If you’re pregnant this summer in Northern Florida, the 90-degree days you’re generally accustomed to may now begin to feel intolerable. As the summer wears on and your belly grows bigger, the heat can start to take its toll on your pregnant body.
Here are three tips to help you manage the continuing heat and humidity during pregnancy:
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Stay Indoors
You may not like to hear it, but when the temperature is over 90 degrees, you should try to stay indoors in the air conditioning or near a fan. You may already know that pregnancy makes your internal body temperature higher than usual. That higher internal temperature means that pregnant women are more likely to overheat and thus are more sensitive to high heat and humidity.
If you’re feeling unusually fatigued, dizzy, very thirsty, or faint, you might have heat exhaustion and should seek cool shelter and water and call your doctor right away.
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Stay Protected Outdoors
When you do spend time outside, you need to take extra precautions to keep yourself cool. Wear loose fitting clothing and drink plenty of fluids. Also try to stay in the shade. If you’re in the direct sun, wear a sun hat with at least a three-inch brim and take shade breaks often. Make sure you wear your sunscreen, since pregnancy makes you more sensitive to the sun and more likely to develop sunspots.
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Stay Hydrated
Regardless of if you’re spending your time indoors or outdoors, it’s imperative you stay hydrated. Besides drinking water throughout the day, you should also include some juices or electrolyte drinks to keep your electrolytes up. Eating fruits and vegetables like cucumbers, watermelon, and cantaloupe can also help you stay hydrated.
Pregnant women are at a higher risk of becoming dehydrated since you need more fluids than you’re use to. And this dehydration can be dangerous. It can cause Braxton Hicks contractions, or even lead to preterm labor. If you’re starting to feel fatigued or dizzy, you need to drink, drink, drink!
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Put Your Legs Up
You might notice that your feet and ankles seem to swell up more if you’re out in the heat. You can catch some relief by putting your feet up for a while. Cool compresses on your feet and ankles may also help.
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Exercise Early or Late
If you exercise outside, you should aim to workout early in the day or later in the evening to avoid the high heat. Even though you are exercising, take breaks before you start to feel overheated and make sure to drink plenty. Consider swimming if you feel too hot to walk; it’s a great way to still get exercise while taking the weight off of your feet, literally.
At Gainesville and Lake City’s All About Women, our team of pregnancy physicians and nurse midwives want all of our expecting mothers to stay healthy and happy this summer.
If you’re inside staying cool and want to read up before baby comes, keep reading our blog for the latest women’s health news, or check out the maternity section of our Knowledge Center.
