Summer Pregnancy Survival Guide: 5 Tips for Getting Through a Summer Pregnancy

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Pregnancy is lovely. The baby developing, feeling those first movements, documenting your growing bump are some of the highlights.

Pregnancy also comes with it’s fair share of aches and pains, all of which feel 100 times worse when you live in Arizona and the outside temperature is often over 110 degrees. Plus, “summer” refers to the months of May – October, so you’re in it for the long haul here.

If you’re new in town or new to summer pregnancy, we’ve polled our writing team for some great tips on surviving pregnancy during the sweltering Arizona summer.

Stay indoors

This is a no-brainer, but I think we’ll start by stating the obvious, especially for those new to Arizona summers. The summers here are no joke and the heat can be dangerous. Add in growing a human and the swelling that comes with pregnancy, it’s nearly unbearable. 

Summer in Arizona is typically the time where we stay indoors and just try to stay cool. It’s the opposite of the Midwest and East coast when they’re locked inside during the snowy months!

That can be quite the adjustment for those of you that have moved from those places or from California where you can be outside mostly anytime of the year.

If you do have to go outside, we recommend the following:

  1. Cool your car off and start it a few minutes before you have to go and invest in a sun shade for your windshield.
  2. Bring plenty of water! Bring more than you think you need and don’t be afraid to keep some in an insulated bag or small cooler in your car. Having extra isn’t a bad thing and staying hydrated is top priority during these hot months.
  3. Try to get out in early morning or later in the evening!
  4. Listen to your body. If you’re feeling like you need to take a rest, then you should probably take rest. Growing a human, chasing after kids, going to work…all the things are just a little more difficult while pregnant in the desert.
  5. Invest in a portable fan. Just do it and thank us later.

Get in a pool

Another obvious statement, but we feel like it needs to be said, too! If you don’t personally have a pool, ask a friend or look into your city pools.

It’s not only great for staying cool, the weightlessness in a pool can help take off some of the pressure on your joints for a while and give you some relief there. Veteran contributor Kira recommends getting a mesh raft to that allows you to lay on you belly and float.

Book a staycation

Traveling far to cooler weather isn’t ideal if your nearing the later stages of summer pregnancy and if you already have kids, you know how relaxing a vacation with kids can be (the answer is not at all). 

We are blessed with some amazing resorts here in the valley and they offer some pretty amazing summer rates and even better rates for locals. 

We are big fans of the girls only staycay, but also don’t hate the idea of a night or two solo at a hotel, either. Imagine a big comfy hotel bed, their AC set to 65 and room service.

Plus, the pool is right there and we haven’t found a hotel spa we don’t LOVE. Hello, prenatal massage, is that you calling? 

Wear the shorts

Your main concern is staying cool and that’s hard to do in pants. As women, I think we all question summer clothes (if you don’t, please share your #selflove tips!) and add on your growing belly (and other parts) you may not be feeling your most confident.

Our advice, as contributor Megan (who is currently in her second summer pregnancy) “WEAR THE SHORTS, WEAR THE TANK TOP, WEAR THE SWIMSUIT!” We are our own worst critics and we can promise you that no one is (or should be) concerned with what any woman is wearing. Easier said than done, but embrace your beautiful, ever changing body and don’t stress about clothes. 

If maternity shorts aren’t your thing, we had quite a few recommendations for t-shirt dresses. In this heat, the less clothing the better and a dress might allow for some airflow! 

Cool off with some sweet treats (for the baby, right?)

One of the best things about being pregnant is having the excuse to go for a treat whenever you want…for the baby, of course! Our Top three local spots to cool off at are:

  1. Balboa’s: Their custom-dipped, frozen bananas are an East Valley fave, plus you can count that banana as a serving of fruit! They’re located in East Mesa on Gilbert and McKellips.
  2. 212 Ice Cream Studio: “Creating more than just ice cream” is their motto and they aren’t wrong. Dariy ice cream, vegan and rolled options are available and the topping options, well, the limit does not exist. Plus, this shop is owned by a mom who turned her passion for dessert into this delicious ice cream shop! You can find 212 Ice Cream Studio in Gilbert on Val Vista and Elliot. 
  3. Soda Rush: If you’re looking for a cool soda, we love local, family owned, Soda Rush. They have 3 convenient locations in the East Valley and have custom sodas, ice cream and cookies. 

Bonus tip:

For those pregnancy aches and pains, we highly recommend visiting a chiropractor for some relief. We love Culture Chiropractic. Dr. Stephanie is a fellow East Valley mom and is currently pregnant with her second baby. We asked her for her pregnancy tips and here is what she said:

While pregnancy itself can present with a variety of challenges, being pregnant during the summer, especially in Arizona, can be intense! You may hear from your OB/Midwife that it is important to stay hydrated, eat a well balanced diet and continue to move your body!

While all of those things are extremely important it is also important to keep in mind how your body is feeling. Did you know that chiropractic care during pregnancy has a wide variety of benefits? Some of those things include:

1. Increased comfort (decreased pain)
2. Improved labor times and labor pains
3. Reduced nausea
4. Ideal birth outcomes
5. Improved posture
6. Optimal fetal positioning

Chiropractic care should be a part of everyone’s pregnancy journey! Finding that right fit is also important. Please make sure to find a Webster certified chiropractor near you! You can go to ICPA4kids.com and type your zip code into “Find an ICPA chiropractor”. In the meantime, stay cool mama’s!

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