During pregnancy, many women feel major physical discomfort. Apart from back pain, constipation and other common problems related to pregnancy, frequent hot flushes can make things even worse. During summer, it becomes even more problematic for the expecting mothers to actually stay cool. The soaring temperature not only adds to the physical discomfort but also makes the already sensitive skin of the pregnant women prone to more sweating which can give rise to a number of skin problems as well.
Staying cool during summer can be helpful not only for physical well being of the expecting mothers but also to ensure a better mood, which has a direct effect on the unborn baby. Sweating can also cause health problems like cough and cold. To stay cool during pregnancy it is best to follow some in-home measures. Some changes in your lifestyle and diet can bring effective and positive results, making you feel more comfortable. Here are the most effective ways that pregnant women can follow to stay cool even during summer.
Go for swimming
Other than hiding your baby bum, you should better concentrate on feeling cool with it. While you cannot perform extensive exercises, we suggest go for swimming, take a dip in a pool either in the morning or after sunset. It will help your body to feel relaxed and cool while you swim, and your body will stay cool for the rest of the day.
Eat lighter meals
Food plays a very important role all through the time you carry a life within you. While you are keeping a check on what you should eat and what you shouldn’t, you should equally be cautious about the quantity. Eat in smaller quantities and in regular intervals so that your metabolism rate stays in control otherwise large quantity of meal makes the metabolism rate of your body produce more heat.
Carry a spray bottle or wet wipes
If you are out in the heat due to work, we suggest carry a spray bottle which has cold water to mist your face time and again. Else, you can also carry a packet of wet wipes picked directly out of the refrigerator in your bag for wiping your face and to feel the cool.
Wear the right type of clothing
Wearing the right type of clothing can be most helpful to stay cool during summer. Tight fitting and synthetic clothes are not at all suitable for the hot summer days when the body is already sweating to keep the body temperature low. Synthetic tight fit clothing stops air from passing to the skin and it causes accumulation of sweat on the skin. Sweat accumulation on the body not only gives rise to skin problems but can also be a reason of getting cough and cold.
Loose fitting cotton clothes are the best suited ones for the expecting mothers in summer because cotton clothes has sufficient pores that let air pass to the skin. So, the sweat is not accumulated on the skin. The best quality cotton and linen materials also absorb the excess sweat, keeping the skin dry. So, for expecting mothers it is important that they wear only cotton or linen made, loose clothes during summer days to stay cool.
Apart from the material, the color of the clothes can also be helpful to make sure that your body absorbs less heat from outside. White and pastel shades are best suited for summer because these colors reflect most of the light rays, helping you to stay cool. On the other hand, colors like black absorbs all the light frequencies and can make you feel even hotter during summer.
Loose fitting clothes can make summer more comfortable but also keep in mind that it is always best to wear thin but covering clothes during this time of the year. Loose, light colored, body covering clothes gives an added layer of protection on the body from the outside heat and can be helpful to keep the body temperature low.
Eat the right diet
Your diet has a serious impact on your body heat and hence for pregnant women it is really important that they take the right kind of foods during summer. As a general rule of thumb, include more leafy and green vegetables in your diet instead of junk foods. Leafy and green vegetables supply a good dose of water and fiber to the body. While the water can be most helpful to keep the body cool from inside, the fiber in vegetables help in keeping the digestive system healthy, which can be helpful to avoid overheating of the body.
Vegetables like bottle gourd, ridge gourd and other seasonal vegetables can be ideal for the expecting mothers during summer. Fried and oily foods certainly produces more heat during digestion, so it is best if you can bring the amount of oil and fried foods to minimum in your diet during summer. Opt for more boiled and raw diet than fried ones.
During pregnancy, it is really important for the expecting mothers to consume adequate amount of protein in their daily diet. However, consuming meat, eggs or chicken regularly can be a cause of more heat generation in the body. So, during this time, it is best advised to keep your diet to simple. Instead of animal protein, opt for more plant proteins. Lightly boiled or grinded pulses, grams, seeds and nuts can be taken in order to cover up the daily quota of protein in pregnant women without consuming a lot of animal protein. These plant based proteins will generate less body heat during digestion, helping you to stay cool.
Instead of banking on the complex carbs, that are usually considered more healthy for the body, during summer, including more simple carbs like white rice in your diet can be helpful to keep the body temperature low. As simple carbs are easier to digest and they produce less heat on digestion.
During pregnancy, it is only wise to depend more on dairy products and juices. Cold milk, sour curd, yogurt are some of the best foods that you can consume during summer to stay cool and to fill your appetite. Juices made from fresh fruits, like watermelon, pineapple, mangoes and cucumber can be a tasty treat for your tongue and also for your body. Juices provide energy, the essential nutrients and also help in keeping the body temperature low.
Do not forget to drink more and more of water at frequent interval during summer. Water helps in keeping the body cool from inside and also prevents dehydration due to over sweating. Instead of bigger meals, opt for frequent and small meals this well help in controlling your body temperature at a comfortable range instead of producing a spike in body temperature after a big meal.
Stay in a cooler place
For pregnant women, it is really important to stay not only indoors but also in a cooler room during the hot days of summer. If there are no provisions for air conditioning systems in the home, make sure that you stay in a room that does not get the direct sunlight during most part of the day. Staying in the ground floor of a home with multiple floors can be an easy and effective way to make sure that you stay cool.
Using heavy curtains on the doors and windows, sprinkling water on the curtains at frequent intervals during the day time can also be helpful to keep the temperature of the room lower even without an air conditioning system. Keeping a few earthen pitchers in the room, filled with water can also be helpful to keep the room cooler during summer.
Opt for frequent bathing
Pregnant women should not stick to their one or two time daily bathing routine during summer. Frequent bathing can be very helpful to lower the body temperature and to make one feel cooler from inside. So, make it a point to take frequent bath in cold water. Make sure that you soak in the water for sufficient time, so that the body heat is actually absorbed by the water.
Also keep in mind, bathing frequently with hot or even warm water, which might only come out of the tap during the scorching summer days, will not help you much. So, make sure that you hold the fresh, cold water of the morning for bathing throughout the day.
Adding mint leaves or bathing salt in your bathing water can be effective to lose maximum body heat during bathing. However, frequent bathing can cause your skin to dry up hence if you are taking bath frequently to get relief from the excess heat during summer, make sure that you also apply a non-oily body lotion at least once in a day, if your skin feels stretchy.
Reduce physical activities during the day
During hot and humid summer days, the more you will work physically, the warmer you will feel. So, it is best that you reduce your physical activities during the day time when the heat is high. You can cover up your responsibilities early in the morning or during night when the outside temperature is comparatively less. During the day time, opt for morerest in a well aerated room and make sure that you do not sleep or sit on a bed or sofa with warm bedding, which can make you feel hot and sweaty.
Cut back on exercise
We understand that physical fitness is necessary even during pregnancy but in order to stay cool during summer it is only wise to cut back on exercise for the time. Instead opt for Yoga that needs much less physical activities and will not cause soaring of body heat. Also select your exercise and yoga time wisely. It is best to complete them early in the morning even before the sun starts to shine fully with its scorching rays.
Use cold wash clothes for heat comfort
If you are feeling too hot during the day and you do not have the option of indulging in the cool air of an AC, keep a few water soaked washcloths in the freezer for hours. Put the cold wash clothes on your forehead and belly while taking a nap on the bed. This will help in lowering your body temperature and will make you feel much relieved.
Use sandalwood powder to stay cool
Sandalwood is a natural skin protector and healer. It helps in keeping the body temperature low. In order to control the excess heat during summer, you can simply dust some pure sandalwood powder on your body after taking a bath. This will make you more comfortable and will also help in controlling the excess sweat without clogging the pores.
