Summer with a big belly: 20 answers to the most common doubts

Summer with a big belly: 20 answers to the most common doubts
Fonte: shutterstock

Summer with the big belly: at the seaside during pregnancy

Even if this year the weather has so far been a bit of a tantrum, the word "summer" has always been synonymous with vacation, swimming pool, sea, beach, umbrellas, deck chairs, tanning. And who has a baby bump for? How can you still enjoy the heat and the sun without putting your baby's health at risk? The magazine "Embarazo y Parto" has compiled a list of 20 questions and answers to allow future mothers to fully enjoy their summer. How behave in the summer with the baby bump.





In this article

  • Swimming pool
  • Sauna or whirlpool
  • Public swimming pool
  • Extreme heat
  • hydration
  • Swollen feet and ankles
  • Sunscreen
  • Sun protection
  • Bikini or one-piece swimsuit
  • Safe sun creams?
  • Creams or sprays against insects
  • Sun without protection
  • Fruits and vegetables
  • Raw fish
  • Feeding in the summer
  • Fluid retention
  • Reflux

1. Are swimming pools a danger?

No, the only risk (but for everyone, not just pregnant women) concerns the danger of a fungal infection and Covid infection due to proximity to other people.



2. Can I go to the sauna or whirlpool?

Yes, as long as you do it for a short time, to avoid sudden changes in blood pressure.



Read also: Spas in pregnancy

3. Are public swimming pools a risk?

No, as long as the chlorine with which the water is disinfected is not used excessively.

4. Is it better to avoid hot baths?

In general, if it's not too hot to make mom sick, it will hardly hurt the little one. Special attention to the risk of dehydration and low blood pressure in pregnancy.

5. Is it necessary to drink a lot?

Yes, dehydration, which is dangerous during pregnancy, must be avoided. But what water to drink in the nine months? Expectant mothers can drink unfiltered tap water. If you choose bottled water, it is better to give preference to medium mineralized waters.

6. How can I prevent swelling of the feet and ankles?

Especially on very hot days, avoid standing for a long time. Better still, lie down: the horizontal position avoids edema.

Read also: Swollen legs and feet in pregnancy

7. Should we avoid playing sports?

No, as long as you avoid those during which you risk falls, such as cycling or water skiing. Diving is obviously forbidden.

Read also: Sports in pregnancy

8. Is normal sunscreen suitable for the sun?

Yes, but bear in mind that during pregnancy the skin is more sensitive, and therefore it is necessary to use a higher protection factor.

There is no need to buy special products, unless you have an allergy to some ingredient (in this case the doctor will suggest the most suitable cream). What matters is that it is one cream with a high protection factor: better to start with Spf50 +, and eventually go down to a slightly lower protection (but still average, with Spf30) after a few days of exposure. But be careful: on the face it is better to continue to use the high protection, because that is where the skin spots keep appearing.

Read also: Sunscreen in pregnancy

9. How does the protection factor work?

It is basically an index relating to the time it takes for an erythema to appear. With an SPF (Solar protection factor) 30 protection cream, for example, it takes 30 times more time for sunburn to occur than if you did not have protection, and therefore if you burn without the cream in a minute, the lotion must be reapplied. every 30 minutes.

Read also: Sunscreen: a guide to decide

10. When should the cream be applied?

It must be used 30 minutes before exposing yourself to the sun. Remember that if you want to take a bath, once you get out of the water the sunscreen must be reapplied (unless it is water resistant).

11. Better a bikini or a one-piece swimsuit?

During pregnancy it is better to wear one-piece swimsuit, which by reducing the exposed surface protects more from ultraviolet radiation.

12. Are there ingredients in sunscreens that are dangerous for the fetus?

Current studies show no ingredients that show fetal toxicity.

13. Can insect repellents be used?

The most studied repellent is Deet, for which there are consistent data referring to both animals and humans. Data which, the article states, suggests that there is not a significant increase in the risk of fetal problems when used in pregnancy, either in the first trimester or later. Also for icaridin and PMD the risk profile seems similar, although in this case the results come exclusively from animal studies.

In short, for icaridin, PMD and above all Deet - also recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta and by the American Obstetric Gynecologists Association - it is a green light for use in pregnancy.

And as for the natural products (including eucalyptus essential oil, which is different from PMD or Citrodiol)? Here, paradoxically, the situation is more critical, because there are no studies, neither on animals nor on humans. It is unlikely that there can be significant clinical risks, which however, at the present state of knowledge, cannot be definitively excluded.

14. Is it absolutely necessary to avoid the sun without protection?

No, a short exposure in the cooler hours can be considered to promote the synthesis of vitamin D.

15. How to deal with fruit and vegetables?

They must always be carefully washed, a rule that is especially valid for those vegetables that grow on the ground.

16. What about raw fish?

Its consumption should be avoided, because there is the risk of contracting infections which during pregnancy can have very serious effects. The same goes for seafood and crustaceans.

17. Should we also be careful of other foods in the summer?

In hot weather, it is good to be careful to preserve the cold chain of frozen foods: if they defrost on the way from the store to home and are then refrozen, they can cause problems when consumed.

18. By drinking a lot, how do you avoid fluid retention?

You need to reduce your sodium intake, using a little salt (and, when possible, avoiding it) when cooking and choosing foods with a low sodium intake.

But pay attention to the importance of iodine in pregnancy. The Del Paesena Society of Human Nutrition, as well as EFSA, recommends the introduction of 200 μg / day of iodine for all pregnant women. The World Health Organization and UNICEF, on the other hand, recommend the introduction of 250 micrograms per day of iodine to avoid a deficiency.

19. What to do for gastroesophageal reflux?

Reflux in pregnancy? Try to avoid chocolate, coffee, irritating condiments, and carbonated drinks (especially cola), particularly in the three hours before bedtime.

20. For dinner out and on the beach, what should be avoided?

Beware of alcoholic beverages: alcohol crosses the placental barrier and reaches the fetus. And, since there is no "safe" amount of alcohol to drink, it is best avoided as much as possible.

The risks to the fetus are:

  • damage to the brain;
  • damage to developing tissues;
  • malformations or mental retardation.

The alcoholic-fetal syndrome

La fetal alcohol syndrome (FASD) is a disease of the fetus-newborn, which encompasses a set of physical, behavioral and neurological problems that can occur in a fetus exposed to alcohol and which can have lifelong implications, with personal, family and social costs.

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