It’s hot. Your body is working overtime growing a person. Walking from one side of the room to the other makes you break a sweat. You hate going out in public because, apparently, it’s frowned upon to strip down naked at the drop of a hat in public. (Target’s policies are pretty awesome for moms, but I don’t think even they’d be cool with sudden public nudity thing..)

Go ahead. Ask me how I know.

I live in the sweltering heat of Charleston, SC. And I am here to tell the tale of my very HOT, humid, sticky, uncomfortable summer pregnancy. I survived a postpartum summer, too — I’m sorry to report that that was even worse. (More on that later.)

I’m going to give you my best tips for surviving a summer pregnancy in this post. But first, let’s talk about all the reasons why is summer so SO hot and uncomfortable for pregnant and postpartum mamas.

Why Summer Pregnancies Are Hard

(NOTE: You can just skip down to the next section if you’re hot, pregnant, and miserable right now. Just know that it is great reading material for a partner or friend who doesn’t understand why you’re whining so much. Feel free to pass it on.)

First of all, you’re not imagining it. Pregnant women have a slightly higher body temperature. The higher blood volume pregnant women feel can make them feel warmer, too.

Then there are the hormones. I don’t even know how this works. But having hormones rushing through your body can also make you feel super hot one minute and cold another minute. This is most certainly true during pregnancy, but also for the postpartum weeks. Hormones are no joke.

The heat can make feet and ankles swell more during pregnancy.

See How to Modify Legs-Up-the-Wall for Pregnancy

Pregnant and postpartum moms get dehydrated more easily. This can even cause contractions for pregnant women and in some cases leads to preterm birth!

Now, can we chat about maternity clothes for a second? Everyone who is pregnant in the colder months likes to rave about how comfortable and stretchy maternity pants are. You know what else that stretchy band that goes over that adorable belly is? An extra layer of hot, stuffy material to soak up a really hot, irritable mama’s sweat.

On Being Postpartum in the Summer

When you have a baby at, say, the end of April for example. People like to say you, “Oh, well at least you weren’t pregnant during the hot summer months!”

These people have clearly never been postpartum in the summer in Charleston, South Carolina.

Being postpartum in the summer was the hottest summer of my life! Not only did I have the lovely hormone factor that made me feel incredibly hot, I had a tiny, heat-generating baby attached to me 24/7.

It was too hot to go outside and walk around the block. My first baby loved to be worn in one of those sweet stretchy carriers with a million layers of fabric. And sometimes I tried to get out anyway because I knew I’d lose my mind if I didn’t leave the house. We’d both come back from a 10-minute morning walk cranky as hell and drenched in sweat.

Fun times!

I guess you could say I have some experience with being hot and miserable during pregnancy and the postpartum months. And since I’m a prenatal yoga teacher who also works a lot with moms after their babies are born, I’ve learned a lot from the moms I teach, too.

Below are the best pieces of advice I can offer for your summer pregnancy or fourth trimester.

6 Tips for Surviving a Summer Pregnancy and Postpartum Time

Sitali Pranayama (Cooling Breath)

This cooling breath is perfect for when you’re hot and uncomfortable, but you can’t go jump in a pool or strip down, open your freezer door, and stand in front of it (just me?). In fact, whenever I realize I’ve warmed my pregnant students up just a little bit too quickly, I will often stop and teach this breathing technique before we move on to another part of class!

Here’s how:
Sit up tall in a comfortable position. Take a big inhale followed by a slow, controlled exhale. Then, stick your tongue out, curl it, and breathe in through your mouth using your tongue like a straw. The effect is immediately cooling. Continue for several rounds, or until you feel cooler and more comfortable.

Here’s another good description of how to practice Sitali (and what to do if you can’t curl your tongue) from Yoga International!

See also 6 Breathing Techniques for Labor

Go swimming (or just float!)

If you don’t have access to a pool, I recommend you find a yoga class full of amazing yoga moms and get to know someone who has a pool. Don’t just use them for their pool, of course. You should totally lean on your new friends for free babysitting, advice, and as someone to commiserate with about how hard it is to be pregnant in the summer.

When you get to the pool, here’s what you should do:

Put on tons of sunscreen. Then, lie face down on an inter tube with your belly in the center. Use a second float to rest your head on. Then just enjoy the feeling of cooling weightlessness for as long as you possibly can (or until your friend kicks you out of her pool).

This doesn’t really work for my postpartum friends because, well, baby. So just keep reading.

Drink water.

I know. Duh. But, seriously, sipping water all day long will help make sure you don’t get dehydrated and help your feet and ankles not swell so much. If you’re postpartum, water will help you stay hydrated and keep up your breast milk supply.

For extra cooling benefits, try adding some naturally cooling foods to your water. I love to cut up cucumbers to add to my water. Something about cucumber water makes me feel like I’m at the spa. I also make peppermint tea, let it cool, and add it to my giant water bottle sometimes. Other great options is to add a squirt of lime juice or coconut water into your water.

Incorporate cooling foods into your diet.

Of course, actually eating cucumbers and limes is cooling, too. Other foods that are said to have cooling effects are leafy greens, broccoli, melons, and celery.

Slow down.

If you’re used to a really intense style of yoga or other types of intense movements, now is a good time to slow waaaaaay down. Yes, you want to stay active to help you prepare for your birth and to make your recovery faster. But if your regular yoga class or work out is making you feel all, ahem, hot and bothered (and not in a good day) it’s totally fine to slow down a bit.

Try a slower paced prenatal yoga class or restorative yoga class. Go to a gentle water aerobics class once a week. Replace one of your weekly workouts with a quiet, contemplative meditation instead.

Know that it’s temporary.

Here’s where mindfulness practices like yoga and meditation can really help. First of all, if you’ve got a practice like yoga or meditation, you’re probably somewhat used to putting yourself in uncomfortable situations, breathing, and learning that you can handle so much more discomfort than you thought you could. The same is true for the unbearable heat of summer.

Like a yoga pose that you kind of hate (it’s totally Revolved Triangle for me!), you can keep reminding yourself of the impermanence of it all. It’s OK if your pregnancy (or newborn phase) isn’t all sunshine and unicorns and happy thoughts. This shit is so hard!

The very best advice I can give you is to breathe. Be kind to yourself. Rest when you can. Accept that there will be good days and bad. Soak in the good. Tolerate the not-so-good with the understanding that enduring the bad will make the good that much sweeter.

You can do this, Mama. And it will be worth it. Promise.

What tips do you have for mamas who are trying to survive a summer pregnancy or fourth trimester? Please let us know in the comments section below!

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