Having a baby in a heatwave

[Justbeforetheholidays]

I am due this July, and interested in hearing from anyone who had a baby last summer or in any other heatwave!

Fully expecting the hospital to be boiling, I’ll probably have to stay a couple of days as am having an elective section.

Wondering what you dressed baby in, any other tips or things you wished you’d known. First baby born midwinter so very new to this!

DS was born 2 weeks overdue in a heatwave. There's not really any special way to get around it. You just have to do whatever you would normally do to keep cool. Keep curtains drawn during the day, get a fan on, stay in the shade, don't overdress the baby, if you're breastfeeding then offer feeds very frequently etc. Hospital was very warm but antenatal wards always are and we weren't in for too long.

I had DD towards end August (quite a few years ago). Obviously I felt warm when it was hot, but no worse than normal.

I was in labour during the hottest weekend of the year with DD. I really didn't notice the temperature at all. My temperature shot up after giving birth, but I think that was the shock - very long labour, maximum doses of epidural, an awful lot of stitches.

The hospital wanted vests for DD while she was in hospital, but it was still hot weather when we left and I dispensed with them. Midwife visited unexpectedly while we were outside on the patio (DD in shade) and she said I really didn't need more than a bodysuit on DD.

Ds1 was born in the summer of 2006. He was born at home and I think I spent most of the 3 weeks beforehand wallowing in the birth pool. I had loads of gorgeous newborn clothes for him and he mostly just wore a nappy and sometimes a vest. Youngest was born in the summer too. Not a very hot summer but the hospital was boiling and I was in for a week. Freeze loads of water bottles before hand and get your dh/p to bring in new ones every day. The midwives used to put the water jugs in the fridge every night ready for the morning but the men used to take them all before the 2 of us who didn't have partners staying could shuffle over to the kitchen.

I had a June baby.

Hospital was absolutely boiling for me but my baby got cold!! No idea how. I had the fan on me which is about as much use as a chocolate teapot and was told to wrap him up because his temperature was dropping. They won't let your baby overheat in hospital though if that's your worry.

Once home hand held / pram fans are pretty good and we actually got a portable aircon machine for our bedroom so during the heatwave I just stayed in the bedroom with him for a few days chilling, watching tv and enjoying the snuggles ☺️ worth it if it's an option! Baby just wears a nappy or little white vests. Outfits are pointless!

Congratulations x

Oh and don't venture too far from home when it's hot. Stick to places with air con / car / restaurants etc.

I think walks in the pram during a heatwave just get too hot and uncomfortable.

It doesn’t matter when you give birth - the hospital is always boiling.

I had my first when it was snowing outside and it was still like Hawaii in the hospital.

Hey

My little one was born during last heatwave. Also by c section.

Newborns need to be kept warm so it kind of helped with that.. just a nappy when it got a super hot and skin to skin to cool baby down.

Hydrate hydrate.

I had a heatwave baby in July. It was so hot on the ward I was told that just a nappy was enough otherwise she could overheat. The worst thing was going overdue!

I had babies in the US midwest in summer.

Basically, they wore little vests and swaddling blankets and diapers in the hospital, and when they came home they wore onesies and swaddling blankets.

You'll need a fan to circulate air wherever the baby is sleeping.