Ways to cope with hot weather?

[AChangeWillDoYouGood]

21 weeks pregnant, never had a baby before, struggling with this weather. I feel very faint very quickly, can't seem to drink enough water, sweaty, nauseous... can anyone advise on how to cope with this hot weather when:

a) stuck in an office with broken or non existent air con
b) commuting an hour plus every morning then again in the afternoon in boiling weather
c) just doing general day to day things like walks in the park with DSD and sitting in the garden

As a Caribbean woman who has never burnt or suffered in the heat, I can't believe I'm writing this...

Anyone? I'm melting!

When I was heavily pregnant with ds1 we had a heat wave. I'm not a fan of the hot weather at the best of times..... during pregnancy it feels so much worse. I had loads of ice lollies in the freezer and was almost constantly eating them. I kept my feet in a bowl with cool water. I also bought a leg cooling spray which was lovely. I had a tower fan in the bedroom (one you put cold water and an ice block in) and set it to go a couple of hours before bed so that it would be nica and cool. It has a timer on it so would set it to switch off when I was asleep. I also had a desk fan for the living room (could you have one for work?).

My current plan of attack (28 weeks) involves two desk fans for the office, and a wet cloth or baby wipes for sticky hands and the back of the neck. There's also a gel pack (the type you use on sprained ankles) in the office fridge for over heating moments. I neck as much water as possible through the day and have squash and some salty snacks if I feel faint. Each time I go to the loo I run cold water over my wrists to help cool down.

I keep a brolly in my rucksack for portable shade while out and about as benches always seem to be in full sun. You get some funny looks, but it's better than passing out!

For the days my diary is clear or only have conference calls I plan to work from home, thankfully my boss is really good and he has told me to make use of being able to do that. I too have an hour commute, I take the tube into central London so mornings think I can about cope but I try to leave the office early to beat the main rush hour. Always carry a bottle of water with me to stay hydrated.

There’s a thing called a chillmax by JML you can get them in ASDA, the Range etc for £9.99. They are flat thin plastic-y looking and have a gel centre. They keep cold without any need to put in fridge/freezer.

You can put them inside your pillowcase at night but perhaps on your commute/in the office you could put it on seat, your lower back, under your legs. They do go to body temperature after a few hours but just put it on the table for an hour and it’ll be cold again. I bought 3 pre-pregnancy and me, DH and the dog all use them in the heat!

Superdrug also do a spray can with a water mist in that might be refreshing to spritz with through the day.

Magnum in the morning, magnum in the evening. Shoes off at work.

If you're feeling woozy, worth getting some electrolyte powders (no sugar or caffeine) and making them up as drinks. Easy to dehydrate in this weather. Lidl does some I believe.

Every morning have a pint of water before you leave the house and keep a bottle on you throughout the day, wear your hair up, open toe shoes, carry a small fan around xx

Also have a word with your work about the air con it's illegal to work in places over a certain temperate pregnant or not

Sympathy OP, this was me this time last year and it's hard isn't it

What do you do for work? Is there any way you can work from home sometimes?

When you're not at work, regular cool/cold showers, leaving your hair wet afterwards. In last year's heatwave I'd have numerous showers a day and it helped keep me cool.

I also had quite long thick hair which I got chopped short. It was amazing how much cooler I felt without all that hair.

Sounds obvious, but really thin comfortable clothes. I lived in an enormous vest and swimming type shorts of DH's. The vets was so huge even on my massive pregnant body that it gave ventilation where the arm holes were so big!

Feet in cold water.

Regarding general day to day things - try and do as little as possible and stay out of direct sun

(ahh posted too soon)

..light.

This does mean walking on the shady side of the road, sitting under trees, using a parasol and wearing as few clothes as you can get away with. Keeping curtains and blinds drawn to keep the sun out of rooms - this with a fan and open windows makes rooms cooler. If you are lucky and have north or east facing rooms try and stick to them.

Also don't be afraid to tell people clearly you are suffering. It is well-known pregnant women suffer in the heat. (If any body makes a racist comment just give them a stare.)

Hair up, hat, spray fan - try to get one that sprays water. Run wrists under cool water whenever we you can, sounds obvious but cool drinks instead of hot, lots of showers, keep hair damp rather than dry with a hairdryer.

I got one of those travel sized spray bottles and put it in the freezer then as the water starts to melt spritz myself with the icy water also if you can find a small hot water bottle do the same, freeze it, and maybe use it on the commute. My mum is forever reminding me that she was pregnant with me through the summer of '76 and nothing beats that 🙄

Been a long time since I was pregnant but the daily tube commute in the heat was just the worst you have my sympathy.

USB fan for the desk! I have one next to my bed actually, and it's much more powerful than I'd imagine.

Someone suggested drinking a pint of water before leaving for work.. I'd imagine your bladder would complain about that!

I freeze bottles of water to pop in my bag in the morning. The frozen bottle is cooling on the tube when placed on my wrists and then as the water melts I have an ice cold drink.

Weather warning has been issued. London will be 30° today and next few days which means even hotter on the tube. I luckily am working from home today but havw to be in rest of the week and due to diary commitments I cannot get out of I will be travelling both directions in height of rush hour. Am not looking forward to it, especially given I feel lightheaded and dizzy when it's not scorching hot.

@Stellarbella do the frozen bottles of water last all day until around 6/7pm?

@indreamland - there is ice in mine still at the moment. It's been in an air-conditioned room all day though. I reckon it will be cold but not iced by 6-7pm. You could take two and keep one in an office fridge during the day? That would keep it icy.

I wish I could but nothing is sacred in our office. Many colleagues pop they're stuff in the fridge and it's never too be seen again! I might give a frozen bottle in general a go though.