Ibwill Keeping the Heater off Make My 8 Month Olds Cold Better?

Not too many people recommended keeping her hydrated. If you're breastfeeding, put her to the breast as often as she'll go. Breast milk has powerful antibodies to help her body learn to fight infection. If you aren't breastfeeding, offer her water frequently through the day. You may end up changing her diaper more often due to increased liquids, but keeping her hydrated will help her body fight off infection by flushing a lot of the toxins out.

I would keep the heat on. If she is already sick having her body put all her energy into staying warm will compromise her immune system. Being cold doesn't make you sick it makes it harder for your body to fight off the cold germs when your body is trying to stay warm.
Most colds and viruses last about 7 days. Give her plenty of liquids and make sure she is getting rest.

I would think that if the heat is turned off she will get sick from being in a house in the 50's or lower.

I know his intentions are good but all you need to do is add moisture to the household air. Use humidifiers in all the rooms, let water simmer on the stove if it is where she can't get to it, if you use a floor furnace put a big #10 can of water on the corner then make sure it is always at least half full.

I wouldn't turn the heat off I would get plenty of fluids in her and run a humidifier in the room she is in during the day and at night to help out.

Keep the heater on around 65-70, dress properly and turn on humidifiers in the house ... if you have a large home it may be best to have a humidifier installed in the furnace.

Having the heat off, will not aid your baby.
They don't have anything to do w/each other.
It sounds like your baby caught a cold from your sick visiting mom.
You need heat. There is absolutely no need to not turn on the heat unless your boyfriend is just trying to pinch a penny like my hubby.
Tell him to go stand outside w/o any clothes on.
That makes just about as much sense. You need heat.
It'll just take some time to get through her cold.
Call to ask you doctor if you can give your baby Infant Tylenol if and when needed to make her more comfortable.
The cold will just need to run it's course but you can make your baby more comfortable in the meantime.
Hang in there. Best of luck w/the little one! :)

DO NOT turn the heater off.

Get a humidifier to keep the air moist in her room. If you go to Sears and purchase a humidifier gauge (measures the moisture in the air) it should be at about 38% - not to dry and not too wet.

You can purchase a cool mist humidifier at a grocery store as well. Even the Vicks Vapo rub kind....that will help her as well.

Too wet gives you mold.

Keep the heat on.
If she is congested, I suggest that you also run a vaporizer in her room. We use a Vicks Vaporizer/Humidifier that takes Vicks pads and defuses into the air. It helps my children sleep better when congested, and quiets their cough without having to slime them up with vapo-rub.
It really just sounds like your boyfriend just doesn't want to pay the heat bill - which is understandable as heating a large home is expensive. Keeping the heat off in your home when you have a sick child, or any child, in winter is ridiculous. Your child loses body heat much faster than you - or your boyfriend - does and needs to be kept warm. If this becomes a matter of contention between you and him, take your baby to the doctor and have the doctor tell him the heat needs to be on. If he refuses, you need to take the baby and stay with someone who puts the heat on - especially at night. No, I am not saying you should leave him for good - just get the baby someplace where she can be warm until he decides that the heat should be put on.

I just wanted to say this, in your boyfriend's defense... my daughter was sick for about a month and when I started worrying about a sinus infection or pnemonia, I took her to the doctor. The doctor asked if we keep the heater on at night because it dries you out. I'm in SF so we have a pretty mild climate and the heater doesn't click on at night. I don't know if she woud have suggested turning it off, but your bf isn't completely misdirected or an idiot :) but you probably know that. Fwiw, the doc said to focus on getting the mucus out. Humidifier, which you are doing and use saline drops and the bulb suction frequenty. Good luck!

Um...yeah...why wouldn't you to have her be warm & comfortable? Run a cool mist humidifier in her room at night for *moisture*--as that will have more positive effect than "coldness"!

Your boyfriend is an idiot.

It really depends on how cold it is in the house... being cold physically isn't going to make you more susceptible to colds.

However, having the heater on may dry out the air and make her more uncomfortable.

I had a similar issue with my baby being born during a cold, cold January. You can probably leave the heat on and use a humidifier. And maybe rub a little mentholatum under her nose. Our issue was that the air was too dry when heated. Have you ever tried to breathe hot, dry air? (Turn on the heat in your car one day and leave all the windows closed.) You also have to know your baby. My baby was born with LOTS of hair and sweats. We've got the heat on this season, but we keep the fans going and turn the heat down at night. While we're all sleeping under the fan--and my husband and I stay covered--the baby kicks off the covers.