Mamas in Hot Locations

I'm 32 weeks and 6 days pregnant today with my first baby and I live in Tucson, AZ.

I just got home from a walk and it was about 86 degrees outside. I am totally comfortable in that kind of heat because I live in AZ but It's only the end of February and it's already that hot.

The summers here are always sure to be +100's most days, except for when it's raining, thank god for monsoon season!

So as a first time mama I don't really know the rules about babies and temperature. What can you do with a baby when it's super hot outside? Do I need to pre AC my car before we go anywhere?

If I want to walk with her do I do it only early morning/evening when it's more towards the 80's or what?

Also, what is an okay age for a baby to go into a swimming pool? My best friend has a pool and lives only minutes away but I have no idea what is appropriate pool etiquette for babies...

ALSO, sorry, how do babies + sunscreen work?

Sorry so many questions! Thanks in advance for any responses.

I live in Kansas so we get the extremes of each season. The summers here reach the upper 90s with heat indexes in the 110s. Here is my advice:

Keep a towel in the car and throw it over the car seat (if you're using a convertible carseat) to keep it from getting hot and burning those poor chubby thighs.

My mother took me to a swimming class ("Diaper Dippers") at the Y when I was a mere 6 months old. I would ask your pediatrician for advice here.

Sunscreen is a no-no under 6 months old. Use a hat and those shirts that offer UV protection. Over 6 months of age, there are nifty little wipes that have sunscreen on them. In my opinion, they are overpriced and not worth it. Aveeno has a great sunscreen for babies (I still use it for my 4 year old).

Since it gets so hot in the summer, avoid the times of day where the sun is at it's peak and when the temperature reaches the high (11am-1pm and 3pm-5pm here in KS).

Here is a link to the AAP's website for summer safety:

http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/summerti ps.cfm

I forgot some things!

This one is a "well, duh!" one but it never hurts to mention it. DO NOT leave your baby in the car, even in mild weather. The temperature in cars rises very quickly and babies can be overcome by it in just a short amount of time. I would let the car cool down as often as you can before putting the baby in but if there's no time, just make sure you roll down the windows to let out all the trapped heat. I have driven my daughter around in a car without AC before and while it's not fun, she survived unscathed.

I'm not a huge fan of this article because it uses scare tactics but it does also have some good info in it regarding extreme temperatures in cars:

http://www.parenthood.com/article-topics/summ er_car_safety.html

Oh Bier, Thank you so much! That article did scare me, now I'm paranoid I'm gonna lock her in the car on accident! :-(

I'm not equipped to answer your question, but HI to a fellow resident of Tucson (: the fickle weather is hellish, isn't it?

Aatheri, unfortunately, you're now going to spend the rest of your life worrying about every little thing.  I know I do!

In the 4 1/2 years that I've been a parent, I've never forgotten that I have a child/children with me. And I have a horrible memory!