Having had our first pregnancy relaxation class yesterday and hearing how our mums to be are finding it tough in this heat we felt compelled to write some top tips from our teachers experience. As teachers of children’s Yoga in this hot weather we are advising loose light clothing on parents and children to help stay cool. A long with bringing water bottles for themselves and children to our children’s yoga classes. For many of us coping in extreme heat can sometimes be unbearable, and for children and those pregnant it can often be worse. With temperatures rising this summer many parents and pregnant mums maybe searching for ways to keep their children and themselves cool. Here is some top tips for both:
Pregnant mamas:
*using cooling gel for hot swollen feet, and keeping them elevated where you can (easier said than done, but here’s your excuse)
*crunching on ice cubes or ice pops can help cool the body
*running a cold bath and dipping feet into it, or better still if the kids have a paddling pool get your feet in!
*Fill a hot water bottle with cold water and freeze it, then wrap it in a towel and pop it in your bed with you
*using a fan pop it in front of you with a bottle of iced water, use towels or muslin clothes wet around your neck
*Use an ice cube on wrists and around your neck to cool
*Use fine water spray or a hand held fan, carry them with you
*if your using bio oil or oil for your bump pop it in the fridge before you use it, that goes for body lotion too!
*Find a cool air conditioned shop to walk around in if shopping supermarkets are great for this, get yourself along the frozen aisle
For children
*Dress for room temperature, If the room is very hot, for example over 25 degrees for most of the night, just a nappy and thin cotton vest may suffice. If the room is between 20-23 degrees a shortie baby grow or shorts and t-shirt pyjamas perhaps with socks or just a nappy and a 1 tog sleep sack. If your baby is too young for any kind of bedding and it is too hot for a sleep sack, simply dress them in suitable clothing for the room temperature so that no covering is required.
*Create a breeze and ventilate the house
*Give them a bath, water will help to cool
*Use the right bedding for example cotton sheets and avoid any waterproof mattress covering as this will hold heat and make your baby sweat
*Using a bucket of ice in the room over night to let it melt
*Your baby may need to drink more than usual. Cold water is great for young babies so it is worth cooling some billed water and refrigerating it for night time use. Breastfed babies will stay hydrated on breast milk.
Keep hydrated-send children to nursery or school with water for young children keep them sipping water. If your pregnant carry a bottle with you. According to the British Nutrition Foundation exclusively breast fed babies don’t require any additional water until they’ve started eating solid foods at around six months. Bottle-fed babies may need some extra water in hot weather, but it’s recommended to take advice from a health visitor first and more frequent formula feeding may also give them the added water they need. If giving water to babies under six months, it should be tap water that has been freshly boiled then cooled, as it’s not sterile straight from the tap. Bottled water is not suitable for babies as the mineral content may be too high.
Stay out of the sun-even when pregnant your skin can be more sensitive avoid staying out for long periods and wear a hat! Same said for children avoid the hottest times and always use suncream.
Clothing and bedding-Wear loose clothing and put kids in loose clothing to, if their hot strip them down. Use a parasol on pushchairs to give shade to babies. Wear cotton its generally a cooler fabric, and at night use a sheet to cover you this can help to cool.
Remember if your ever worried then seek medical advice….