Conference moira::parenting

    
    
    	Electric blankets should be avoided *before* you get pregnant
    (assuming that you are trying to get pregnant) as the heat (if on the
    high setting) can interfer with sperm production and possible interfere
    with the woman's cycle as well (men are told to not go in hot tubs if
    they are trying to get someone pregnant for the same reasons).
    
    	As far as becoming sterile, no. Once you remove the heat, even if
    there was a problem, it would resolve itself.
    	
    	Electric blankets should be avoided while you are pregnant bacause
    you are sleeping under a (minute) electrical current which *may* (or
    may not) affect a developing baby. This may show up as a low birth
    weight, it may not, the jury is still out on that one.
    
    	I haven't used my electric balnket for the last two winters and
    that's one thing I really *really* look forward to be able to use
    again.
    
    					Wendy
    

    I always wondered that too -- I was told by a lot of people not
    to use Electric Blankets when I was pregnant....Never asked
    Why Not?!  Just didn't do it!

    I guess I owe my mother in law an apology...

    I've read the same thing about the electric blankets AND waterbeds! 
    They say studies have shown an increased risk of miscarriages due to
    the electroconductivity of the heating unit.  Yikes!  Needless to say,
    I sleep in the other room.  I figured I might as well get used to this
    other bed anyway, because I couldn't envision myself hauling my preggo
    body out of our waterbed.  My husband would have to rig a pully system
    for me!  :)
    
    Lynn
    

Well, I'm very surprised/sad to hear this about heated waterbeds possibly
affecting the baby (after conception, that is).  Could someone post a
scientific source explaining this?  I just can't imagine it is founded
on facts -- wouldn't the lawsuit potential put the waterbed makers out
of business???

I'm glad I never heard this during my first pregnancy -- that waterbed
was my salvation at night! When we went away for a weekend, I just could
not get comfortable on a regular bed. Yes, it was hard to get out of
in the last month or two, but to me it was worth it.  And, just to
refute the low birth-weight claim, my son arrived at 9lbs. 14oz.....

There's so much else to worry about during pregnancy, I really hate to
see things added to the list.  Especially when they might affect getting
a good night's sleep (we all know how precious that is!).  Sigh.

-Cori

    RE: 4
    
    I too worried about the risk of the waterbed so I turned the heat
    either off or way down and slept on top of my comforter so that I
    didn't get too cold.
    
    I would have never been able to sleep on a regular bed.  I found them
    too uncomfortable.  I was able to comfortably/soundly sleep in the
    waterbed up until delivery.
    
    As far as getting in and out there is a trick.  I would roll over onto
    all fours and lower one leg onto to the floor then the other while
    still bent over and then slowly stand up. (This is easier then it
    sounds).
    
    Angie  

   Interesting... we have 3 girls - 2 were born in March ("normal" weight
   - around 7-8 lbs), so my wife was preganant through the winter, and we
   do use an electric blanket.  We heard all sorts of things as you will
   when you're expecting, but the bit about electric blankets is news to
   me.  Hmmm...
   
   - Tom
   

    I used my electric blanket all winter while I was pregant....
    
    Mine turned out ok...
    
    Kristen

    
    I've read about some concerns regarding specific kinds of cancers due 
    to using electric blankets. Don't have the facts, so I can't give the
    details! I just remember that tests are being done now on use of 
    anything electric that is kept close to the body. No conclusive
    evidence yet, so no concerns of lawsuits to the waterbed industry!
    
    Cyn

    My first daughter was 8 lbs 8 1/2 oz.  She was born in May 1974 and I 
    slept under a quilt.
    
    My second daughter was 9 lbs 13 oz.  She was born in January 1987 and I
    slept in a very cold room under a very warm electric blanket.
    
    My son was 10 lbs. 3 oz.  He was born in September 1988 and I slept
    in an air conditioned room under a moderately warm electric blanket.
    
    If electric blankets gave me smaller babies, I think it may have been a
    blessing :-)
    
    Debby

    	I believe that the concern is with being near an electrical current
    during initial fetal development. This fear first arose when they found
    out that farm animals who lived and bred under high tension
    electrical wires tended to have a much higher incidence of birth
    defects and illness in their offspring.

    	People naturally took the enormous leap from those instances to
    electrical blankets in houses.

    	As for me, I know that they use electrical therapies (I've had it
    done on me) and that passing electricity through tissue can alter Ionic
    concentrations in the tissue (and thus reduce swelling). For this
    reason they do not perform ultrasound, or TENS, or EMS therapy on
    pregnant women. Knowing that I would never use an electric blanket
    (even though the current is very, very minute) during pregnancy just as
    I would never use Nutrasweet. For me it's just another of those
    precautions that I can take and that might help the baby.

    			Wendy

    Excuse me for nitpicking, Wendy....your note said "they don't perform
    ultrasound on pregnant women, or TENS, or [another therapy that
    uses electric current]."  Maybe take another look at that?
    
    Anyway, I heard all the stories about electric blankets, and I've
    heard all the stories about the electromagnetic radiation from
    clock radios, electric clocks, etc.  Our clock radio has been on
    our nightstand, which is on my side of the bed, for the past 
    8 years, ever since we got married.  My son was 8 lbs., my daughter
    7 lbs. 9 oz.  
    
    I think if I were trying really hard to get pregnant and weren't
    having any luck, that I would consider environmental factors
    (waterbeds, electric blankets, hot tub use, caffeine consumption,
    etc.) before starting a serious infertility workup.  You know, to
    give nature every possible chance first.  Just MHO and not a slap
    at those who are struggling with infertility.
    
    Now, I *did* hear the one about not putting babies to sleep on a
    waterbed!  

    The ultrasound *therapy* that I was referring to is the deep muscle
    sound wave therapy used for muscle damage and not the diagnostic
    ultrasound that is done in your Doctor's office (and there is even some
    concern over that).

    I'm not trying to sound any alarm at all. Everyone has their own
    options on precautions that they can take and as I have had much and
    varied experience with electrical therapies, this is one thing I choose
    to avoid (in as many instances as I can) throughout my pregnancies.

    			Wendy

    I heard this about electric blankets, but used mine any way and it did
    not interfer in the birth weight of my son.  He weighed 9# 7 oz when he
    was born almosst 3 years ago, and he is doing fine.  I don't keep mine
    any higher than #3 setting.
    
    
    Liz

    re .13:  Sorry, I misunderstood.  I agree, for safety's sake, best
    to stay away from those hazards that you can "control" (i.e., 
    electrical massage therapy, caffeine and alcohol consumption,
    smoking, drugs, etc. etc.)

    
    My father-in-law is an OB/GYN and he told me ther reason to avoid
    eletric blankets and waterbeds is the the electricity but the HEAT. It
    can raise the pregnant womens temperature too high.
    
    Barbara
    

There are two problems with e-blankets or water beds ...

The first and easiest to comprehend and prove is the tendency to
get too hot in the heated bed resulting in possible fetal problems
and miscarriages.

The second is the raging debate over electomagnetic fields.  While
there is evidence of possible problems ... it is not conclusive
evidence nor is is entirely reproducible.  The question is how much
of a field are you exposed to overnight compared with the fields you
are exposed to in your day to day life ?  The fields from an electric
blanket or waterbed heater are small.  Whether they pose a risk compared
with the risk from the fields of the cables supplying your house, the
fields from your TV, the fields from the local radio / TV stations and
so on make the whole thing questionable.

So what is the bootom line ?  If you can live without your electric
blanket, do so ... if you cannot, put an extra blanket between the
shhet and the blanket and turn the temperature on the blanket down,
or just use the blanket to preheat the bed ... then unplug it.

With the waterbed ... unplug it over night ... or turn the temperature
down.  Put the heater element at the foot of the bed rather than the
head.

Try and sleep just a little cooler ... it may be healthier for you
anyway!

Stuart

    While I was pregnant I couldn't stand the electic blanket or waterbed. 
    I looked forward to getting into bed and running my feet over the cool
    sheets--and this was the middle of the winter.  I'm glad I avoided
    being pregnant in the summer.
    
    judyu

    Re. 17
    
    One word of caution about the suggestion to unplug or turn off the
    heater overnight.  The temperature in the bed drops quickly once you do
    this, and as the water in the bed becomes cool, it literally sucks your
    own body heat out of you.  You wake up in the middle of the night
    freezing and sore from muscle aches.  Some friends of ours were
    visiting with us once and had never slept in a waterbed.  During the
    night they got too hot and turned it off.  In the morning they were
    complaining of the above problems.  Be careful!
    
    I agree that nothing is conclusive Stuart about the waterbed issue, but
    I'd rather not take any chances.  
    
    Lynn
    

    We used a duvet over our waterbed and had a thick pad between the
    mattress and the sheet to prevent heat loss from the bed and excess
    heat loss from US to the cool bed!
    
    Stuart

	We're another piece of anecdotal evidence that you can have a normal 
sized baby having slept under an electric blanket.  In addition to the factor 
of avoidability (how inconvenient is it to do without), I think another 
factor to consider is how MUCH difference can it make.  My guess is that the 
effect on birth weight of sleeping under an electric blanket or water bed is 
in the fractions of a gram range, and is considerably less than many other 
factors.  Does anybody have any actual figures, like the amount of difference 
in birth weight, or the statistical difference in occurrence of miscarriages? 
To say there is an effect is NOT to say that there is a SIGNIFICANT effect.
	re: .19, I agree that sleeping on too cold a water bed can cause 
aches and pains, but losing heat rapidly (like overnight) is not our 
experience.  Several years ago, in the aftermath of hurricane Gloria, we were 
without power for three days.  Our daughter had a water bed, and we were 
worried about her getting cold, so I slept in her bed and she slept with my 
wife.  I was perfectly comfortable the first night.  The second night, I was 
perfectly comfortable in a sweatsuit.  The third night, I wore a sweatsuit 
and put a comforter underneath me.  The temperature in the house got quite 
cool, since we had no central heat without electricity.

Clay

    I has also been my experience that waterbeds do not loose heat quickly. 
    I unplug mine at night and usually don't have to replug it in for two
    days.
    
    Angie

    I was told that a full size waterbed changes temperature 1 degree per
    hour.  19 hours = 19 degrees...  Most comfortable range starts at body
    temp 97 - 99 degrees.

    re: .23
    
    >I was told that a full size waterbed changes temperature 1 degree per
    >hour.  19 hours = 19 degrees...
    
    Most water bed heaters can heat the water in a king size waterbed about
    1 degree per hour...more if kept covered.
    
    >Most comfortable range starts at body
    >temp 97 - 99 degrees.
    
    I don't think you've ever slept on a waterbed.  We have a standard
    waterbed mattress pad, bottom sheet, top sheet, and a comforter.  I
    sleep naked and my wife sleeps with a T-shirt on.  We keep the bed set
    between 83 in the summer and 87 in the winter.  Much above that and you
    would wake up in a puddle of sweat.
    
    I suspect your temperature range would be correct for sleeping in a
    bath tub full of water.
    
    Bob

    
    I have a waterbed and slept in it for my whole pregnancy.....my
    daughter was born 8lbs 1oz.....not exactly a low birth weight!
    
    I kept the heater on the bed on 70 degrees the whole time.
    
    
    
    Sandy

    I should have said that 'MY' most comfortable temp. is.... I have slept
    in a waterbed for 8 years.  My hubby was uncomfortable whereas I could 
    have turned it up to 100 in the winter.  We now have a king size Bassett 
    matress type bed.  
    
    Another qualifier could be that the thermostat on the the bed could have
    been incorrect.  It was 8 years old and perhaps the heater was inaccurate.  
    
    All in all - every person has a different experience and opinion.