What to expect when you're expecting (92 page)

Questions or problems you want to discuss—have a list ready

“I feel hot and sweaty all the time these days, even when everybody else is cool. What’s that about?”

Feeling like hot stuff these days? You can thank your hormones (as always), increased blood flow to the skin, and a hopped-up pregnancy metabolism for that perpetually damp feeling. Throw in a particularly warm climate or the hottest summer on record (or even just an overheated office in the middle of winter), and the heat is on—big time. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to stay comfortable when the temperature—outdoors, indoors, or inside of you—is soaring. To stay cool while you’re heating for two:

Wear loose, light clothing in breathable fabrics, such as cotton, and dress in layers so you can peel them off as you heat up.

Avoid exercising outside in the heat of the day; take your power walks before breakfast or after dinner instead, or attend exercise classes in an air-conditioned fitness center. Always quit before you feel overheated.

Stay out of the sun as much as possible, particularly on very hot days.

Take a tepid bath or shower to cool off. Or go for a swim, if that’s practical—it’s the one exercise that’s almost sure not to overheat you.

Seek out AC. Fans alone won’t help you keep your cool when the temperature is over 90°F, so if you have no air-conditioning at home, spend time at the movies, a museum, a pal’s house, or a mall.

Be a thermostat hog. Commandeer the temperature control at home so you’re always comfortable. Let your partner add a sweater or a blanket if he’s chilly.

Drink, drink, drink. Staying hydrated will help keep you from feeling weak and dizzy when you heat up. Down at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water a
day, more if you’re exercising and/or perspiring a lot.

A sprinkle of powder can help absorb some moisture (plus help to prevent heat rash).

On the plus side, while you’ll be sweating more—you’ll be smelling less. That’s because the production of apocrine perspiration (the stinkier kind produced by glands under the arms and breasts and in the genital area) actually slows down when you’re expecting.

“I feel dizzy when I get up from a sitting or lying-down position. And yesterday I nearly fainted while I was shopping.. Am I okay?”

Feeling a little dizzy can definitely be disconcerting when you’re pregnant (especially because you might already be having a hard enough time staying on your feet), but it isn’t dangerous. In fact, it’s a pretty common—and almost always a normal—symptom of pregnancy. Here’s why:

In the first trimester, dizziness may occur because there’s not yet an adequate blood supply to fill your rapidly expanding circulatory system; in the second trimester, it may be caused by the pressure of your expanding uterus on your blood vessels.

Throughout your pregnancy, high levels of your old friend progesterone cause your blood vessels to relax and widen, increasing the flow of blood to your baby (good for baby) but slowing the return of blood to you (not so good for mom). Less blood flow to you means lower blood pressure and reduced blood flow to your brain, which can contribute to that light-headed, dizzy feeling.