It was a nice summer day in June—hot, but that’s to be expected—and my nieces were in town, so we were planning to go to the waterpark. It felt normal to check the weather app on my phone, but something new for me was also checking the air quality. I was pregnant at the time, which meant I was more vulnerable to heat and air pollution. That particular day the AQI (air quality index) where I live was dangerous because of smoke that came from hundreds of wildfires burning across Canada. While I wanted nothing more than to spend the day relaxing by a pool with the kids, I had to make the best decision for my health, and the health of my baby, and stay home.
For me, I had an easy choice—a few hours of recreation or my health? Simple. But for many pregnant people, these decisions are not easy. For example, many pregnant farmworkers must go to work when it is dangerously hot outside and wildfire smoke makes the air even more dangerous to breathe. And not everyone has reliable access to affordable, cool, and safe indoor spaces.
Danger Season is twice as dangerous this year
Danger Season, the months of May through October when extreme heat, hurricanes, wildfires, and flooding converge, presents more challenges for sensitive populations, including pregnant people. During the pregnancy, postpartum, and nursing periods, people are at an increased risk of adverse health effects to certain weather and environmental conditions (see more below on vulnerability). Climate change makes people even more vulnerable because events like wildfires and extreme heat are linked to health issues like anemia and preeclampsia for pregnant people and low birth weight for their babies.
The UCS Danger Season map shows where there are active heat, storm, flood, wildfire, and air quality alerts and tracks the percentage of the US population exposed to these hazards daily. This tool provides a snapshot of areas at risk on a given day. May, the first month of Danger Season, just ended and 69 percent of people living in the US have already been under at least one warning for weather extremes.
This year it is especially important for each of us and our families to be prepared because President Trump is making Danger Season worse. Every pregnant person deserves access to the best medical care and information, and politicians who continue to roll back reproductive care and research are making pregnancy less safe and putting peoples’ lives needlessly at risk.
Here are a few things you can do to make sure that you, or the pregnant folks you know, are prepared to be safe this Danger Season:
Understand the risks
The weather where I live—and in most places around the US—is not the same as it was when I grew up. Specifically, and unfortunately, my city has more frequent tornadoes and more dangerously hot days before and after summer (note that Danger Season includes spring, summer, and fall). With these changes happening across the US, it’s vital for people who are pregnant to understand the health risks of climate-fueled extremes.
Heat can be deadly
Heat is the leading weather-related cause of death and must be taken seriously. A new report by Climate Central summarizes the risks of heat to pregnant people:
“Extreme heat poses dangerous risks to global maternal health and birth outcomes. During pregnancy, heat exposure has been linked to higher risks of complications like hypertension, gestational diabetes, maternal hospitalizations, and severe maternal morbidity. It’s also associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes such as stillbirth and preterm birth (before 37 weeks), the latter of which can have lasting health effects on the baby. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, even a single day of extreme heat exposure during pregnancy can increase the risk of complications.”
The report finds that “pregnancy heat-risk days” have increased due to climate change across the globe, putting more people at risk. Places across the US are expected to experience more frequent extreme heat days due to climate change. Use the UCS Killer Heat tool to see projections for extreme heat where you live so you can be prepared now and in the coming years.
Moreover, not only did higher rates of preterm births occur during higher temperatures, but the risk for Black mothers “was 2.5 times higher than for white populations,” according to researcher Dr. Rupa Basu. In our warming world, there is a desperate need for health professionals and policymakers to act on the best available science, with attention to racial disparities, to keep people and their babies safe.
If you’re pregnant or in a high risk category, make it a daily habit to check the National Weather Service (NWS) HeatRisk map. It is critical for folks to talk to their doctor about staying safe from the heat because there are many underlying conditions and medications that could make someone more vulnerable to heat illness.
People can be at risk of heat illness at lower temperatures if they’re exerting themselves working or exercising, and/or if they’re wearing equipment like personal protective gear. Be aware of how to stay cool on dangerously hot days, and know where you can go to access safe air conditioning if it is not available where you live—whether that is a family or friend’s house, a library, or cooling center.
Check the Air Quality Index (AQI)
Everyone, but especially pregnant folks, will want to get familiar with the AQI—the Environmental Protection Agency’s index for reporting air quality—and what the different color categories mean. They range from green (good) to maroon (hazardous) and represent different values from 0 to 500. Any other color besides green (0-50) means that you may need to take precautions based on your individual health risks. When the AQI is yellow, (values from 51-100) and of “moderate” concern, some pregnant people may need to limit their time outdoors. Red, purple, and maroon air quality categories are concerning for the public—meaning we all should take actions to be safe.
Make it a daily habit to check the AQI. Click here for the AirNow webpage and type in your zip code. I bookmarked this website on my phone so I could easily access it and check the AQI each day. You can also subscribe for email alerts. Talk to your doctor or a trusted health professional about your personal risk and what you may need to do at different levels of concern.
Wildfire smoke
It’s the first week of June and we’re seeing the first widespread air quality alerts this Danger Season in the US from Minnesota to Florida due to wildfires burning in Canada.
I had no idea that wildfire smoke from thousands of miles away could affect the air quality where I live. I know I’m not the only one who wasn’t aware of this information.
“I’ve realized how little information I received about the impacts of wildfire smoke on me or my baby. The smoke index, the air quality index. I didn’t know what that was. I didn’t know how to read it,” Sarah Johnson, a nurse, said in News Lines Magazine.
Wildfire smoke can be associated with preterm birth, which presents risks to both parent and child. It is important for people who are pregnant and their health care professionals to better understand the risks of wildfire smoke so that they can work together for the best health outcome. Like the AQI, it’s a good idea to get in the habit of checking the smoke risk from wildfires. You can go to the AirNow Fire and Smoke Map, insert your location, and check to see if there are any wildfire risks or air quality alerts near you.
Hurricanes and flooding
Studies find that flooding increases the likelihood of preterm birth and low birth rate, and “one 2008 study looking at pre-term birth following Hurricane Katrina concluded that a flood had caused around a 230% increase in pre-term births.” Pregnant people need to be sure to plan for disasters, like hurricanes and tornadoes, to be safe during and after the event.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends asking your doctor how and where you can access medical care in an emergency, and to make an emergency kit. Flood waters can contain harmful bacteria and chemicals, so it is important to avoid contaminated waters if possible, which can be difficult during an emergency flood situation. The CDC also acknowledges the impact of emergency situations on people’s mental health and how pregnant people may be at risk of delivering the baby too early under stress. Taking care of your mental health is as important as your physical health.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is forecasting an above-average 2025 hurricane season, with 13 to 19 named storms—6 to 10 of which could become hurricanes, with 3 to 5 of those being major (Category 3-5). At the same time, President Trump has cut critical staff and funding to the federal agencies that keep us safe before, during, and after disasters. This Danger Season is doubly dangerous because the Trump administration is putting the lives and safety of people at risk to save a buck.
Here are some more tips for preparing for disasters while pregnant or in the postpartum period.
What you can do
During Danger Season, it is possible that many of these hazards will occur at once. For example, a hurricane could knock out power during the summer when it is dangerously hot. It will be vital to be prepared for the storm and to find safe, cool shelter from the heat. I hope that understanding the possible health impacts will help you feel empowered to plan for scenarios that may put you at risk so that you can be healthy and safe.
Make a plan
Talk to your doctor, your community, friends, and loved ones to identify the potential risks during your pregnancy and how you can stay safe. Plan for scenarios at home and work that may put your health and well-being at risk.
Advocate for protections
Y’all, pregnant people have enough to deal with! We need our elected officials to make it easier to stay safe during Danger Season, which is now doubly dangerous. Here are a few things you can ask your elected officials to do:
• Ensure that pregnant people are considered in local preparedness and emergency planning
• Stop utilities from disconnecting lifesaving access to power in general but especially when it is extremely hot or cold
• Ensure there are cooling or warming centers that are safe and accessible during extreme weather
• Listen to the best available science to protect pregnant folks from extreme weather and climate change, including equitable and just access to reproductive care
Take care of yourself
You matter, pregnancy is hard, and you’ve got this. People said this to me all the time, and even though sometimes I rolled my eyes… sometimes I really needed that bit of encouragement. When the presidential administration is hellbent on making us all less safe, we must support and lean on each other. If you don’t have a strong support system yet, reach out to folks who can be there for you—a local parents’ group, a faith group, birthing class, or other creative ideas to connect with people.
A note on vulnerability
When I was searching for a definition of vulnerability to help explain what it means for pregnant people, I found this comprehensive definition and analysis of vulnerabilities in pregnancy:
“For maternal health, this translates to inherent physical and physiological changes that make women’s bodies susceptible to certain health conditions (e.g., anaemia, gestational diabetes), the emotional and psychological challenges associated with pregnancy and transition to motherhood (e.g., anxiety, depression), and limited access to healthcare, education, and economic resources (e.g., among socially marginalised populations). This is in combination with a lack of appropriate strategies to mitigate the risk of adverse outcomes, including severe morbidities and death.”
I share this broader definition because there are so many socioeconomic and political factors in addition to climate change and extreme weather that put pregnant people at increased risk. Just because I’m talking about a few of the risks from weather-related events in this post it doesn’t mean there aren’t other factors that must be understood and addressed at the same time—like racism.
It is enraging and heartbreaking for me to know that the year I was pregnant “Black women in the US died at a rate nearly 3.5 times higher than white women around the time of childbirth.” And the mortality rate for Indigenous, Native American, and Alaskan Native people is rising. Overall, “The US maternal mortality rate continues to far exceed those of other high-income nations, despite a decline since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Furthermore, 80% of those deaths should have been preventable. This is morally unacceptable and our elected leaders across every level of government should be doing everything possible to ensure that no one dies from pregnancy and childbirth when it can be readily prevented, period. And, when working on intersectional policy issues—like disaster preparedness and response—leaders must do everything in their power to address racial inequities and center the most marginalized, vulnerable, and sensitive populations.
My hope with this blog post is that you will learn something new that will help keep you or someone you love safe. I am not a doctor, and this is not a complete list. Please talk about any concerns or questions you have with your doctor, midwife, doula, or trusted health professional, and work with them to make plans that are best for your health and well-being.