Summer and pregnancy: tips for beating the hot weather

Is it summer, are you pregnant and feeling more tired and weaker than normal? Here are some small tips that can help you!

• Drink plenty and consume fresh foods rich in magnesium and potassium (pulses, dried fruit, green leafy vegetables, whole grains, bananas): these will help you reintegrate lost minerals.
• Lift your ankles and feet when you can to relieve the slight swelling. Place a chair in front of where you are sitting or lie down on the sofa or bed.
• If you feel particularly weak, ask your doctor if magnesium and potassium supplements might work for you.

Other useful advice:

• Avoid going outside during the hottest hours.
• When you are at home, keep the windows and shutters closed to keep the room cool during the hottest hours, and air the rooms in the evening. Air conditioning is best used in dehumidifier mode, taking care not to dry it out too much (around 50 % is fine) and keep the temperature around 25 degrees. General recommendations are to lower the temperature by a maximum of 5-7 degrees from outside.
• Always carry water with you and drink a lot (at least 2 litres a day).
• Wear clothes and underwear that are as breathable as possible, such as cotton or linen; avoid synthetic fibres as much as possible.
• Refresh yourself often, perhaps by just soaking your legs in the shower with cool water or apply cold compresses to your face, wrists and ankles.
• Have small snacks with fresh fruit.
• Reduce salt intake.
• Try to eat fresh vegetables at every meal (green salad, spinach salad, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, etc.).
• An evening walk will help you maintain some exercise and reduce swelling (too much inactivity does not help!). If you are at the seaside, a walk with your feet in the water will help a lot!

If you have already given birth, follow these golden rules for you and your child, who suffers from heat much more than an adult.

• Dress your baby in very light and breathable clothing, even a bodysuit is more than OK, try to use only 100% cotton.
• Nappies produce a lot of heat and sometimes irritation, so try to change your baby often by refreshing him/her with lukewarm water. At the hottest times or if you notice any irritation, if you feel up to it, leave him or her free; put an absorbing sleeper on the surface where he or she is lying so you don’t get anything dirty!
• If you are breastfeeding, you may notice that your baby asks for the breast much more often; try to accommodate this and do not give extra water or other liquids. Your milk contains everything your baby needs in the first 6 months of life and even in hot weather it will regulate itself to hydrate your baby well. Giving extra water in babies under 6 months may give a feeling of fullness in the stomach but will not provide any nourishment. The risk is that they start to eat less and thus lose weight.
• When it is very hot and you sweat a lot with your baby in contact, for example when breastfeeding, you can put a fresh sheet between him/her and your arms.

Don’t renounce going out but pay attention to certain behaviours to avoid risks to your child:

• Avoid the hottest hours (11 a.m. to 6 p.m.).
• NEVER expose your child to direct sunlight.
• NEVER cover the pram with a sheet. You risk overheating the environment further and causing hyperthermia. There is a high risk of cot death with this practice. You can shield the baby from the direct sun with a UV umbrella, but air must always circulate inside the pram.
• It is best to avoid the routine use of sun creams on newborns; in strictly necessary cases, specific creams should be used, ask your paediatrician for advice.
• Use very light clothes such as linen or cotton, avoid two layers or socks. You can use a cotton hat outdoors but never indoors.
• In the car, never point the air conditioning at your child and do not set it at a temperature too different from the outside (max. 5-7 degrees lower). Too many temperature changes are not good. Air filters should be cleaned regularly. NEVER leave the child in the car, even for a few moments.