Hello, Summer! Goodbye, Salt! by Heather Bowles

Good Saturday morning to you, ladies. I hope all is well.

Today is shaping up to be quite warm here in Central Oklahoma, or maybe it isn’t. It’s hard to tell these days. Generally, I get cold easily, and look forward to the sweltering summer months, but I discovered during my pregnancy with Tabitha that my body becomes a virtual furnace when I’m incubating. That was a good thing back then, because she was timed in such a way that I spent all of August praying to God “Please, I don’t want to throw up again. Don’t make me throw up again.” and didn’t have to be largely pregnant during the summer. Winters here on the plains consist of harsh, bitterly cold winds, and stinging precipitation that falls like stones from the sky, so with any trip outdoors, I welcomed the extra heat of new life during my second and third trimesters.

This time around, I’m not so lucky. It’s month 5, and as summer heats up, my joints are already beginning to swell. Alas, poor salt shaker! I knew it well!  See you this winter, old friend. More than likely, the reason for the swelling is not so much the heat, although it doesn’t help. When we moved into this little townhouse nearly a year ago, I didn’t consider a second child a realistic possibility, so the fact that the only bathroom is on the second story was never considered an issue. In fact, I figured it might help me lose the last ten stubborn pregnancy pounds. Now that the reality of my second trimester sets in, I find I drink far less water than is recommended, because I really just don’t want to lug myself up the stairs every half hour for yet another bathroom break. More than likely, that is the reason for the swelling.

That being said, the heat is not agreeable with me this year. My hair has gotten really thick and it’s nearly shoulder length. On my worst day last week, I told my husband not to be surprised if he came home that afternoon to  me shaving my head in the shower. I didn’t really shave my head of course, but it is a thought that I’ve found entertaining most of the week.

Avoiding the outdoors is not a possibility, either. I received a phone call last week about my initial bloodwork from my new OBGYN. My vitamin D is low, and I refuse to take yet another pill. I’m already taking five in the morning, and two at night (nearly all supplements, except for the Metformin), so sunshine is prescribed.  The nearest public pool is some distance away, and with no one to babysit Tabi while I go for an hour long dip daily, I don’t feel safe taking her there anyway. So I’m sweating it out on the front porch, and trying not to drink too much water because I just climbed those stairs ten minutes ago.

How do you ladies keep cool in the summer months during your pregnancies? I’ll try anything once!

Tags: pregnancy, second trimester, summer heat