Pregnant in the summer

If you are coming into your last months of pregnancy this summer you are probably sick of comments like “ oh dear all those long hot months!” , but speaking as someone who has spent two whole summers heavily pregnant (and not so heavily pregnant) with September and November babies I would like to celebrate the times of a “summer” pregnancy.

For most of your early pregnancy you were bundled up in winter clothes, no matter what you did to try and look pregnant rather than fat it didn’t work, those bulky clothes just kept covering your little bump and you were starting to look like a giant marshmallow. The good news about a summer pregnancy that even the teeniest of bumps looks fantastic in a stretchy t shirt or vest top, it’s pretty hard to NOT look pregnant in summer clothes!. So if you are desperately awaiting the arrival of a baby bump you can rest assured that as soon as you break out the summer clothes it will appear. While we are on the subject of clothes, have you noticed how expensive maternity clothes are? You probably have. Now imagine having to buy jumpers a coat and all the other winter must haves to go with it. Winter pregnancies are expensive all that we really need for our late pregnancy clothing is a couple of trousers or skirts and a few t shirts, what could be easier.

Another thing I really liked about being eight months pregnant in the summer was being able to stroll around the shops at a nice relaxed pace, occasionally stopping to have a nice cold drink and even an ice cream if I was feeling particularly summery, you can’t do that in the winter when chances are it will be tipping down with rain or that you would be in danger of freezing over if you sat down anywhere to eat an ice cream. Another summer plus is salad, I don’t know many people who enjoy a nice salad in January , January is the month of chocolate and fatty roast dinners (at least in my house), for a heavily pregnant woman a salad rather than a roast could make the difference between 6 months to lose baby weight and 8 months! Summer food is in general much healthier and balanced than winter food and healthy eating is almost accidental during the hottest months of summer.

A summer birth is also good - ok you might need a fan to keep cool but you also get to wear a pretty cotton nighty on the postnatal ward rather than a flannel one covered in sheep or some other nighttime theme. Summer due dates also mean you can pack a little lighter, you probably won’t need a big dressing gown to keep warm a small cotton one will do or even no dressing gown at all (for my September baby mine was totally unworn), slippers can be a little lighter and less bulky too – you could even wear flip-flops if you wanted to stand out from the postnatal crowd.

Finally summer babies are less stressful for new mothers, you are far less likely to worry about them being cold there is no need for a big snowsuit to go out just a little jacket or cardigan and there is no need for layers at night just one nice blanket, which reminds me summer clothes for babies are cheaper too!.

So for all of you expecting this summer or autumn don’t worry about all those depressing people who tell you summer pregnancies are a bad thing and rejoice in your t – shirt clad pregnant belly!