Although they are usually associated with the onset of menopause, hot flashes during pregnancy are quite common. Hot flashes are short periods when you experience intense heat and increased heart rate. Your face may become quite flushed and you may experience profuse sweating. If you are unfamiliar with this sensation, the experience can be rather frightening. One episode could last as long as five minutes, but they are usually less than a minute in duration. Some women do not experience hot flashes at all when they are pregnant and others have them all the time.

Experts suggest that hot flashes are caused by an increase in heat in the regulatory areas of the brain that control body temperature. One of the symptoms of pregnancy is an increase in the basal body temperature so it is only natural that you will go through hot flashes. Many things can trigger an episode, such as eating spicy foods. This is true even if these foods never bothered you before you became pregnant. Hot weather is another trigger that will make you feel warmer than normal and very uncomfortable. This is why many pregnant women find the summer months particularly trying when they are in the final trimester.

You don have to visit your doctor to get help for hot flashes when you are pregnant. There are natural ways of controlling this sensation and he/she will not likely prescribe any medication. They are often associated with lower than normal estrogen levels in the body. The best advice is to get to know the things that trigger your hot flashes and then avoid them as much as possible. The usual triggers include the following:

* Hot showers

* Drinking caffeinated drinks

* Consuming alcohol

* Smoking

* Becoming angry or stressed

* Hot drinks

Wearing loose clothing that gives your body room to breathe is another natural way of controlling your episodes of hot flashes. Another technique to reduce the discomfort is to take deep breaths from your abdomen and let the air out slowly through your nose. Taking walk can help to relieve the symptoms. Other treatments include swimming, taking cool baths and keeping cold water on hand for drinks when you need them.

While treatments for hot flashes do exist for menopausal women in the form of hormone therapy, this is not possible for a pregnant woman. When expectant mothers experience hot flashes the best remedy is to make changes in their lifestyle to help reduce the frequency and intensity of the episodes. During warm weather, having a fan close at hand or sitting near an open window with a wind blowing through will really give you comfort.

There is nothing to get concerned about when you do have hot flashes when you are pregnant. The episode may be embarrassing for you when you are in the company of others, but once you explain that you are expecting a baby, your friends will easily understand your situation. Some of them may have had the same experiences and may be able to offer you helpful advice.