Total Summer Pregnancy Guide Tips 10-17
10. Cue Up the Cravings
Go ahead and dig into the occasional gooey, greasy cheeseburger at your friend’s summer BBQ, that fully loaded ice cream sundae, or a fruity virgin cocktail at the beach. After all, you do need a few hundred extra calories each day, and these treats are among the great summer joys — somehow, they just taste better this time of year. And it’s not like anyone expects your belly to look flat in that new maternity bikini you just splurged on. So order up and enjoy!
11. Beat the Bloat
Edema — fluid retention that causes swelling, particularly in your hands, feet, and ankles — can get worse in these scorching months. There’s usually nothing dangerous about it, but it can make you feel a little — ugh — uncomfortably blimpish. To combat it, avoid excess sodium (ditch the salt shaker and processed, packaged foods, which are often high in sodium), stay cool, and drink plenty of fluids. As counterintuitive as it sounds, sipping water actually helps your body rid itself of excess fluid it’s hanging on to. Oh, and prop your feet up as much as possible; elevating them can also lessen swelling.
12. Summer-Proof Your Office Space
Whether you’re trying to work ahead before maternity leave or are secretly registering for your layette online, chances are you’re still clocking some decent hours at work this summer. Make your office more bearable by stocking your desk with heat-beating essentials like a fan, extra water bottles, and comfy shoes for lunchtime strolls. And for those really sticky, sweaty days, it can’t hurt to stow an extra maternity tee or tank.
13. Clear Off Your Social Calendar
Long car trips + pregnant belly= unhappy, uncomfortable mama-to-be. This summer, you may want to scale back on your usually frenetic travel schedule (babymoon aside, natch) in favor of activities closer to home. Know that it’s perfectly okay to turn down plans every now and then, so don’t be afraid to take a rain check on a last-minute invite to a pal’s beach house (since it really means seven sweltering hours stuck in the car) or that second cousin’s wedding two states away. Cramped car rides are even less fun these days than usual — and everyone will understand.
14. Stay Cool
Pregnancy literally does make you one hot mama. Not only is your own metabolic furnace throwing off heat, so is your baby’s. In the winter it was probably no biggie, but by now you may find yourself camped in front of the AC and still boiling. And it’s more than just a comfort thing — the scorching weather combined with your hotter-than-usual body temp makes you more prone to overheating. Be sure to sip that water and dress in lightweight, breathable fabrics. On days when the heat index (which tells you how hot it actually feels outside by factoring in both temperature and humidity) rises above 90, try to spend as much time as possible inside in a nice, cool space. Note: If your heart starts pounding, you feel dizzy, or you stop sweating, you may have heat exhaustion. Rest right away and get something cool to drink. If symptoms don’t subside, call your doctor.
15. Practice Picnic Safety
Summer is all about backyard BBQs, spreading out a blanket and busting open the picnic basket. By all means, eat alfresco whenever you like, just be smart about it. When you fire up the grill, make sure meats are fully cooked to prevent unwittingly noshing harmful bacteria, like salmonella. You might want to invest in a meat thermometer to totally eliminate the “is it done?” guesswork. Steer clear of perishable foods that have been sitting out for a while. “You probably already know to watch out for things like mayonnaise, but really, anything you’d normally store in the fridge — cheese, milk, fresh-squeezed juice, even a well-done hamburger — is worth avoiding if it’s been warming in the sun for a few hours.
16. Enjoy the Lazy, Baby-Free Days
Make it your mission to lounge as much as possible now — and allow plenty of totally guilt-free you-time. We’re not saying you’ll never get to read trashy magazines at the beach, treat yourself to weekly pedicures, or have a standing date night with hubs after the bundle arrives, but the opportunities will be fewer, at least for a while. So live it up!
