*Disclosure:  I received a complimentary product for the purpose of this review.  All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.*

I remember very clearly these 2 days when I was 8 or 9 months pregnant with Maggie.  It was over 100 degrees outside, and our air conditioning quit working.  We really needed to replace a bunch of windows in our living room, but hadn’t done it yet.  To create, or attempt to create a cross breeze, I opened the patio door and some windows.  I laid on the floor in front of the patio door feeling the sad, pathetic attempt at a breeze that was coming through the house.  It was suppose to storm that night, so I shut and locked the windows when I went to bed.  Well, one of the windows wasn’t cooperating, but I thought I had it shut all of the way.  In the middle of the night I wake up to this very loud noise and it sounded like the hail was actually in our living room.  I go downstairs to discover that the wind had ripped the window wide open.  So here I go, very pregnant into the pitch black of night to try and shut that window during a storm.  Good times!  

Keeping cool in the summer can be tricky enough, but to keep cool when you are pregnant all summer can be all the more difficult, and important.  If you are like me, getting overly hot seems to cause cramping and contractions, so I try to avoid it.  Here are some of the things I have found to help me survive 2, going on 3 summers of being pregnant.

Stay in the air conditioning.  This is also impossible to do all of the time, but if it is extremely hot out, I try to stay in for the most part of the day.

When outside, try to stay in a shaded area.  We don’t have much shade at our house, so I try to stay close to the garage.

Get in the water.  I have found that even having a small pool for the kids and keeping my feet in it helped me to stay cool while we played outside.

If you have long hair, keep it up.  Just having your neck exposed helps cool your body down.

Keep a pocket fan with you.  While they don’t create much breeze, they give you a brief reprieve from the heat.

Go outside during the morning or evening hours.  The sun is lower, the temperatures cooler, and you may find more shade to hide out in.

Stay hydrated.  Drink plenty of cold beverages throughout the day to prevent dehydration.  This, along with a lowered salt intake will help decrease swelling of the feet.

Wear light colored clothing.  I love maternity clothing, and there are so many trendy, affordable options for every pregnant mama.  One of my favorite places to shop is Milan Maternity.  I absolutely love this Rosalie top that I have.  Not only is it a great shirt for any time of year, but it is a great shirt to get me from early pregnancy and beyond.  I can wear this shirt anytime, pregnant or not.  I also love that I can wear this shirt and have easy breastfeeding access.  I love that Milan Maternity offers tons of shirts that I would love to have as part of my maternity or nursing wardrobe.  Just because I’ve got a big old belly doesn’t mean I don’t want to look my best!

Have you spent the summer pregnant?  How did you stay cool?  Which shirt from Milan Maternity is your favorite?

Enter to win a top from Milan Maternity through July 15th here.