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1st Trimester
can traveling in a hot car cause a miscarriage?
I have my first doctor's appt. next week, but I'm estimating I should be about 6 weeks pregnant.
Today I was running errands for a couple of hours, and the air conditioning in my car wasn't working. It was 93 degrees outside. I felt nausea this morning, but not this afternoon or evening like usual. I also have cramping; however, I've had mild cramping on and off throughout the pregnancy so far.
Last fall, we lost our baby around 7 weeks; however, I didn't find out until a few weeks later when we saw our baby had no heartbeat.
I'm just so nervous with everything I do. Does anyone know if me being in a hot car could have caused a miscarriage?? I know that I'm not supposed to take hot showers or go in a hot tub when pregnant, so I'm worried that I was traveling in a hot car.
Thank you for any answers.
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Re: can traveling in a hot car cause a miscarriage?
IUI#3 - Jan 6 IVF#1 -5/18 - stims start (225 gonal f, 75 menopur, 5 lupron) ER 5/29 - 14R, 11M, 7F. 6/1 - Transferred 2 8cell embryos (grade 1 and 2). 8dp3dt +HPT, Beta#1 - 92, Beta #2 - 174, Beta#3 - 614, Beta#4 - 2010. 6wk u/s - TWINS! Baby A 114bpm, Baby B 112 bpm
NO NEED TO SASS *** HER CONCERN IS REAL.
I'm in a soft mood tonight and my answer really reflects it. But I agree with you.
It was 114 degrees in my city yesterday. Seriously. 114! That's not with the heat index either! I must say that I am soooo jealous of your 94. It's almost 94 degrees in my HOUSE.
Drink lots of water and you should be fine. It's so easy to worry over every little thing when you are pregnant, but I think you should be fine on this one. I have a battery operated fan in the car for my LO, because his rear facing carseat doesn't seem to cool off as quickly. If you are too hot/dizzy in your car, you could get one of those too.
I'm typically pretty snarky when there are really dumb questions, and I'll admit, when I read it, I was all, "Are you effing serious?"
But I can't pretend to know what it's like to be pregnant after a loss, and be terrified that something out of your control is going to interfere and put you back where you were before. When your mind starts to race about all the things that are out of your control, there are bound to be some irrational fears that follow.
OP, no, AC being out for a couple of hours isn't going to harm your baby, but I strongly encourage you to speak with your doctor about these fears that anything and everything you do or don't do is going to cause you to miscarry again.
Oh, it's not a dumb question. Overheating/dehydration CAN contribute to miscarriage. Women who live outside in the sahara or lived without A/C in the past are/were used to high heat so it wouldn't be as dangerous for them since their bodies would have adapted, so that argument isn't useful.
That being said, OP it doesn't sound like you actually got officially overheated (you would have gotten lightheaded/passed out/felt really sick)
Lay down, drink some water, and get your A/C fixed!
Source for this? I do think it's a dumb question. Come on! Talk to your doctor about your fears. I've lost a fetus before and I still didn't have irrational fears when I finally got pregenant.
I understand completely that previous loss makes you have crazy thoughts about every little thing you do. And this is one of them. As previous posts pointed out, people all over the world that live in 100+ temperatures pretty much year round still manage to have babies. Your body will adjust itself, especially if you were driving around with the windows open and getting in and out of the car while running your errands.
As for the cramping, it could just be normal pregnancy cramping or you could need to drink some extra water today to make up for yesterday. In the future, make sure you drink lots of extra water when you are in a hot environment.
As for the nausea coming and going, that is normal, especially because you are this early, but symptoms really do come and go from day to day during pregnancy.
BFP 12/19/08- DS born 8/25/09 9lbs2oz via Zavanelli Maneuver
BFP 8/26/11- Missed miscarriage discovered 10/19/11 at 11w2d, measured at 9 weeks gestation w/ no HB. D&C 10/21/11
BFP 3/17/12 at 12dpo CP 3/21/12
BFP 4/23/12 at 10dpo Stick my little one! Beta #1: 83.3 @ 13dpo Beta #2: 197.7 @ 15dpo
Our little man is getting bigger every day!
My BFP Chart
If your body was overheated enough to CAUSE a miscarriage (which I cannot find any facts for), I'm pretty sure you'd also be in the hospital pretty sick.
Only thing I can find on overheating (which more than likely did not occur in a 93* car) is this:
https://kidshealth.org/parent/pregnancy_center/your_pregnancy/pregnancy_precautions.html#
Overheating (Hot Tubs, Saunas, Electric Blankets, etc.)
Should I avoid or limit it? Yes. You should limit activities that would raise your core temperature above 102? Fahrenheit (38.9? Celsius). They include:
What are the risks, if any, to my baby? If your body temperature goes above 102? Fahrenheit (38.9? Celsius) for more than 10 minutes, the elevated heat can cause problems with the fetus. Overheating in the first trimester can lead to neural tube defects. Later in the pregnancy, it can lead to dehydration.
What can I do about it? Instead of hot tubs or saunas, take a dip in a cool pool. And it's probably a good idea to stick to warm or slightly hot baths and showers. If you have a fever during your pregnancy, talk to your doctor about ways to lower it. And follow your body's cues that you're getting overheated when exercising or enjoying the great outdoors in the warmer months.
But if you've already become overheated during your pregnancy, don't worry too much about it. Chances are, you removed yourself from the uncomfortable situation before any damage was done.
Because everyone who gets pregnant after a loss is exactly like you? You set the bar? Give her a break.
I'm sure your baby is fine, but I would be careful getting overheated. I can always tell when I'm overheated, I feel my heart beating in my head and get red-faced. I can't spend more than about 20 minutes out in this heat (90 degree weather) without starting to feel dizzy. So, for the same reason the hot tub isn't good for you during pregnancy (most are around 98-100), neither is getting overheated outdoors. I wouldn't think getting hot one day would be harmful though, at all.
Keep calm
I am sure your baby is OK. I am fortunate never to have suffered a loss before, but I can understand why you would be overly paranoid about things during your new pregnancy.
I was about 6 months PG with LO last August... and it was HOT! As PPs have said, it is VERY important to stay hydrated. I would say the only real risk comes if you have contractions because you are dehydrated. I had a few of these myself when I reached about 26 weeks because I was dehydrated. Get yourself a big water bottle and bring it everywhere with you (mine was dubbed the "baby bottle") and be sure to drink at least one of them a day while you are out, maybe more depending on how big it is (and you should obviously be drinking while at home, too)
I am sorry for your previous loss...... but try not to stress yourself out now. Enjoy your pregnancy as much as you can- it goes by so fast. GL
LOLZ! This made me giggle IRL.
And OP, do you really not take hot showers? You only take cold showers? And like the PP said, you probably just need to drink more water. I was moving in 94 degree heat today and was cramping a little bit. After drinking some ice cold water and putting my feet up I felt much better.
Visiting from 3rd tri..um YES dehydration can bring on early labour .... and it can cause cramping etc. pregnant women need about 3 litres of water a day. So yes, it can cause complications. Maybe read a book or 3.
OP: my OB says you need to stay hydrated when you are out in the heat. Drink WAY more than you think you need. Always have water on hand.
Morning sickness can come & go, or not show up at all. Since it is so hot out, you should be drinking more water & staying hydrated. Being in a hot car isn't a problem, but getting dehydrated is, even if you weren't pregnant.
Sorry about your loss before, but there's nothing you can do in particular to prevent another m/c. If you are worried about every single thing causing another m/c, I would recommend some counseling, as that much stress & worry is not healthy.
I might recommend the PGAL board so you have someone to talk to about your fears. Some fear is normal, but life/thought consuming fear is not. GL.