It's Summertime! (repost)

It was just barely over a year ago that I said on this blog " During my first pregnancy I was in the huge, uncomfortable stage of pregnancy right in the heat (and humidity cause I'm on the east coast) of summer! It wasn't fun. And I vowed to myself that I will never be in the third trimester of pregnancy in the horrible heat of summer again!!!"

And now I find myself practically eating my words. Although I'm not in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy, I'm still almost 24 weeks and practically just as miserable as I was during that first pregnancy. Somehow I thought that having my a baby at the beginning of September was horrible with going through the pregnancy in the horrible heat and humidity of summer. BUT I thought that having a baby two months later this time, at the beginning of November, would be soooo much better. I was wrong.

So if you are like me, you might need to be reminded of how to make a summer pregnancy more bearable and keep you as healthy as possible.

--Make sure to drink lots and lots of water. Dehydration and pregnancy are not a good mix. (for me it caused contractions). You should have at least 6 to 8 glasses a day. For me, if I have a glass soon after waking up it makes it easier for me to keep drinking throughout the day. And yes, you already have to run to the bathroom a million times a day, but it's better than the alternative. If you aren't a fan of water and find it hard to get in the 6 to 8 glasses, make sure to get some watery fruits and veggies, too, like honeydew melon, cantaloupe, watermelon, and cucumber

--Frequent the pool. It's a great way to cool off, relieve back pain, and get in some exercise. During my first pregnancy I was able to go to the pool often and it really was the best. And I'd hang out along the side of the pool doing leg lifts and other water aerobics. I may have gotten a few weird looks, but it felt so good, and I'm used to people looking at me like I'm crazy.

--Flip flops are pretty much the worst choice. It's so hard for me to say that since all my watermelon sized feet could fit into were flip flops, but most of them don't have the arch support that we really need while pregnant. Because of all of the extra weight and the stretching of ligaments, flip flops just aren't the best and wearing them daily could cause permanent damage. But if you have to wear them (I do believe I HAVE to) make sure to get some with good arch support.

--Prop up your feet. I'm not even kidding about how bad my hands, feet and ankles swelled because of the hot summer. (I'm tempted to show you a picture for you skeptics, but I will refrain) Keeping your feet up helps, and so does a nice foot massage! And going back to the first tip, drinking water helps with the swelling, too, along with taking in less salt.

--Stay indoors when you can on those super hot days. Yes, it can be boring, which is when you hit up the mall or go to a movie. And it can seem almost impossible if you have another child who needs to get out and get some energy. But do what you can to stay cool inside. Just take advantage of the cooler weather at sundown.

--Load up on sunscreen. I'm one of those people that will say this is a must anytime, pregnant or not. But did you know that higher levels of estrogen during pregnancy cause melasma and wearing sunscreen is the best way to prevent it? Make sure to wear SPF 50, even if it's cloudy. I've gotten my worst sunburns on overcast days.