Pregnancy, to begin with, is no simple feat. Your body is undergoing so many changes, your diet has transformed, your skin may be reacting to things differently than it used to, and you’re mentally preparing for the new addition to your family.
Being pregnant in the summer brings with it a whole slew of new complications for pregnant women from trying to stay cool, maintaining proper hygiene in the heat, and having the right pregnancy diet in summer for your baby. We understand these issues, so we’ve compiled a list of our 15 summer pregnancy tips to not only help you survive your summer pregnancy but enjoy it, too!
In this article, we’ll highlight types of comfy summer shoes for pregnancy, how to maintain hygiene during pregnancy in summer, how to take good care of your skin in the summer while pregnant, and additional summer pregnancy must-haves.
1. Use an effective skin hydrator
As we age our skin slowly loses its ability to retain moisture, and sometimes pregnancy can exacerbate this issue. The hot and sometimes dry summer months don’t help a whole lot either. We recommend trying the PrettyMommies But First, Hydrate Moisturizer; it contains squalane and vitamin E, both of which are important not only restoring skin’s lost moisture, but also delivering helpful antioxidants to fight free radicals and make skin soft, glowing and radiant.
2. Put together a cute outfit
When its hot and your hormones are a little unpredictable, you may not feel like doing more work (you’re growing a human, after all!), however, getting dressed up could be just the mood-boost you need while pregnant in summer. Science says the clothes we wear can affect our attitude, confidence, and overall mood so it definitely could be worth it to dress up for the day. If you want further help on how to do this, we’ve written another post on how to create an effortlessly stunning look during summer.
3. Wear comfortable shoes
While you might be tempted in the hotter weather to just wear flip flops, it’s better to look for a pair of comfortable sandals that have some extra cushioning and arch support. Also, being pregnant can throw you off balance, and the last thing you want is a pair of flimsy flip flops that can cause you to trip.
There are many options out there for comfy summer shoes for pregnancy from sneakers to walking sandals; just make sure you break them in at home as sporting a brand new pair on a day out could mean painful blisters on your heels and ankles.
4. Go swimming, get wet
Water is helpful for many reasons when you’re pregnant. Take a cold bath or shower to lower your body temperature, especially after a long, hot day. Swimming in a pool or at the beach is also an effective, low-impact way to get exercise while pregnant, plus, the buoyancy of the water on your growing belly can bring some much-needed relief to the rest of your body.
Something even as simple as applying a cold, wet washcloth to your neck and forehead can help to keep your body temperature down.
5. Take breaks when you need
Some women may feel the need to prepare and get a lot of things done before their bundle of joy arrives, but it’s important to remember that it is totally okay to take breaks. Your body is working hard after all to support a new life. The summer months of course only exacerbate your need to rest and give your body and mind a break.
Cozy up on the couch to your favorite TV show or a good book, and take plenty of naps when you feel the need as the intense heat can drain your energy.
6. Use body powder
The heat can cause a lot of uncomfortable (and sometimes painful) chaffing in different areas of your body while pregnant. Use a gentle, non-toxic powder on your problem areas to guard against chaffing and awful rashes.
7. Stick with healthy cold snacks
One of the best things about your pregnancy diet in summer is all of the delicious seasonal fruits and veggies available to you. You can make smoothies and fun mocktails out of peaches and/or watermelon, or indulge in some homemade popsicles made from pureed summer fruit!
The one thing you may want to avoid is heavy cream and dairy, as it can sometimes cause digestive problems, but a good alternative could be blending light yogurt with other fruits for a more creamy treat and even freezing the mixture to make more popsicles.
If you’re experiencing a lot of swelling, try eating on watercress, citrus fruits, celery, and small bits of parsley as these all are natural diuretics or add them into a cold smoothie.
8. Above all, stay hydrated
Already for anyone, drinking the right amount of fluids in the summer is important, and this is especially true for expecting mothers, as the uterus can start to contract if it lacks hydration. Plus, drinking plenty of water will help with joint pain and fatigue and ease your digestion, which can become a problem for many women while pregnant.
If you get bored with just water, you can make it more interesting by creating flavored water with cucumber, blueberries and mint, strawberry and lemon, and many other combinations. Have fun with it! You could even mix some fruit in with tea, like red raspberry leaf tea, which is recommended for pregnant women.
9. Wear breathable clothes
In the summer, one of the best things is having the freedom to wear lightweight, comfy maternity clothes that are easy to put on (unlike a pregnancy winter wardrobe). If you need help, here are some easy pregnancy style tips for summer.
10. Veer away from the salt
Having a lot of sodium in your diet can worsen swelling and inflammation while you’re pregnant. Try avoiding overly salty foods and instead add more flavor to home-cooked meals with spices, herbs, and citrus, like lemon or lime. Also, check with your doctor if you’re concerned about sodium intake so they can give you the proper recommendations.
11. Take advantage of early morning and cooler evening
The temperatures reach their hottest around midday and early afternoon, so use the hotter times of the day to rest indoors or take a nap while waking up earlier in the morning to spend time outside and perhaps evenings for going on a brisk walk.
12. Use maximum protection SPF
Pregnant skin is much more sensitive to sunlight, and as a result, you’re more likely to experience sunburns or even melasma if you’re out too long in the sunlight.
Use a safe, non-toxic SPF 50 whenever you’re out in the sun, and remember to reapply roughly every 80 minutes. Try wearing a hat as well to further prevent your skin from sun exposure.
13. Be careful of certain foods in the heat
You’re more at risk of food poisoning while pregnant, and this mixed with the fact that certain foods spoil easily in the hot temperatures makes for a bad combination. Avoid eating any perishable food items that have been out in the heat for two hours or more.
14. Move your workouts indoors
While getting some exercise in the early morning or evening outside is great, you can still get overheated during these periods in the summertime.
Change up your exercise routine by moving your workouts indoors, whether it’s in an air-conditioned studio for prenatal yoga, your home, or a cool gym for cardio exercises.
15. Clean and wash your hands often
It’s important to know how to maintain hygiene during pregnancy in summer, as in general you should be washing your hands and keeping clean more often than usual. Wash your hands and body after exercising, eating, cooking with raw foods, and touching things in public spaces. It may even be helpful to bring along some non-toxic hand wipes around with you.
We hope these 15 summer pregnancy tips have been enlightening for you and will help you to have an enjoyable summer as you prepare to welcome a new life into your life!
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15 Tips to Survive Your Summer Pregnancy
15 Tips to Survive Your Summer Pregnancy
Pregnancy, to begin with, is no simple feat. Your body is undergoing so many changes, your diet has transformed, your skin may be reacting to things differently than it used to, and you’re mentally preparing for the new addition to your family.
Being pregnant in the summer brings with it a whole slew of new complications for pregnant women from trying to stay cool, maintaining proper hygiene in the heat, and having the right pregnancy diet in summer for your baby. We understand these issues, so we’ve compiled a list of our 15 summer pregnancy tips to not only help you survive your summer pregnancy but enjoy it, too!
In this article, we’ll highlight types of comfy summer shoes for pregnancy, how to maintain hygiene during pregnancy in summer, how to take good care of your skin in the summer while pregnant, and additional summer pregnancy must-haves.
1. Use an effective skin hydrator
As we age our skin slowly loses its ability to retain moisture, and sometimes pregnancy can exacerbate this issue. The hot and sometimes dry summer months don’t help a whole lot either. We recommend trying the PrettyMommies But First, Hydrate Moisturizer; it contains squalane and vitamin E, both of which are important not only restoring skin’s lost moisture, but also delivering helpful antioxidants to fight free radicals and make skin soft, glowing and radiant.
2. Put together a cute outfit
When its hot and your hormones are a little unpredictable, you may not feel like doing more work (you’re growing a human, after all!), however, getting dressed up could be just the mood-boost you need while pregnant in summer. Science says the clothes we wear can affect our attitude, confidence, and overall mood so it definitely could be worth it to dress up for the day. If you want further help on how to do this, we’ve written another post on how to create an effortlessly stunning look during summer.
3. Wear comfortable shoes
While you might be tempted in the hotter weather to just wear flip flops, it’s better to look for a pair of comfortable sandals that have some extra cushioning and arch support. Also, being pregnant can throw you off balance, and the last thing you want is a pair of flimsy flip flops that can cause you to trip.
There are many options out there for comfy summer shoes for pregnancy from sneakers to walking sandals; just make sure you break them in at home as sporting a brand new pair on a day out could mean painful blisters on your heels and ankles.
4. Go swimming, get wet
Water is helpful for many reasons when you’re pregnant. Take a cold bath or shower to lower your body temperature, especially after a long, hot day. Swimming in a pool or at the beach is also an effective, low-impact way to get exercise while pregnant, plus, the buoyancy of the water on your growing belly can bring some much-needed relief to the rest of your body.
Something even as simple as applying a cold, wet washcloth to your neck and forehead can help to keep your body temperature down.
5. Take breaks when you need
Some women may feel the need to prepare and get a lot of things done before their bundle of joy arrives, but it’s important to remember that it is totally okay to take breaks. Your body is working hard after all to support a new life. The summer months of course only exacerbate your need to rest and give your body and mind a break.
Cozy up on the couch to your favorite TV show or a good book, and take plenty of naps when you feel the need as the intense heat can drain your energy.
6. Use body powder
The heat can cause a lot of uncomfortable (and sometimes painful) chaffing in different areas of your body while pregnant. Use a gentle, non-toxic powder on your problem areas to guard against chaffing and awful rashes.
7. Stick with healthy cold snacks
One of the best things about your pregnancy diet in summer is all of the delicious seasonal fruits and veggies available to you. You can make smoothies and fun mocktails out of peaches and/or watermelon, or indulge in some homemade popsicles made from pureed summer fruit!
The one thing you may want to avoid is heavy cream and dairy, as it can sometimes cause digestive problems, but a good alternative could be blending light yogurt with other fruits for a more creamy treat and even freezing the mixture to make more popsicles.
If you’re experiencing a lot of swelling, try eating on watercress, citrus fruits, celery, and small bits of parsley as these all are natural diuretics or add them into a cold smoothie.
8. Above all, stay hydrated
Already for anyone, drinking the right amount of fluids in the summer is important, and this is especially true for expecting mothers, as the uterus can start to contract if it lacks hydration. Plus, drinking plenty of water will help with joint pain and fatigue and ease your digestion, which can become a problem for many women while pregnant.
If you get bored with just water, you can make it more interesting by creating flavored water with cucumber, blueberries and mint, strawberry and lemon, and many other combinations. Have fun with it! You could even mix some fruit in with tea, like red raspberry leaf tea, which is recommended for pregnant women.
9. Wear breathable clothes
In the summer, one of the best things is having the freedom to wear lightweight, comfy maternity clothes that are easy to put on (unlike a pregnancy winter wardrobe). If you need help, here are some easy pregnancy style tips for summer.
10. Veer away from the salt
Having a lot of sodium in your diet can worsen swelling and inflammation while you’re pregnant. Try avoiding overly salty foods and instead add more flavor to home-cooked meals with spices, herbs, and citrus, like lemon or lime. Also, check with your doctor if you’re concerned about sodium intake so they can give you the proper recommendations.
11. Take advantage of early morning and cooler evening
The temperatures reach their hottest around midday and early afternoon, so use the hotter times of the day to rest indoors or take a nap while waking up earlier in the morning to spend time outside and perhaps evenings for going on a brisk walk.
12. Use maximum protection SPF
Pregnant skin is much more sensitive to sunlight, and as a result, you’re more likely to experience sunburns or even melasma if you’re out too long in the sunlight.
Use a safe, non-toxic SPF 50 whenever you’re out in the sun, and remember to reapply roughly every 80 minutes. Try wearing a hat as well to further prevent your skin from sun exposure.
13. Be careful of certain foods in the heat
You’re more at risk of food poisoning while pregnant, and this mixed with the fact that certain foods spoil easily in the hot temperatures makes for a bad combination. Avoid eating any perishable food items that have been out in the heat for two hours or more.
14. Move your workouts indoors
While getting some exercise in the early morning or evening outside is great, you can still get overheated during these periods in the summertime.
Change up your exercise routine by moving your workouts indoors, whether it’s in an air-conditioned studio for prenatal yoga, your home, or a cool gym for cardio exercises.
15. Clean and wash your hands often
It’s important to know how to maintain hygiene during pregnancy in summer, as in general you should be washing your hands and keeping clean more often than usual. Wash your hands and body after exercising, eating, cooking with raw foods, and touching things in public spaces. It may even be helpful to bring along some non-toxic hand wipes around with you.
We hope these 15 summer pregnancy tips have been enlightening for you and will help you to have an enjoyable summer as you prepare to welcome a new life into your life!
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