It’s hot and sticky and sweat is rolling into places it shouldn’t. Now add a giant, hard belly, swollen ankles, and a small person kicking your bladder and you’ve got a peek into what it’s like to be pregnant during the summer months. But, hang in there, Mama. We’ve got a few tips to help you get through this sweaty, exhausting time (you’re so amazing!) in our featured article.
Need some new dinner ideas? How about Sun-Dried Tomato Penne, or Easy Cheeseburger Wraps? We have five amazing dinner recipes to add to your rotation. Check out the Recipes of the Week and feed your family something delicious. Mmmm.
Ahhh, and my take on summer pregnancies is at the bottom in Just Sayin’.
How I Survived A Hot, Horrible Summer Pregnancy
By Abigail Granner
Summer is the best. Shorts and sandals, extra excuses for ice cream, swimming, barbecues — what's not to love? Here's what: a summer pregnancy. I’m gonna say it. It’s awful.
I was due at the end of July during a record-breaking heat wave in Colorado. Weeks of temperatures in the upper 90s. Sixty-five days of unhealthy air quality (We were literally told the air outside was not safe to breathe). This all made for a brutal summer pregnancy.
If you can somehow plan to not ever be pregnant in the summer, do it. But if you’re like me and 99% of people who can’t perfectly plan when they get pregnant, here is how you can survive the heat with a bump:
Play the summer pregnancy card early and often
Don’t be above asking for help. Take every single advantage that a summer pregnancy offers you. I know, I know, you’re tough and strong and capable — me too! But pregnancy during sweltering temperatures is no joke. You’re growing a human, you’re doing enough.
At an outdoor barbecue in the middle of the day? Sit in the shade. Actually, you should hog the shade; it’s your right. Same goes for pools or parks. The shade is YOURS.
If you’re hanging outside at someone's house, ask to sit in their freshly air-conditioned house. If they don’t have air conditioning, maybe just leave.
Is it Braxton’s 2nd birthday bash outside at the water park? Great! Water can be refreshing. Are you tired and hot even in the shade? Leave.
Your friends should be understanding, but if they aren’t, gently and oh-so-obviously place your hand on your bump and say, “Baby doesn’t like the heat,” and get your bump out of there.
Put an ice pack in between your legs
No, seriously, do it. Wear a dress and feel the refreshingly cold ice pack (or ice in a baggy) cool you down. It works! This helped me at outdoor events but indoors too.
No matter how low I moved the thermostat, it never felt cool enough unless I had an icepack. An added benefit to this weird tip? It helps with lightning crotch.
Try to manage the bloating
I love burgers and pasta and ice cream on any given day, but I crave them like cocaine when I’m pregnant. But you know what’s worse than being hot and pregnant? Hot, pregnant, AND bloated.
Big meals made everything worse. I chose to live my pregnant life by snacking every two hours. (Bonus: this helped with my nausea and the bloating.)
Also, I turned everything cold. I ate cold pasta salad, created some mega salads with basically everything you’d have in a sandwich but in a bowl-form, and made homemade popsicles with fruit or yogurt.
Carry around some form of liquid like it’s your job
There were a couple times I got dizzy from dehydration during my summer pregnancy and it sucked. My back already hurt, my boobs already ached, I had enough to deal with.
We may not be able to control everything in pregnancy or life, but we can control our fluid consumption. Grab a Yeti or Hydroflask or whatever giant liquid jug you love and fill it up. (Preferably with water, but you could use Vitamin water or Gatorade or fruit juice.)
Learn to wear less clothing
Anyone else remembering jamming out to Nelly's "It's gettin' hot in here" song during the early 2000s? If you do, channel that as you read on. If you don't, well . . . I'm sad for your generation growing up without such a classic as this.
When your bump is growing bigger by the day and you're hot and sticky and sweaty, clothes feel like torture. I lived in very thin bras because, as we all know, boob sweat is a real (and very annoying) thing.
Big maxi dresses, flowy tanks, and two sizes too big maternity shorts were my uniform. Were they super cute? Nope. Did I care? Not really.
I also wore one pair of sandals for 6 months straight because they were the only footwear that could handle the heat and my growing feet.
Relax indoors with zero guilt
There is nothing wrong with being a couch potato. Pregnant or not, summer or not. For some reason, the nice weather makes us feel like we *should* be outside all the time. And we *should* just be happy in the heat while sweat drips off our face and perspiration pools in between our boobs.
Let me save you the guilt trip: it’s okay to be inside. It’s okay to soak up the cool air inside a house and put your feet up and binge Netflix or Hulu.
I lived under the blistering sun of Colorado while pregnant, and I had a deep hatred of the sun by the end of that summer. I would even close all the blinds in my apartment during the middle of the day just to keep the sun out.
And you know what? That’s okay. Pregnancy is so physically and emotionally draining. If we can do anything for ourselves to make it even slightly easier, it’s worth it.
RECIPES OF THE WEEK:
We’ve got five flavor-filled recipes for some relaxing, summertime dinners. Now that the kiddos are out of school, you can even make it a family affair and create these yummy dinners together. Enjoy!
Balsamic Barbeque Chicken
Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions:
Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides.
In a small saucepan, combine the balsamic vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, smoked paprika, and onion powder.
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
If you have time, let the chicken marinate in half of the balsamic barbecue sauce for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour for extra flavor. Reserve the other half of the sauce for basting and serving.
Preheat your grill to medium-high heat.
Place the chicken breasts on the grill and cook for about 6-7 minutes on each side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Baste the chicken with the reserved barbecue sauce during the last few minutes of cooking.
Remove the chicken from the grill and let it rest for a few minutes. Serve the grilled chicken with extra balsamic barbecue sauce on the side.
Hawaiian Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients:
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