May 29, 2025—If you're pregnant, summer fun could come with added risks. Cooling down while you're pregnant isn't always easy. And you're more likely to have heat-related illnesses—which can harm you and your baby. Here's what to know.
Heat can cause serious pregnancy problems
Just one day of exposure to high temperatures can lead to serious pregnancy complications, warns the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Heat has been linked to:
- Preterm birth.
- Birth defects.
- Stillbirth.
- Low birth weight.
- Early labor.
During pregnancy, high heat increases your chances of having elevated blood pressure as well, says the EPA. Some people even experience more heart and cardiovascular stress.
Why the added risk?
If you're pregnant, you're at higher risk for heat illnesses such as heatstroke and heat exhaustion. When the temperature rises, your body works hard to cool itself—and, now, your baby too.
Plus, it's easier to become dehydrated while you're pregnant. Nausea, vomiting and common pregnancy medications can cause you to lose fluids. That makes it harder for you to sweat, so your body temperature rises.
And hot summer weather can come with added air pollution or wildfire smoke—another health hazard.
Beat the heat
To help keep yourself and your baby healthy this summer, start with hot-day safety steps from CDC:
- Stay hydrated! Drink lots of water. And choose hydrating foods, like fresh fruits and vegetables.
- Wear loose-fitting clothes.
- Turn on the air conditioner, or spend time somewhere that's air-conditioned.
- Avoid strenuous exercise in the heat.
- Cool your skin with ice or by soaking in cold bathwater.
- Wear sunscreen when going outside.
- Ask your doctor about the best ways to replace salt and minerals lost from sweating.
Ask your doctor how your health history or medications might affect your risk for heat illness. They can offer individualized advice. It's also important to know the signs of heat illness and common pregnancy problems—and what to do if you experience them.
Sources
- American Heart Association. "Summer Heat Brings Special Health Risks for Pregnant Women." https://www.heart.org/en/news/2019/07/01/summer-heat-brings-special-health-risks-for-pregnant-women.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Clinical Overview of Heat and Pregnancy." https://www.cdc.gov/heat-health/hcp/clinical-overview/heat-and-pregnant-women.html.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "Heat and Pregnancy." https://www.epa.gov/children/heat-and-pregnancy.