Being pregnant and weathering the current heatwave: a practical guide

The current heatwave = the whole country is ecstatic.

Unless you're pregnant that is. That's because high temperatures and carrying around the weight of a watermelon in your tummy do not go hand-in-hand. The hot, humid air adds to the heaviness and exhaustion you might already be feeling. All the extra blood flow causes your body temperature to rise – add a hot day or heatwave to this, and you've got one uncomfortable mama-to-be. With that, we've come up with some top tips from the ladies around the HerFamily table and some nuggets of wisdom from our amazing readers who have been there, bought the T-Shirt. We asked for your best tips, here's what you had to say:

"Take off your rings or bracelets – swelling can really creep up on you and you might never get your rings off again. Sounds silly, but I had to get mine cut off." Sarah, Cork.

"Flavour your water to make it more interesting – I loved a squeeze of lime and some mint leaves (maybe because it tasted slightly like a Mojito!), and never leave the house without a bottle on you. It sounds obvious, but you cannot hydrate enough, especially if you're on holidays and you are not used to the temperatures." Sive, Dublin.

"Breathable fabrics are a must. Leave anything synthetic at home and just wear soft, breathable cottons." Susan, Kildare. 

"Don't even think about putting extra salt on anything or eating salty foods - this will help prevent swelling." Lizzie, Dublin.

"Go swimming. It doesn't have to be energetic, but the water will cool your entire body down. The euphoric feeling of sudden weightlessness while pregnant cannot be underestimated, you get very used to carrying all the extra weight." Allison, Sligo.

"Pop some ice cubes and a few damp facecloths in a keep-cool freezer bag and bring them out with you. I did this on a holiday in Spain, the locals must have thought I was mad, but it really helped. It meant we could stroll around and see the sites, and I could stop for little forehead cooling breaks!" Aoife, Dublin. 

"Wear the right shoes. Forget fashionable footwear and break out the comfiest sandals or trainers you own, then live in these. Your legs will thank you for it (and your hubby for fewer leg massages)." Emer, Dundalk.

"Take naps – you'll be more tired than usual, so listen to your body and try and grab a disco nap when you can." Sorcha, Dublin.

"Use a higher SPF than usual and try to choose one that has less chemicals as your skin is hypersensitive and might react and burn more easily." Nikki, Kerry.

"I brought a travel fan with us to France and it was a life-saver. I hate sleeping with air-conditioning so I could position this on my body at night, and I could still sleep with a light cover on me and position a cushion between my legs." Mary, Cork.