Sun Safe Tips For Summer
There has been some crazily hot weather in the UK recently!
Whilst your pre-pregnancy self may have made a beeline to the park to catch some rays, for pregnant mummas-to-be and those with little ones the heat can be particularly uncomfortable. Trying to keep cool, stay hydrated and avoid those UV rays can be tricky, so here are our top tips for staying sun safe this summer.
Clothing
A sunhat is a must (wide brimmed is ideal for increased sun blockage) and you’ll be most comfortable wearing loose fitting, breathable fabrics like cotton. Make sure your sunglasses are UV blocking and don’t forget some SPF protection for your lips.
For babies who are going to have some sun exposure, ensure they have a hat that protects their face, neck and ears, baby sunglasses (we appreciate these can be a bit of a nightmare to try and keep on, but there are some great baby shades designs out there with stretchy fabric bands to keep them in place, so see which ones work best for your little one) and loose fitting clothes which provide good skin coverage.
**Avoid thick layers of clothing, blankets and covering your baby’s pram as this can lead to overheating.
Sun cream
Pregnancy
Your skin can become more sensitive during pregnancy so it’s especially important to protect yourself in summer months. Most sun creams are completely safe to wear whilst pregnant (and whilst breastfeeding), so make sure you apply it regularly and seek out the shade when possible.
It’s advised to apply a physical or mineral sun cream; these sit on top of the skin rather than chemical lotions which are absorbed into it. It should contain zinc oxide and titanium oxide which provides protection against both UVA and UVB rays, and should be SPF30 or above. Apply the sun lotion about 15 minutes before you go outside and reapply at least every 2 hours.
Newborns and Infants
For babies 0 - 6 months it’s advised to avoid the use of sun cream as your baby’s skin is particularly delicate. At this age it’s important to try and avoid sun exposure as much as possible, so seek out shade, use prams with sun protection hoods/canopies and dress your baby in cool loose fitting clothing which provides good coverage.
For infants 6 months plus sun cream is recommended (SPF 30+), as with adults this should be applied at least 15 minutes before they go outside and reapplied at least 2 hourly **more frequently if they go for a swim! Again, avoiding sun exposure (particularly up until 12 months old) is best as their skin is more sensitive than an adult’s.
**Check your sun cream expiry date as they normally have a shelf life of 2 - 3 years (I’ve found at least 3 old bottles in a few cupboards around the house, it’s very easy to do!).
Stay hydrated!
Carrying around a growing baby is thirsty work, as is carrying around a newborn and breastfeeding! Add some summer heat and sweating to the mix and you can easily get dehydrated pretty quickly, so keeping up your fluid intake is really important.
People seem to be pretty good at carrying around water these days, but when you’re distracted and have loads of other things on your mind it can be easy to forget. Try popping an ‘emergency’ bottle of water in your handbag/baby change bag every evening so that if you forget a fresh bottle in the morning you’ll have a backup.
We hope these tips can help you and your family to enjoy the sunshine and stay comfortable and safe this summer :)
