How to Stay Cool in the Summer while Pregnant

How to Stay Cool in the Summer while Pregnant

While pregnancy can create a good amount of discomfort any time of year, it’s often elevated during warmer months. Being pregnant in the summer poses many questions – what do you wear over your burgeoning bump? Are you eating enough healthy foods for baby – but the No. 1 question is often: how do I stay cool in summer?

During pregnancy, it’s normal to experience a spike in body temperature. Your body is changing in myriad ways: there’s more blood pumping through you, your body may be retaining extra fluid that can cause swelling, and your metabolism is in overdrive. While a slight spike in temperature is to be expected, it’s important to not overheat, which can be challenging when you’re pregnant in the summer. But with the right cooling tips and tricks, pregnant women can stay safe and comfortable.

Stay Hydrated

Water is your BFF during summer. It helps regulate your body temperature. When you’re hydrated, your body is better able to release heat (the positive side of perspiring), and sweat cools the skin as it evaporates. Because it’s necessary to replace the water leaving your body, the American Pregnancy Association recommends pregnant women drink 8-12 glasses of water each day. Extra active? You’ll need to drink even more water if you’re pregnant in summer and engaging in strenuous activities. How much? An additional 8-ounce glass for every hour of activity is recommended. If you want to stay cool in summer – and your doctor approves – fruit and veggie shakes are also a good way to ensure you’re powering your body with liquids. Because electrolytes, which are a crucial part of staying hydrated, are also lost through sweat you’ll want to ensure you’re eating foods like pickles, olives, bananas, spinach, and sweet potatoes to replace any lost nutrients.

Wear Loose, Light, and Breathable Clothing

Feeling bloated, swollen, or just plain uncomfortable? Ditch the spandex, pre-pregnancy jeans, and bodycon anything (unless that’s your style, then by all means, embrace it). Light-colored linen is your friend. It absorbs less heat and benefits from the fabric being extremely breathable. Repeat after us: Anything breathable is your friend this summer. And a nice little bonus? You’ll be on-trend too, with the coastal grandmother look sweeping TikTok and social platforms. Loose layers aren’t going anywhere—it’s your season to shine.

Try Pregnancy Exercises You Can Do in Water

While exercising is an important part of staying healthy during pregnancy, you don’t want to overheat. Head to a local pool (or clean body of water), and get some aqua-aerobics in. We know what you’re thinking, but aquatic exercises are a great way to stay active at any age since they help you build strength and endurance without all the stress of bouncing around on firm ground. Not only does swimming keep you cool during pregnancy, it also offers a gentle whole-body workout while increasing circulation, and provides relief from swelling.

Opt for Cool Summer Snacks

When the heat index climbs, the last thing we’re craving is a toasted sandwich or hot bowl of soup. Our summer diet usually involves more fruit, veggies, and plenty of nutrient-dense salads. Mix it up with cool gazpacho (packed with vitamins) or fresh-pressed juice that you can always water down.

Up your summer pregnancy diet with some cool summer snacks that will also satiate your sweet tooth. Have an ice tray, or, better yet: a popsicle mold? Mix together unsweetened yogurt and your favorite fruits, and pop them in the freezer for about five hours. We’re partial to yogurt with blueberries, or strawberries and banana.

Not into dairy? No problem: Try fruit-based smoothies with plenty of good-for-you greens. Blend up an array of fruit (using grapes and apple to naturally sweeten the blend) for a tasty treat. Try a PB & J (peanut butter powder, blueberries, kale, and bananas, all over ice) to get some much-needed protein. If kale’s not for you, try spinach, which is rich in iron – a key nutrient during pregnancy. Some of our favorite fruits to use include: watermelon (always a refreshing choice), citrus fruit with banana (like a healthy, summery dessert), and when in doubt, just add strawberries.

Create a Cooling Sleep Sanctuary

Because sleep is precious, especially when you’re pregnant, it’s important to set up a space that keeps you at an ideal temperature all night love. What you’re sleeping in and on makes a difference, so select loose pajamas in either cotton, silk, or linen, and dress your bed in bamboo or moisture-wicking sheets. From there, be sure you have some sort of moving air from a ceiling or floor fan, and consider blackout curtains so you’re not blasted with the sun’s heat first thing in the morning. If you’re really feeling toasty, wrap a freezer pack in a pillowcase and place it under your feet.

Use Peppermint Essential Oil

We’re serious. In addition to keeping your pregnant self cool in summer, enjoy the invigorating aroma of peppermint oil – and its nausea-relieving effects. Put three to five drops in an essential oil diffuser, or mix one drop in a carrier oil, like coconut or jojoba, then rub it on your chest and shoulders. Loving the scent? Try soaking your feet in a bathtub filled with cool water, two drops of peppermint essential oil, and a ½ cup of Epsom salt. In addition, you can place one or two drops on a washcloth, soak it with cold water, wring it out, and place it across your forehead.

Hibernate

Being pregnant in the summer is no mean feat. Don’t push yourself. Give yourself permission to relax in a cool room with the shades drawn, and if you’re currently kid-free, take a nap. Speaking of snoozing, a nap is another great trick for cooling off as your body temperature lowers during sleep, because you’re using less energy than when you’re up and about.

Draw a cool bath, light a candle, put on your favorite relaxing music or meditation recording and enjoy a sweet reprieve from the summer heat.

Go Open at Night, Closed by Day

If you know, you know. Keep the windows open at night to let cool air breeze through your home, and draw the blinds by day to keep out the intensity of the sun’s rays. If you’ve got AC, great, and if not, fans will help circulate the air.

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CONTRIBUTORS

Natalie Barnett, PhD serves as VP of Clinical Research at Nanit. Natalie initiated sleep research collaborations at Nanit and in her current role, Natalie oversees collaborations with researchers at hospitals and universities around the world who use the Nanit camera to better understand pediatric sleep and leads the internal sleep and development research programs at Nanit. Natalie holds a Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of New England in Australia and a Postgraduate Certificate in Pediatric Sleep Science from the University of Western Australia. Natalie was an Assistant Professor in the Neurogenetics Unit at NYU School of Medicine prior to joining Nanit. Natalie is also the voice of Nanit's science-backed, personalized sleep tips delivered to users throughout their baby's first few years.

Kristy Ojala is Nanit’s Digital Content Director. She spends way too much time looking at maps and weather forecasts and pictures of Devon Rex cats and no-cook dinners. A former sleep champion, she strives to share trustworthy somnabulism tips with other parents—praying for that one fine day when no tiny humans wake her up while it’s still dark out. Her kids highly recommend 3 books, approximately 600 stuffies, Chopin’s “Nocturnes,” and the Nanit Sound + Light for bedtime success.

Mackenzie Sangster is on the Brand and Community team at Nanit. She supports content development and editing for Nanit’s Parent Confidently blog as well as other marketing initiatives. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her friends, cooking, being active, and using the Pro + Flex Duo to keep an eye on her fur-baby, Poppy!

Holly Hays is a contributor and writer for Nanit, channeling her years as a mama and former magazine editor to create fun, useful content for fellow busy, trying-to-do-their-best parents and caregivers. Holly has written for a wide range of brands and media outlets (Ergobaby, HGTV, Manhattan Toy Company, OXO), loves to cook and read mystery novels, and leans heavily on her two daughters to keep her up to date on all the latest slang.