Ireland will bake in the hot weather for the coming days, with a Met Eireann forecaster warning: "Very warm or hot on Thursday, Friday and Saturday with maximum temperatures generally of 27 to 29 degrees. Warm at night with temperatures generally staying above 15 degrees."
While most of us love a bit of heat, it can be an uncomfortable time for pregnant women who are already experiencing increased body temperatures.
Award-winning skincare brand for pregnancy, birth, new mums and newborns, My Expert Midwife, has offered some advice to pregnant women who may find the hot weather a hit challenging
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Top tips for surviving a heatwave while pregnant:
Wear natural fibres
Wear cotton, bamboo or silk rather than synthetics, and favour light, loose fitting clothing. Synthetic materials retain moisture and don’t allow your skin to breathe properly which can increase irritation.
Keep your skin moisturised
Dry, irritated skin can be very common during pregnancy. As well as choosing natural fabrics, keeping your skin well moisturised will provide you with some soothing, cooling relief.
Stay hydrated
Although water is essential and should be drunk throughout the day, optimal hydration requires other elements that are found in foods. You can ensure an adequate intake of these by eating fruits and vegetables such as pineapple, mango, grapes, melon, pears, berries, cucumber, courgette, asparagus and dark leafy greens.
Avoid caffeinated drinks
Tea, coffee and colas, which may have a mildly diuretic effect, disrupting your fluid balance. It’s best to avoid these or look for their decaffeinated version. Dehydration impacts your and your baby’s health, so it is important to keep your drinking bottle topped up.
Take cooler showers or baths
You could try adding some organic oatmeal to your bath as this has soothing properties for your skin.
Use a spritz at night to cool down
Cooling sprays can help you sleep if you're sweating with the heat. Spritz for Bits is a good product that helps cools and calms skin.. It also contains lavender which will naturally help you sleep.
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Stay in the shade
This will reduce your risk of overheating as well as help prevent the appearance of darker patches of pigmentation that pregnancy hormones can leave on your skin, often on your face. Because of this and the fact that many skins become more sensitive to the sun during pregnancy, a high protection sunscreen is recommended.
Put ice cubes on pulse points
An effective way to cool down is to aim for your pulse points. You can place ice cubes wrapped in a towel or cool, wet flannels over the back of your neck and forehead, run your wrists under a cold tap and/or place your feet ankle-deep into a basin of cool water. If you are out and about, invest in a handheld fan and/or a cooling spray for your face and body.
Elevate your feet
Swelling of feet and ankles can be helped by soaking them in cold water, elevating your feet above the level of your heart, stimulating drainage by repeatedly pointing your toes to and away from you (dorsiflexion exercises), by gentle massage and by trying a cooling spray such as My Expert Midwife’s Keep Your Cool spray.
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- Cost of using a fan at night during Ireland's heatwave
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