The obvious one: stay hydrated!
Make sure that you drink at least 2 litres per day. If you’re leaving the house, take some water with you, and don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink.
Keep an eye on your wee, if it’s dark and strong smelling, you probably need to drink more.
Plain water is the ideal drink as it’s low sugar, but all non-alcoholic and non-caffeinated drinks count towards your fluid intake.
Choose chilled fluid to help you keeping cool.
Load up on high-water content fruits and vegetables. Berries, watermelon, oranges, apples, tomatoes and cucumber are ideal - and they also count towards your five-a-day!
Be the grumpy cat lady for a couple of days, stay home if you can.
Try to keep your place as cool as possible by keeping your curtains, shutters and/or blinds drawn.
It's also acceptable to spend longer than usual in air-conditioned shops if you need to run some errands... Who knows you might meet your future mum mates in the frozen veg section!
The freezer is your new best friend.
Pop some flannels or small towels in there to use as a cool compress. These are great on the forehead, neck and baby bump for an instant cool-down.
Another mama hack: use a hot water bottle, fill it up at the tap and pop it in the freezer for a couple of hours.
Chanel your inner MacGyver, make your own air conditioner.
Use a fan to circulate cold air around the room and put a large bottle of frozen water in front of it for instant air-conditioning!
Go loose, baggy and stretchy.
Swap your sexy bump cuddling clothes for XXL T-shirts or stretchy pants! Better also to opt for breathable materials like cotton and linen instead of synthetics.
Lukewarm not icy.
Have lukewarm showers and baths. I know it can sound surprising but it's better to avoid ice cold showers/baths as exposure to extreme cold sends signals to the body to retain heat!
Pregnant in the heatwave? Take it easy.
Avoid strenuous exercise. Gentle yoga and stretches are fine, or even better - if you like water - go for a swim!
As always, just listen to your body and take it easy. Maybe this is just a great opportunity to rest and have long siestas on the sofa, or to binge on Netflix with your feet in a cold bucket of water. Just saying...
The cool wrists one.
If at some point during the day you feel flushed, simply hold your wrists under some cold running water for a moment. It will cool your pulse points immediately. This tip can also be used anytime in your life, if you feel stressed or overwhelmed, to bring back calm.
And breathe......
Use the calming breath technique from your Hypnobirthing course. Yes, relaxed, slow breathing lets off heat!
Swollen ankles?
Swollen ankles and feet is a very common symptom for pregnant mamas during heatwaves. Here is what you can do to reduce the discomfort.
Avoid standing up for a long time.
Wear comfortable open shoes. Anything with tight straps might pinch.
Try to rest with your feet up as much as you can.
Drink plenty of water – this actually helps your body get rid of excess water.
Reduce salt intake. It will help to combat water retention
Feeling unwell?
Heat exhaustion can be very serious when you're pregnant. You can find the list of symptoms on the NHS website and don't hesitate to call 111 if you don't feel well: Heat exhaustion and heatstroke - NHS (www.nhs.uk).
Photo: @mamastillgotit_