Feeling Hot and Sweating During Pregnancy? 7 Essentials Facts You Must Know When the Heat is On!

Approximate Reading Time: 6 minutes

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Why do I feel hot during Pregnancy?

Is being too hot during pregnancy dangerous?

What can you do to avoid being too hot during pregnancy?

Here are some ideas to keep you cool, help you cope with being and feeling too hot during pregnancy

Sweating During Pregnancy

What Causes Sweating During Pregnancy?

What Can I Do About Excessive Sweating During Pregnancy?

1 Why do I feel hot during Pregnancy?

A ‘bun in the oven’ or ‘growing a little human’ are clichés yet they are true. The volume of blood in your body can increase by as much as 50% during pregnancy. To cope with this, your blood vessels dilate slightly and allow the blood to come closer to the surface.¹ The energy it takes to move around with the extra weight of the bump can make you hot.

It’s normal to experience hot flushes during pregnancy so there’s no need to panic. Affecting about 1 in 3 pregnant women, hot flushes during pregnancy are very common at night and are usually most felt around your head, neck and chest. ²

2 Is being too hot during pregnancy dangerous?

Yes, if your body temperature goes above 102°F (38.9°C) for more than 10 minutes, the heat can cause problems for the fetus. Overheating in the first trimester can lead to neural tube defects and miscarriage.³ Later in the pregnancy, it can lead to dehydration, feeling tired and uncomfortable. In extreme cases, overheating can cause heatstroke, which happens when your body can't cool itself anymore. Heatstroke is potentially life-threatening, because it puts a big strain on your major organs.

3 What can you do to avoid being too hot during pregnancy?

So avoid the following:

• using saunas or hot tubs and taking very hot, long baths and showers
• using electric blankets or heating pads
• getting a high fever and not getting it down
• becoming overheated when outside in hot weather or when exercising

4 Here are some ideas to keep you cool, help you cope with being and feeling too hot during pregnancy:

• Drink lots of water throughout the day – keep a small bottle with you at all times to avoid dehydration.
• Instead of a sauna or spa, take a dip in a cooler pool.
• Take warm baths and showers.
• If you have a fever during your pregnancy, see your doctor who will have ways to lower it and will also make sure there’s nothing more serious.
• Buy a spray bottle and fill it with water. Spritz your face regularly. You could also ask your pharmacist about a spray that has cooling agents mixed with water - some pregnant women swear by this.
• Put the SRC Femme-Eze Ice Pack in fridge or freezer and put it on whenever you feel the need to cool down. With the organic cotton covers you will not get ‘ice burn’ and it will be a quick and easy way to cool down. Forehead, back of the neck, upper chest and feet are all places you can use the ice pack to bring down the heat in your biological kitchen.
• Fill a bowl with cold water and enjoy a cold foot soak.
• Have a cool shower, or bath.
• Eat cold foods, particularly salads, vegetables and fruit with a high-water content. Also both Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine have lists of cooling and heating foods.
• Another great reason to stay in the shade during the heat wave – save your skin and keep cool by being out of the UV rays during the hottest time.
• Wear loose clothing made of cotton or other natural fibres. These absorb sweat better and breathe more easily than synthetic fabrics in general.
• Although there are exceptions, shameless self-promotion warning ahead, the SRC range of Pregnancy compression garments. It’s the world’s largest maternity compression range with under and over the bump models that come in varying lengths. Lightweight wicking fabric and breathable power mesh lining eliminate odour, providing maximum air circulation and heat dissipation. This assists with the regulation of your body temperature, without compromising the quality or durability of the fabric, allowing you to be comfortable and dry, keeping you cool even in warmer climates.
  
• Don’t take our word for it “SRC Pregnancy Shorts are effective, thermally safe and a non-pharmacological option for prevention and management of pain during pregnancy.” Was the conclusion of a Bond University study “A Quasi‐Experimental Study To Evaluate The Use Of Compression Garments To Manage Prenatal Pelvic And Low Back Pain”
• Note - compression definitely makes many people feel cooler yet for some it can have the opposite effect. Try it for yourself – you’ll have the SRC 14- day Money Back Guarantee for Pregnancy Shorts and Leggings.

Feeling hotter, may also come with feeling sweatier. Hormonal changes during pregnancy means increased sweating during pregnancy.

5 Sweating During Pregnancy

Excess sweat is a normal symptom of pregnancy — and the above ideas to keep cool will assist with controlling your internal oven temperature.

Pregnancy can be a moist, bumpy ride. You’ll probably feel extra sweaty in the first trimester, third trimester and postpartum, all periods when you’re experiencing more extreme hormonal swings. You can expect the sweat to gradually decrease as your hormones start to regulate themselves, usually around the time you start ovulating again, a few months post-partum.⁴

6 What Causes Sweating During Pregnancy?

Those raging pregnancy hormones are the culprit! The hormones trigger your body’s sweating reflex — designed to cool you down when the temperature actually is heating up. Other potential causes include a higher than recommended Body Mass Index during pregnancy (so consult with your doctor and try to stick to gaining the recommended amount of weight, eating for 2 is no longer the prescription although you do need some extra calories) as well as the extra weight you are carrying - your baby-to-be who is very comfortable, can make you feel the heat for both of you.

7 What Can I Do About Excessive Sweating During Pregnancy?

There’s no magic solution when you’re sweating on overdrive — but there are a number of ways to feel more comfortable mentioned above – especially keeping up your intake of H2O – remember “Water Is Life”!

Cold liquids can help your body regulate its temperature. Always keep a bottle of water with you, and drink when you’re thirsty — don't wait until your mouth feels dry. You’ll need to gulp down even more when you’re working out or the weather’s warmer. Water is best, but milk, natural juices, iced herbal tea, fruits and vegetables count as fluids too (just stay away from soda and sweetened drinks to avoid empty calories, which can lead to excess weight gain). Rule of thumb: If your urine is almost white or slightly yellow, it's a good indication you’re hydrated.⁴

Avoid working out in the heat of the day. Instead, opt for walks in the early morning or evening, sign up for a class in your air-conditioned gym, or take a dip in the pool (bonus: it may also help relieve swelling in your feet and ankles, too).⁴

Sleep on a towel. It will help absorb excess sweat while you sleep.⁴

Avoid hot drinks and spicy foods. Especially if they trigger your sweat reflex (plus that extra hot habanero sauce isn’t helping your heartburn, either!).⁴

Last but not least get a good deodorant! You want to feel fresh, and not block your pores with an anti-perspirant. Pregnancy is a time when many of us take extra precautions from putting unnecessary chemicals into and onto our bodies which is why we absolutely love No-Pong all natural anti odourant!

No Pong is an extremely effective, all-natural deodorant, made from delicious, all-natural ingredients, blended together to create a ridiculously effective, sweat resistant, all day deodorant that does exactly what it says on the tin! Guaranteed to be 100% paraben, aluminium, cruelty and plastic free. With a 4.8 out of 5 rating on Facebook and thousands of happy customers we know you will love it as much as we do…yes, we have tested it under extreme sweat inducing conditions as well as on very sweaty men and it has worked better than the strongest chemical supermarket varieties.

Wishing you a cool pregnancy journey!