Women who are pregnant “really need to focus on” on getting enough to drink, a consultant obstetrician has said. 

Professor Shane Higgins said pregnant women are quite often “intolerant of heat anyway” because of the extra work their body is doing. 

“Their basal metabolic rate has increased,” he explained on Lunchtime Live. 

“Which means they're burning more fuel, they're producing heat as a byproduct and they feel warm most of the time. 

“So for them, this isn't the ideal weather.”

Despite this, Professor Higgins added that there are not an “enormous amount of precautions” they need to take. 

“Obviously, as with all people in the sun, sunscreen is very important and a high UV protection,” he said. 

“Hydration is probably the most important feature, because women who are pregnant tend to become dehydrated more easily anyway because of that loss of fluid through insensible loss. 

“I encourage my patients to drink three and a half to four litres of fluid a day.

“In weather like this, they really need to focus on it.”

Main image: A pregnant woman. Picture by: Lorna Rande/Design Pics via ZUMA Wire.