Running in FL summer heat ok?

Lexilynn345

I'm calling my Dr tomorrow to double check, but am curious what you ladies have heard and decided to do.  For my last pregnancy, my Dr said it was fine to continue running, but that was during the winter (I ended up miscarrying). I just got my BFP again this weekend and am hesitant to run in this heat.

It is super hot and humid in FL right now and will be for the next 2 months. I usually run 4-6 miles and sweat a ton.  I've seen it's recommended that your body temp doesn't go over 102.5 during pregnancy.

So - do you ladies continue running no matter how hot out it is?  Or, do you wait until it's a cooler time of day/year?  TIA!

mommybrynn

I would not run in extreme heat while pregnant.  I would do a DVD indoors or maybe head to the gym if you can't wait until it is cooler... if it gets cooler that is!  Sometimes the evening is no better it seems!  Why chance it, you know?

IncogNeato

I would not, no.Especially in the first trimester, overheating is a genuine risk. Your body will have a harder time regulating temp b/c you are pregnant, and your LO can't sweat to cool down. Not worth the risk.

Found these online:

"The baby is very sensitive to changes in maternal blood pressure," Buery-Joyner says. "When it drops, there's less blood supply to the uterus, the placenta, and of course to the baby." Studies have also shown the heat of Jacuzzis and saunas during pregnancy to be linked to neural tube defects (when the brain and spinal cord don't form properly), she notes, which may indicate that overheating in general could pose similar concerns."

 "When a pregnant woman becomes overheated, she has increased risk of dehydration, heat exhaustion and increased swelling of the extremities. However, as the baby's temperature is always 1 degree Celsius higher than Mom's and Baby does not have the ability to sweat, the risk to the baby increases as Mom's temperature goes up. "Hyperthermia has been linked to certain birth defects including heart problems, abdominal wall defects and problems with the development of the nervous system," Ceccarelli says. "Dehydration can cause contractions that lead to a premature delivery. And, as Baby's temperature is higher than the Mom's, there is always a concern that the baby can overheat. In addition, avoiding fetal heat stress is important during the first trimester, as it is considered the critical period in the development of major body systems, such as the spinal cord."

Yikes. No thanks.

 

care_lynn21

Hi there, since I have recently learned that I am pregnant I have not gone for a run in about 3 weeks or longer. I think you should wait till the heat isn't as humid, it's alot easier now for you to get dehydrated especially with being pregnant....I am walking instead of running, but I am also finding that I don't have the energy to run and it takes all I have to walk. I am an avid runner as well I have ran in a few races. You could also run at the cooler temperatures of the day as well.....If your a morning person ideally that is the perfect time, less traffic on the roads and sidewalks.

Hope this helps

thatgirl85

Can you run in the early morning?  It's so much cooler and less humid then.  I was in my 2nd tri last summer and ran; my midwife was fine with it.  I think it's ok to run, just don't do speed workouts or push yourself to go faster/longer.  Make sure you stay hydrated.  

Joie80

I'm a FL native and I know that this time of year the time  of day makes very little difference in how cool it is outside. It's hot all day! Can you run on a treadmill?