Can Summer Heat Hurt Your Pregnancy?

Did you know that hot summer conditions can prove to be problematic for your pregnacy. This article isn’t here to make you worry, but to help you make best choices for you and your baby as you go through the hot (and frankly, also the cold) months.

Before we get going, don’t forget that fetal movement is your BEST indicator of fetal well-being (summer or not) — and the best way to monitor that is kick counts. Not sure how to do them? Grab my cheat sheet here:

FYI, I came-up with this idea to share with you after reading this article. As someone who’s practice in Phoenix, I have seen first hand how VERY hot days can be problematic in your pregnancy. I created this article to:

• give you the facts
• why we think they happen
• what you can do about it (the most important part — because we CAN do things to mitigate these risks!).

It is NOT here to scare you. Remember information is the tool you use to prevent issues. I’m glad you’re here with me, let’s get started!

How can heat affect your pregnancy?

Again, I’m looking at this meta-analysis (which takes lots of different studies, and then pulls common themes out of it that are based in the numbers of the study).

They did see an increase in preterm birth and stillbirth in people who were exposed to hot (or cold, but we’re going to focus on heat in this article) temperatures for an extended period of time — especially later in in pregnancy.

Of note in what I saw in the meta analysis — the risk of stillbirth was higher when it was above 84°F

There were also some studies that showed low birth weight could be caused by increased temperatures.

I see one study that showed a reduction in gestational age when there was a high heat-humidity index on the day before delivery (meaning, more people went into labor after a very hot/humid day).

As I look through the studies, there were a good amount that showed no increased risk of stillbirth with increased temps. I mostly am writing this article to show you what you can do to mitigate any risks you may have.

Why does summer affect your pregnancy?

Great question, and honestly all of it isn’t known. We do know that pregnancy disrupts your thermoregulation due to:

• Increased fat deposits
• Weight gain
• Hormonal temperature fluctuations
• Less surface-to-mass ratio (less skin to evaporate off of when compared to your body mass)
• Heat generated by the fetus’s metabolism

With ALL of this, it makes us hard to keep our temperature that we’re used to (called normothermia). Do you find yourself hot or cold frequently? Tell us in the comments!

Being too hot or too cold triggers oxidative stress, which can affect placental blood flow and trigger our body’s stress response (triggering inflammation). If the placental isn’t taking as much oxygen, water and nutrients to the fetus that can clearly be problematic.

Heat stress can cause cause dehydration which can affect blood volume, and again blood flow to the placenta/baby.

They do think that possibly fetal core temperature itself rising could be an issue as well.

While you’re here, don’t miss these other awesome summer articles:

• Can You Mow The Lawn While Pregnant?
• Sleeping During Pregnancy: Tips By Trimester
• 6 Summer Must Have’s for Pregnancy!
• Summer Pregnancy Checklist
• Travel During Pregnancy: 18 Tips to Trips in the Third Trimester

If sleeping too hot is an issue I’m a HUGE fan of the BedJet — plus, my husband and I can each sleep at our own temperatures. While it doesn’t actually cool the air, it takes air from the lowest (coolest) part of your room. It’s amazing.

What can you DO about heat issues in pregnancy?

HERE we get to the heart of the matter. The reality that temps over 84 degrees can cause issues may send a few of you into a panic. It’s clearly ROUTINELY above that for most people. So, what can we do?

Annoyingly, the study doesn’t dive into that very much.

Remember the first fact — our bodies & babies are meant to take short bursts of stress. In fact, it can be good for baby to experience short-term stresses as it will help them when they’re out of the womb and may face stressful situations (like pooping).

However, long-term stress isn’t great for baby (or you). So, you have to do the basic common-sense things you’re already thinking about:

Make SURE that you’re hydrated. Hydration is the one thing in this scenario that we have the most control over. Yes, water is best but fluids are the key so make sure you’re drinking more when it’s hot.

I have a few articles on what to drink:

• Drinks For Pregnant Women: What Are The Best Drinks During Pregnancy?
• When Should I Start Drinking Raspberry Leaf Tea?
• Can You Drink Wine When You’re Pregnant: The Studies For Pregnant Women
• Electrolyte Drinks For Pregnancy: Are They Necessary?
• Should You Drink Ensure While Pregnant? Is It Safe To Drink?

Choose your environment. If you’re able to stay in cooler areas, that is likely better for you and baby. If you have a job that takes you into warm weather, talk with your boss about limiting it, especially during your final trimester (the study showed later in pregnancy was worse than other times in pregnancy). Many areas have pregnancy job protections in which this should be considered.

This also means that you may need to miss-out on some fun with family/friends. If they’re planning a hot beach day you may want to skip it, as you won’t have a chance to get inside and cool down. Maybe ask them to switch it to a shorter pool day so that you can enjoy some time in the water, but also get into A/C when you’re feeling warm.

I am a HUGE fan of pools during pregnancy. It’s a time your body finally feels less heavy and you can move with greater ease — just make sure you’re not staying in too long, or in the hot temperatures too long too. And be SURE to protect your skin (sunburns are extra miserable with pregnancy).

Control your temp. Use things like air conditioning and fans to keep cool. And yes, this is a great one to show your partner when they think the house is too cold. “Honey, it’s for the baby!”

Limit Stressors. While we can’t control the temperatures (the article goes into global warming a lot, but that’s not something an individual has a lot of control over), we CAN control our reaction to stress, in general, in our lives. We can learn to meditate, relax, and reduce stress in our lives so that when we’re in warm temperatures we’re doing what we can in other areas of our lives.

I actually think that kick counts are a great time to meditate, think about all the good things in your life AND monitor baby’s movements. When use properly it really can be a HUGE tool to help your life.

Finally, if you’re stressed about delivery one of the BEST things you can do is get prepared. Learn from an expert the realities of pregnancy, labor, birth and life postpartum so you’re prepared and living your life in a less anxious way. I hear so often how WORRIED people are about birth, but this class has shown to decrease anxiety over 50% and that feels amazing for those couples.

Come join The Online Prenatal Class for Couples << it’s the easy way to get prepared for birth including those who end up with a cesarean, an induction, an epidural or use natural pain management — it’s for however you end up delivering!

Want to do a vibe check before diving into the whole thing with me? — check out my free labor pro tips. It’s your first step toward getting in the driver’s seat of your birth.

Source:

Sylvester Dodzi Nyadanu, Jennifer Dunne, Gizachew A. Tessema, Ben Mullins, Bernard Kumi-Boateng, Michelle L. Bell, Bereket Duko, Gavin Pereira,
Maternal exposure to ambient air temperature and adverse birth outcomes: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses,
Science of The Total Environment, Volume 917,2024