It is important for pregnant women to take precautions in the summer heat. Here are some ways pregnant women can enjoy summer while also enjoying a safe, healthy and comfortable pregnancy:
Check the Heat Index: The biggest risk for pregnant women in the summer is the heat index. If the heat index is over 100, you really shouldn’t be outside for too long.
Avoid Direct Sunlight: During pregnancy, it’s best to avoid direct sunlight. If you are in the sun, make sure you’re using sunscreen. Limit your outdoor time to cooler parts of the day, early morning or early evening rather than high noon.
Avoid Restrictive Clothing: Restrictive clothing can increase your discomfort and add to swelling problems.
Stay Hydrated: When you do go out, make sure you’re staying hydrated and drinking the recommended 8 to 12 glasses of water each day.
See a Chiropractor: The other thing that is always so important is to maintain proper spinal health during pregnancy. You’re going to gain a lot of weight. Your center of gravity moves forward, which can put stress and tension into the neck and the back. Seeing a chiropractor for chiropractic adjustments can alleviate a lot of those symptoms.
Use the Webster Technique: The Webster Technique helps prepare the mom’s body for birth. It relaxes the uterosacral ligament, it relaxes the round ligament and it lines up the sacroiliac joints and the lumbar spine to allow for optimal fetal positioning inside the womb. All the research shows if you apply the Webster Technique properly up and through pregnancy, it usually results in shorter delivery times, less pain, less need for interventions, particularly the Pitocin, the epidurals, and the C-sections. So, it’s really about stacking the deck in your favor to make sure that you have the ideal birth or at least the birth that you’re wanting because a lot of the moms that come to us want to have that natural vaginal delivery without too much intervention.
Some other great tips you can follow to maintain a healthy pregnancy in the summer heat are:
Get a prenatal massage.
Do prenatal yoga.
Continue to exercise.
Elevate your feet.
Wear compression socks if your feet are swelling.
Reduce your salt intake.
Those are all great tips for maintaining a healthy pregnancy, especially in the summertime. These tips also help the mom feel comfortable and actually expedite the birth and delivery process by getting any of the roadblocks out of the way.
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