Overheating During Pregnancy: Why It Happens and How to Avoid It

You probably already know that you shouldn’t sit in a hot sauna or spend too much time in a hot tub when you’re pregnant. However, you may not realize that simply taking a walk on a warm day or wearing the wrong clothing could also endanger you and your baby. Knowing the causes and complications of overheating during pregnancy will motivate you to keep cool.  


Pregnancy Is a Risk Factor

Your core body temperature is already higher than normal when you’re pregnant. As your baby grows, your body uses more energy to carry him around, which can boost your chances of getting overheated. When your temperature starts to creep up, your body uses much more energy to cool itself down and cool down your baby’s body. If your body overheats, you may develop cramps, nausea, faintness, or even life-threatening organ damage. Also, your baby may be at risk of birth defects if your body temperature is too high during the first trimester, according to the American Pregnancy Association. Additionally, you may be at a greater overall risk of miscarriage if your body temperature gets too high at any point during pregnancy.

Drink Water

When you don’t drink enough water, you don’t perspire as much. Not perspiring enough could cause your body to become too warm too quickly. Getting dehydrated during pregnancy can also lead to loss of blood volume and more concentrated levels of the contractions-inducing hormone oxytocin. Because of this, drinking enough water can help reduce your risk of preterm labor. Reach for the water bottle regularly all summer to get at least eight to 10 glasses of it per day. Be especially prudent about drinking water when you exercise. If the idea of drinking 10 plain glasses of water in a day seems boring and impractical to you, reach for some seltzer water and squeeze some fresh fruit juice into it.

Wear Light and Loose Clothing

Keep two main “Ls” in mind when choosing your warm weather attire: light and loose. While dark clothing absorbs sunlight and makes you feel warmer outdoors, light-colored clothing bounces off that sunlight. In order to stay cool, also keep your fabrics light in thickness. To prevent sweating and rashes, stick to natural, breathable fabrics such as linen and cotton rather than synthetic fabrics such as nylon and polyester. You may also find that loose and flowing outfits are more comfortable than form-fitting outfits, especially in warm weather and during exercise. Although your fabrics should be loose and light, keep in mind that loosely woven fabrics won’t block all of your skin from the sun. The amount of sun that shines through the fabric is the amount of sun you will expose your skin to.

Consider Long Clothing

A third “L” — long — is optional, and it may seem impractical in hot weather. However, long clothing will help protect you, especially if you intend to spend a lot of your free time outdoors. Pregnancy hormones make your skin more susceptible to burning with sun exposure, so at least wear plenty of sunscreen and stick to shaded areas as much as possible. If you do plan to wear long clothing, just be sure it is also light and breathable. Consider wearing a longer top layer and remove it if you start to feel too warm.

Seek Shade

If you hate the idea of staying indoors all day, the weather in the morning and evening hours may be cooler. Regardless of what the thermometer says, though, it’s crucial that you feel cool and comfortable. Get into a cool, shaded area and drink some water as soon as possible if you start to feel tired, dizzy, lightheaded, or thirsty. Call your doctor if your condition doesn’t improve quickly or else you and your baby may both be in grave danger.

Know When to Stay Inside

Your body’s ability to tolerate heat will likely diminish when you’re pregnant. To lower your risk of heat illnesses such as heat exhaustion and heatstroke, it’s important to know when to stay indoors, crank up the AC, raise your feet up on your recliner, and pop in your favorite movie. If you live in a particularly warm climate but you want to go outside, take a look at your local forecast to be sure the temperature isn’t above 90 degrees. If it is, limit outdoor activity as much as possible. The heat index, which factors in humidity as well as temperature, also shouldn’t be any higher than about 90 degrees. Even on a temperate summer day, consider staying inside between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., which is when the sun is at its highest, its light is the most direct, and it feels the warmest.

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HealthStatus has been operating since 1998 providing the best interactive health tools on the Internet, millions of visitors have used our health risk assessment, body fat and calories burned calculators. The HealthStatus editorial team has continued that commitment to excellence by providing our visitors with easy to understand high quality health content for many years.

Danielle White
17. May 2019
Danielle White
17. May 2019
You definitely need to contact your health care professional. Heat wounds are worrisome.

Nirosha
17. May 2019
Nirosha
17. May 2019
My body normally heat body am pragenent am in first trimester. My problem is am getting more heat in my body am getting heat wonds. Is it harmful to baby plz reply me

orlinda
6. September 2017
orlinda
6. September 2017
I'm 7 weeks pregnant an I uad just got off work an i wear slacks which is stretchy but fits snug and I felt so drained when I got home an layed down , not knowing I wike up an he later with my body fairly hot . .I'm worried after reading the beginning of this page . please advise

EF
22. July 2017
EF
22. July 2017
Oh, my goodness, that sounds horrible. I'm so sorry you had to go thru that. More than likely your baby is fine. But if you're very concerned, is it possible to get your scan sooner?

Tc
16. July 2017
Tc
16. July 2017
I am 11 weeks pregnant and very concerned about my baby. A few weeks ago in the UK we had a massive heatwave. Temperatures reached 30to35 degrees. I was about 6 weeks pregnant. Our office building didn't have any air conditioning and there was no breeze. For 3 days I was absolutely roasting every day. I tried to drink lots of water and had a small fan on my face, but I was still so hot and had no way to cool down. I am very concerned that my constant raised body temperature will lead to my baby having birth defects!! Would this happen?? My scan isn't for almost two weeks yet and I'm really worried. Please advise!

Ivy Baker
28. April 2017
Ivy Baker
28. April 2017
My best friend is going to be pregnant this summer and she is worried about getting overheated when doing things outside. I wanted to thank you for talking about wearing loose clothes. My friend wears super tight clothes most to the time so that could help her not get so overheated. I wonder if there are any undergarments that are made to help keep you cool.

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Written by HealthStatus
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HealthStatus has been operating since 1998 providing the best interactive health tools on the Internet, millions of visitors have used our health risk assessment, body fat and calories burned calculators. The HealthStatus editorial team has continued that commitment to excellence by providing our visitors with easy to understand high quality health content for many years.

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