Your belly feels as if it couldn't possibly stretch any further as sticky heat envelops you and sweat rolls across your expanding frame. Welcome to pregnancy during the summer months. Being pregnant when the reading on the thermometer crawls skyward can be rough and draining – and it also requires some preparation for your own comfort and health.

Andrea Cousens, a mother of two from San Mateo, Calif., understands the challenges of trying to stay cool during the summer. "My second son was born in late July, so I definitely had to deal with the hot summer months," she says.

Cousens found wearing lots of lightweight, cotton clothing – including tank tops, skirts and flip flops – were musts. "It was great to have a small wading pool in the backyard just to stick my feet in the cold water while my other son played," she says. "And lots of sunblock was important, because I've read that women can sunburn more easily while pregnant."

When she could, Cousens tried to stay in air-conditioned places such as the movie theater or the mall. "They're good places to go if you can avoid spending too much money!" she says. "Also, I would freeze half a bottle of water overnight. Before I went out for the day, I'd fill the other half with water and the ice would keep the bottle cold for a couple of hours. It's always good to have cold water on hand."

It may sound simple, but in reality, staying cool can be difficult for pregnant women. "You're carrying extra weight, your blood volume has increased, basal metabolic rate is higher and you may have some shortness of breath," says Barbara Dehn, the author of a variety of guides on pregnancy, fertility and menopause at Blue Orchard Press and a nurse practitioner at Women Physicians OB/GYN Medical Group in Mountain View, Calif.

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