How To Get Through Summer When You're Pregnant

Have you got a "bun in the oven" during the searing summer heat? You'll find coping with the hot months harder than before and may even wish you could jump into the fridge. If you are not cool with being pregnant in summer, you don't need to embrace the suffering though — there are some steps you can take to feel a little better. 

Stay Cool In The Pool

Summer is the ideal time to head to the pool, and doubly so when you're expecting. Spending time in water that's a little cooler will bring your core temperature down and make you feel great. That may be your only aim if your local neighborhood has turned into an inferno, but pregnant women will get much more than cooling off alone out of their trip to the pool. Swimming is one of the safest pregnancy exercises out there, and doctors recommend it to expectant moms all year-round. What's so great about spending time in the water?

Swimming works both the arms and the legs and gives you an excellent cardio workout, while minimizing the risk of injury. Your back, which is having a hard time in the last few months of pregnancy because of the increased weight up front, will thank you if you go swimming. Anyone who has ever been swimming before also knows that feeling refreshed and less tired are side-effects of this aquatic activity, and that's exactly what moms to-be need!

Because you'll feel weightless in water, you'll also be able to do stuff your baby bump wouldn't otherwise allow you to do — like aerobics, but in water. That's prenatal aquarobics. Check it out. We bet there's a class in your locality. 

Dihydrogen Monoxide

Yes, that's water. Pregnancy itself raises your body temperature a bit, and any extra heat from outside is just going to make you feel worse. Sweating more than usual also means that you will lose both fluids and electrolytes more quickly. We know that you're fed up with going to the bathroom every five minutes already, but making an honest commitment to drinking all the fluids you need will definitely help you feel better.

See Also: How to Prevent Nausea and Vomiting During Pregnancy 

Water is the best drink if you're looking for hydration. You've probably heard the "two liters a day" recommendation. It is hard to keep track of your exact water intake unless you are drinking from bottles all day long, but the advice to always have some water on the go is sound. Don't forget to take a bottle with you when you go out. You'll need more than water alone to keep your electrolytes up, however. Consider sports drinks, fruit juice and even milk for that purpose.

More Tips For Pregnant Moms In Summer 

Spend Time In Air-Conditioned Spaces

Most expectant moms are excited to go shopping for their new babies, and there is lots to buy! Spending time in air-conditioned spaces is another obvious way to cool down. If you don't have airco at home or are trying to keep it off to save money and spare the environment, heading over to places that are already air-conditioned is a great option. I suggest you combine baby shopping with that airco and check out your local mall or big stores that sell baby items. 

Top Up On The Ice Cream

Once you've got the external cooling down over and done with, don't forget to attack that heat from the inside as well! With some luck, you are already craving ice cream like crazy. While sugary sundaes from fast-food outlets are irresistible to your average expectant mother, it is also very possible to make your own healthier ice creams at home. If you practice your home-made ice cream skills now, you'll be a pro at making a popular junk snack into something nutritious by the time you have a toddler. 

You can buy ice-cream makers, but we have simple plastic molds at home, and they work like a charm. Some of my favorite ice-cream ideas are:

• Mashed bananas and nothing else. (Excellent for teething infants too!)
• Yogurt, peaches and honey. Blended of course. 
• Chocolate-flavored soy milk, almonds, and mashed strawberries. 
• Bitter Lemon and berries. Not the healthiest, right, but really good. 

Don't Get Sun Stroke

Have you always been a sun junkie? It's best to skip sunbathing when you are pregnant. Pregnancy increases your core temperature all by itself, but overheating in the sun could inflict some real damage on your unborn baby. Doctors even warn that spinal malformations or other complications can occur in fetuses whose mothers suffered from sun stroke or heat exhaustion. 

See Also: Is it Safe to Exercise during Pregnancy?

Your skin is going through plenty of changes during pregnancy. Sunbathing increases your risk of cholasma, the so-called pregnancy mask. Pregnant women may also find that they burn more easily than they did before they had a baby on the way. The best way to avoid all these risks is to stay out of the sun during the hottest hours and to always wear a sunblock with an SPF of 50. Loose clothing that covers your arms and legs will also help.