Beijing summers can get unforgivably hot. Thanks to that summer heat, when I was pregnant with my daughter, I had one of the scariest experiences of my life.
I was around seven months pregnant at the time. One morning while waiting for my Didi to work I started feeling light headed. I leaned a wall. It didn’t get better… I started to get more dizzy and sat down on a step. Then it hit me — nausea and sudden blindness. As if I was clicking the dimming button on a computer screen, my vision started going dark until I literally couldn’t see anything in front of me at all.
My first thought was to stay put. I was sitting close to the entrance of a compound, and there might be cars or things on the sidewalk that I could trip over. It was safer not to try to wander around blind. After a few terrifying minutes that felt like a lifetime, I started getting my vision back.
Then my Didi arrived, and I slowly got into my car. As soon as the cool AC hit my face, I started feeling better and called my hospital’s emergency line to ask what might have happened. According to my driver, “your face had no color when you got in.” Turns out, it was an unfortunate combination of low blood pressure and the intense summer heat.
Pregnant moms should try to take it easy and remember to stay hydrated. According to the American Heart Association, “If women are going to exercise outside for long periods of time, we recommend that they stay well hydrated, wear loose-fitting clothing and avoid high heat and humidity. Staying hydrated is one of the most important things.”
For new moms whose little ones are experiencing their first Beijing summer, there are a few things to keep in mind in addition to staying hydrated:
Mosquito repellents
Whether you use a spray, rubber band, sticker, or whatever new gadget just came on the market, keep these little f*ckers away from your baby. Mosquito bites disappear on me in a matter of hours, but on my daughter, they not only last for days, they’re so itchy that she scratches them at night and ends up with some pretty serious looking injuries and scars that’ll take months to go away. So load up on mosquito repellent and after-bite care kits.
Mosquito bites on babies are no joke
Sunblock
While we may not be a sunny island destination, the sun in Beijing is deceptively strong and will damage your skin. Always apply sunblock to your baby and yourself. As a reminder, sunblock should be re-applied every few hours for maximum protection.
Sun shade on a stroller
You’ve probably seen these around the city already; parents and ayis often cover their strollers with a thin sunshade to protect their babies while they’re out. This is a fantastic way to keep your baby protected, but never ever make the mistake of thinking that their favorite blanket can double for a sunshade while you’re out.
One mom on TikTok recently made a video showing us exactly why. On a hot 93 degree Fahrenheit day, the thermometer inside the stroller covered by a regular blanket went up to 103 degrees Fahrenheit in just 8 minutes. Moral of the video? Sunshades need to be thin and breathable. No blankets!
Avoid the hottest time of the day
Fresh air is great but try to stick to mornings and afternoons — avoid that noontime heat if you can. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggests parents avoid taking babies outside for long periods of time if the heat index is greater than 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Prolonged outdoor exposure on extremely hot days can cause babies to overheat quickly.
Stay hydrated
Make sure you always have water on hand for your baby, it’s as simple as that. Recently I found a cool product online that’s convenient to always have in your bag even if you forget to bring your baby’s water bottle. It’s a bottle top that can attach to any kind of bottled water.
Images: Mina Yan, Pexels
