaters which can be a problem if your house is not air tight because you get lots of heat loss

Instead, they radiate heat out and warm the objects in the room (walls, floors) which then retain and radiate heat bank out at you. It feels like standing in the sun. We've had ours a week and I could weep with happiness they're so good! They also get rid of mould and damp which is a problem for baby and a problem we have in our house. We're due in April so we're so pleased that baby will be warm!

Thats some of our plain white heaters we've had installed on the ceiling

[Rex2021 in reply to Gladys_Friday]

This looks great! Thank you

[Flora631]

I think you can get a plug in oil filled radios your that you could use in that room in the winterThe problem we found at first was that our baby was too small for the sleeping bags at first, so you only have blankets to tuck around which are only then armpit high, as you shouldn’t risk the head being covered. So sleeping bag may not be an option straight away. Life got so much easier when she was big enough for a sleeping bag. I think our ones she needed to be 8lb or 9lb so some babies will be ok straight away, but our daughter was 6lb15 so we had a good 6 weeks or so of blankets

[Rex2021 in reply to Flora631]

Thank you. This is useful to know! Would you recommend a specific kind of blanket? Is polar too hot or appropriate for cold weather?

[Flora631 in reply to Rex2021]

I think they need to be cellular, so have holes in like traditional knitted ones (not fleece) I would guess so they’re breathable x

[Purpledoggy]

One thing to consider is the temperature in the room when you are actually sleeping in it - have you used a max-min thermometer in your room overnight once you are in there? You (+/- partner) will kick out some heat overnight if the bedroom door is closed. Once you get to 6 months and the baby can sleep on their own, they will be big enough for sleeping bags but also it will be much warmer as you'll be in summer. xx

[Rex2021 in reply to Purpledoggy]

Yes. My husband is currently abroad and I didn't measure the temperate with him in it. Let's see...Thanks

[ToniaB123]

Someone sent me this when my girl was small, still refer to it now, hope it helps xxx

Chart describing what baby should wear at different temperatures

[Rex2021 in reply to ToniaB123]

Thank you for sharing this. Very useful. Regarding the sleeping bag, I was told that 2.5 sleeping bag is the max. allowed in order to avoid overheating.

[Bigblueskies]

Hi

I would be concerned that the room is too cold and you may need to make it a bit warmer in the first instance. If you are also sleeping there, you will need a full duvet and you need to be extra aware not to fall asleep nursing or cuddling the baby in bed with heavy covers. When my first was born she wouldn’t settle away from me for more than 10min so I had to switch to a light blanket and warm pyjamas to make sure she was safe in my bed when she needed it. No duvet or extra pillows in sight.

A baby grow is a long-sleeve neck to tow outfit and sometimes I used a newborn sleeping bag on top of that too. In such a cold room I would go for a 2.5 tog sleeping bag. Grobags are a brand to consider but there other cheaper options too that are decent quality. I used these on top of the baby grow. Most of the time my room was quite warm however so I would only use a long sleeve body suit (no legs cover) and a lighter sleeping bag.

You have some pretty good infographics in the other replies! I found these very useful when I was getting my head around all this.

I also have a cheapo weather station in the bedroom that tells me the min/max temperature of the room, the current temperature and how humid it is. I got it for £20 online so nothing fancy but I find it reassuring to know.

In terms of a side sleeper I’ve only used a next2me by chicco which I got second hand and replaced the mattress. Sometimes babies hate them and they don’t get used, babies only settle while held for those first few weeks and then they outgrow them. So I would suggest not to spend too much money on it as you may need something completely different depending on your baby preferences.

A moses basket and a base is also a good option and more minimalist as it takes less space. Avoid anything with too much fabric around it and lack of airflow, also try to avoid using a “nest” as they can be dangerous for baby.

In terms of a sling, I used a soft wrapper in the first three months that I got online. Nothing fancy and it was perfect. After 3 months I loved the Babybjorn and the iAngel, both of which I got second hand as I wasn’t sure baby would like them and didn’t want to pay too much without knowing for sure. Generally, you will use some of these things for such a short period relatively and babies are notorious for totally rejecting even the nicest things, that going second hand and being prepared to trial and error makes a lot of sense.

I have also stayed clear from knock off brands online as I don’t trust them to be safe for babies and often lack any safety certification. I’d rather buy a safe brand second hand than a new thing directly from China for the same price. All baby products sold in the UK should have a CE marking on them to confirm they are tested and safe. There are too many items online that completely flout these rules and provide no assurance of testing at all.

Good luck, I loved the excitement of preparing for a newborn! Xx

[Rex2021 in reply to Bigblueskies]

Many thanks for all this information!!! This is very comprehensive and useful. For the cot, I bought a sort of imitation of the chicconext2me made in Portugal which is cheaper (half of price) and from a very old Portuguese brand. For the carrier, I bought the Manduca one which is made either in Germany or in Holand.