Ending the Freeze-Out!!!

I have an intense paranoia about SIDS, as do lots of new moms. I have had to consciously stop obsessing over the baby monitor and Lydia's breathing sounds coming through it. I even read a comment on a website by a mom who was so intent on watching her sleeping babies every move for signs of SIDS that she would actually stay up and watch the baby sleep; she eventually collapsed from exhaustion.

Due to this fear, it is probably not a surprise that I have read and read and read about every possible thing that can be done to prevent SIDS. The fan in the nursery is on at all times. Lydia ALWAYS is put to sleep on her back. There is nothing in the crib when she is in it.

I also read that the nursery should be kept cool--at 65-68 degrees to be exact. So what do I do? I go to Robin and inform him that we must keep the house cooler, specifically the nursery. Dutifully, he did this. The nursery was so chilly that I actually needed a blanket for when I nursed Lydia at night. (She has been sleeping really well and did not seem uncomfortable at all, so no worries there!) The cold brought back memories of the duplex I lived in during college, shared with three other girls. The house was so poorly insulated that our heat bills were ridiculously high; our solution was keeping the heat at 62, necessitating a fleece-lined wool hat to be worn when I slept. Ah, nostalgia...

I generally do not question experts, but the 65-68 degree thing seemed a little extreme, so I asked our doctor about appropriate temperatures for a nursery. She said no warmer than 75. (This will probably translate to around 72; 75 is a little too warm for this nordic girl.) I then told her what I had read and the temperature we had been keeping the nursery at, and I think this might be the only time I felt like she was going to laugh at me. So thanks to Dr. Bell, the freeze-out has officially ended!