Pregnant, swollen and hot? Here’s how to survive pregnancy during summer

Pregnancy is uncomfortable at the best of times, but pregnancy during summer is a real drag.

During my first two pregnancies I was the biggest during Australian Summers. Let me tell you, it wasn’t pretty.

I was sweaty, swollen and incredibly uncomfortable. By 30+ weeks I’d run out of almost all my clothes and was just cycling through a few measly items that I didn’t completely hate.

Before we get into my pregnancy during summer survival tips let’s get one thing straight. It’s 100% okay to admit that you don’t love pregnancy all the time. You can love and want your baby and also hate the experience of being pregnant. Both can be true at the same time. It’s not a one or the other
situation.

Now we’ve agreed on letting go of the guilt around complaining about being pregnant – let’s talk
about how to survive summer.

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Pregnancy during summer – why is it such a struggle?

During pregnancy your body temperature is already higher than normal, so it’s unsurprising that you’re finding the heat intolerable. The increase in body temperature is thanks to a higher blood volume and pregnancy hormones.

As well as the heat, you’re likely living in a body that feels unfamiliar and uncomfortable. You might also struggle with the fact that you’re having to sit out on some of your favourite summer activities (like sunset drinks, active water-sports, your regular exercise routine).

How to survive summer while pregnant

Water baby!

Get yourself in the ocean or a pool – even a blow up pool will do! Swimming cools you down, helps
to relieve swelling and the weightlessness will give you more mobility than any other
pregnancy activity.

You don’t have to swim laps. You can just float or walk around, or perhaps choose an aqua aerobics class if you want to do a bit more movement.

Can’t swim? That’s okay. A bath will work too. Just remember to keep the water temperature cool – you don’t want to still be sweating when you get out!

Remember it’s temporary.

Look, I know the last month of pregnancy feels like its exactly 7830357234 bazillion years long. But I
promise you – this pregnancy will end. Whenever you find yourself feeling frustrated, take a breath. Remind yourself – this too will pass.

Will this completely solve your discomfort? No. But it can help to take the panic-y edge off it a little bit.

Practice gentle yoga

Speaking of taking the edge off your pregnancy frustration…try practicing some super gentle
prenatal yoga. This will usually involve very slow, mindful movements that focus on relaxing and
using the breath to cool the body down. Yoga won’t just help you to feel better, it also helps give you tools to manage the feelings of frustration that a pregnancy during summer can bring. Try this pregnancy yoga class for Summer below.

If you’ve never practised pregnancy yoga before – you might like to download my free guide here to learn how to practise safely.

Keep your cool!

We know that pregnancy increases your overall body temperature. All that extra work your
body is doing to make your baby and pump the extra blood around = heat! Work with your body by
sipping lots of cold water throughout the day. Get yourself a fun water bottle that you’ll want to
take everywhere. Munch on ice chips to keep your temps down. Take regular cool showers. Stick your feet in a bucket of water. Wear a wet washer around your neck. Roll your face with an ice roller.

Basically just make it your full time job to stay cool.

Pregnancy during summer – what to do and not do

What’s next?

1. Give yourself permission to just REST and look after yourself. Pregnancy is hard enough, especially during Summer. This is your permission to just BE.
2. Practice this pregnancy yoga during Summer practice.
3. Download my free Pregnancy Yoga Guide here for more information about practicing yoga safely during pregnancy.