Making the most out of the summer months when you’re pregnant is important. After all, pregnancy is hard enough as it is, you deserve time to treat yourself! Now that the season is officially in swing, here is how you can practice pregnancy self care of yourself and stay healthy all summer long.
1. Take Care of Your Skin
Pregnancy can bring on all kinds of changes. These can include acne, dry skin, and a condition called melasma, which presents as darkening patches of skin. While around 10% of men are known to experience melasma, it’s most commonly found in pregnant women. While some of these changes are unavoidable, don’t let them get you down! Most of these changes fade once you give birth and begin breastfeeding. In the meantime, invest in a safe moisturizing routine that can help hydrate your skin and keep it looking its best as a part of your pregnancy self care routine.
2. Treat Yourself to a Massage
Being pregnant can put a strain on a lot of body parts, especially your legs and feet. This summer, treat yourself to a relaxing massage to help ease away all of the aches and pains. You may also consider booking regular sessions to help avoid potential chronic issues. Knee and neck injuries or strains that receive therapy within the first two weeks drastically reduce the need for prescription pain medication. Since both sleeping and walking can be stressful when pregnant, getting regular leg and neck massages can help prevent any lasting issues from developing.
3. Practice Self Care With a Mani-Pedi
Getting a chemical-free manicure and a pedicure is a great way to both look and feel great this summer while practicing your pregnancy self care. However, because nail salons often use a lot of chemicals, it’s important to take note of their ventilation, and not eat or drink in the salon, as it could increase your risk of exposure. If you’re ever in doubt about a product, just ask your technician. The main things to avoid are acetone, toluene, and formaldehyde. If you want to go the extra mile to ensure you’re not exposed to anything, feel free to bring your own nail polish and lotions!
4. Have Some Pool Time
A lot of exercises are off-limits while you’re pregnant. However, swimming is one of the safest, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. While swimming can help you maintain a healthy fitness level, it can also be a relaxing way to stay cool during the summer heat. The only things to really be aware of are any bacteria in the water and its temperature. Swimming in very warm water, frigid water, or dipping into a hot tub should be avoided.
5. Keep Up With Dental Care
Dental care is especially important during pregnancy, as some issues are more common during this time. Gum inflammation, plaque build-up, loosened teeth, enamel erosion, and exacerbated periodontal disease are all possibilities that your dentist should monitor. You also shouldn’t put off any recommended treatments, such as braces, during this time, as they are perfectly safe together and can benefit your oral health. Today, over four million people in the U.S. are wearing braces, and not putting them off can help prevent cavities or misaligned bites that can make the above problems worse.
6. Stay Hydrated
Lastly, and possibly most importantly when it comes to summer pregnancy self care, is staying hydrated. Heat and humidity are already unpleasant. When combined with the stress of pregnancy, they can be almost unbearable. This is due in large part to an increase in heat intolerance, which can be caused by an increase in body temperature. This makes it even more important to take it easy on hotter days and to stay properly hydrated. You can even try incorporating fruit-infused water if you don’t enjoy plain water alone.
Relax and Make Time For Your Pregnancy Self Care
When enjoying the summer while pregnant, it’s important to take time to sit back, relax, and care for yourself. While there are considerations to keep in mind, such as staying away from chemicals or avoiding poolside margaritas, you can still have loads of fun while taking it easy this summer.