Surviving Breastfeeding in a Heatwave

Ok, someone turned up the heat.

I love the sun, I love a nice warm summer, and I love spending time outside in the sunshine. I am however also inherently British, in that when it gets just that little bit too hot, I like to have a good old moan (see Things We All do in a Heatwave).

One of the hardest things about being a Mum in summer (with the exception of keeping your baby cool) has to be breastfeeding in a heatwave, when quite possibly the LAST thing you want is to have a small wriggly sticky person stuck to your sweaty chest whilst wanting to be snuggled and rocked to sleep. The last two nights, I have sat melting in a nursing chair in a room so hot that the Gro Egg gets angry and my monitor beeps, with a baby resembling a hot water bottle who likes nothing more than rubbing my hot and clammy arm. I have felt like a milking machine, sharing a bed with my hot and clammy 9 month old who has gone back to feeding like a newborn and today Neve took her first nap at 3pm, after refusing to sleep without a cuddle.

Here are my tips for surviving breastfeeding in the summer months:

Love the H20

This may sound like an obvious one, but drink drink drink. When the weather warms up we should all be drinking more anyway, but as a breastfeeding mum, hydration is even more important, and you burn up to an addition 500 calories a day by feeding. Generally your baby will take from your reserves so they wont suffer from a lack of fluids, but YOU will unless you rehydrate regularly. I have a big flask of ice cold water in the fridge so that I can grab a cold drink regularly. Alternatively you can pop a half full bottle of water in the freezer and then pop in the fridge so you can drink as the ice melts. So refreshing and great for keeping you topped up. Also there is water in ice lollies – so that’s a perfect excuse for popping out a fab! *other ice lollies are available*

Tie back your hair

I’m not sure if this is just me, but when I get hot, I get major sweaty face syndrome, and appear to lose a lot of sweat and moisture from my strawberry red head! On a really really hot day like today, I tie my hair back straight after a shower, as far away from my neck and face as possible. Hairgrips are also my super new best friend. I may look like I have been dragged through a hedge backwards, but my face is significantly cooler. #messyhairdontcare

Hunt out the Shade

Sometimes  a shady spot outside is cooler than feeding indoors, particularly if you can find somewhere with a nice breeze. My 9 month old only feeds twice in the day now, but for those feeding more regularly, a nice shady spot under a tree is ideal!

Keep Babies Room cool

For bedtime feeds, its important to try and keep the nursery as cool as possible, although in a house like ours this is pretty impossible! We have tried wet towels around the room to cool down the air, keeping curtains or blinds down during the day, (particularly if you room faces the sun), and avoided opening windows until the air outside is cooler than inside.

Avoid skin to skin

When its really hot and sticky, the last thing you want is skin to skin! Try feeding your baby lying down with them next to you when you can – that way you can have minimal skin contact and keep yourself (and baby!) as cool as possible. Alternatively, wrap a very lightweight sheet or swaddling blanket between you and your baby to avoid the sticking senstation and absorb any moisture! Although it may seem counter productive, a light sheet over your arm can prevent sweaty heads as well and actually help you both be more comfortable during a feed.

Vest Tops

As nice as summer dresses and floaty outfits can be, sometimes on really hot days you cant go wrong with a basic vest top – either a nursing vest / tank or the easy one up one down approach. One up one down works really well for me for discreet feeding as well as keeping a thin layer of clothing between me and my daughter!

Cool Shower for Mum

A cold shower for you before a feed can help regulate your own temperature and cool down potentially sweaty skin before you bring your baby up for a feed. On really hot days like today, I have a really quick shower just before bedtime, and although still challenging, I feel just that little bit more comfortable during the bedtime feed.

Whilst breastfeeding in a heatwave is always going to be challenging, just remember, whilst you may be a sweaty mess today, it is likely to be cloudy and cold tomorrow! In the meantime, I wish you the best of luck – I’m off to crack open a Calippo!!! :

Lucy