Can you have hot baths whilst pregnant?

Question

Hello everyone,

I read somewhere that it was risky to have a hot bath during pregnancy or saunas etc....

does anyone know if this is true as I love my hot baths!!!!?

Many thanks,

Sophia

Answer 1

I love baths too!! I read you should avoid them during the 1st trimester due to the increased risk of miscarriage.
Even after that if you decide to take them you should make sure that the temperature is not higher than 100 degrees. You have to realize that you are able to sweat to cool off, baby can not sweat. When the amniotic fluid gets hot, baby gets hot too.
So enjoy your bath but a good rule of thumb is, if you put your foot in and its a bit too hot to step into ,wait for it to cool down and then enjoy.

Answer 2

I was advised by the midwife that hot baths,as in very hot baths, aren't good for the baby, which I feel makes sense. To be on the safe side I think sitting in warm baths would be playing it safer as your baby won't be able to tell you he or she is uncomfortable or in pain if the water is hot. How about hot showers?
Saunas would be out, too.
I had to give up quite a few things while pregnant, but it is only for 9 months, and when your baby finally arrives you can have some wonderful hot, hot baths, saunas etc.
All the very best with your pregnancy.

Answer 3

File under "theoretical risk you may or may not want to pay attention to."

I think the risks of a normal hot bath -- not a big soak in a hot tub, but just the sort of bath one has routinely -- are, well, non-existent. You're not using steaming-hot water that's making your skin pink and staying in for a half hour (while adding more hot water to keep the temperature up), right?

Even given the "fever causes problems, so, uh, getting hot might cause problems," it still sounds ridiculous to me to think that a plain old bath poses any problem. Of all the things you can guarantee that pregnant women have been doing for thousands of years...!

Anyway. There is no such thing as a risk-free pregnancy, and given how many everyday things are now labelled as theoretically risky -- do your own thinking on them.


"HOT TUBS AND SAUNAS -- While there's evidence that a high fever -- more than 101 degrees Fahrenheit -- that lasts longer than 24 hours can sometimes induce spinal birth defects, no research has linked saunas and hot tubs with a greater risk. Again, common sense advocates avoiding these things once you know you're pregnant. But there's no reason to panic over a soak in the Jacuzzi."

http://www.yourbabytoday.com/giantfood/pregnancy/preg_prenatal/postconception.html

"Women were twice as likely to suffer miscarriages if they took dips in hot tubs during the first 10 weeks of pregnancy, a survey of San Francisco-area women found.

The findings don't definitively link hot tub use to miscarriages. Instead, they only imply some sort of connection exists...

Researchers do know, however, that high body temperatures caused by fever can lead to birth defects, especially those that prevent the skull or spinal cord from forming properly."

http://www.rhtubs.com/pregnancy.htm

"If you use a hot tub or sauna during pregnancy, be conservative. Avoid uncomfortably high temperatures, and limit your exposure. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists suggest sauna use of no more than 15 minutes and hot tub use of no more than 10 minutes. To help keep your body temperature down in a hot tub, sit with your arms and upper torso above the water."

http://health.yahoo.com/ency/healthwise/tn9082

Answer 4

I love hot baths. A warm bath is fine, just dont let the water get hot enough to make you sweat or steam. You dont want to submerge your body to raise your body temp.
NOOOO saunas or hot tubs, very bad for baby!

Enjoy your soak, but just think like this. At the temp you like it, would you put a 6 month old in their with you?? If not then Id cool it down. Bring some cold water to drink in with you.

Answer 5

hot as in hot tub-hot can cause some birth defects. I love my baths too, so I asked my doctor and he told me that as long as you keep the temp between 103 and 104 degrees f, and dont soak too long, you will be fine. He also told me that the average water heater in a home only goes up to 110, and most people mix with at least some cold water. I also got one of those baby bath temp rubber ducks. They will tell you if the water gets too hot, and are ste for 103-104 as well. I reccomend having one, you'll need one later when the baby comes anyways, and you will know what temp is okay for your bath.

Answer 6

Just make sure your bath is not too hot. It can make your body temp go up which is not good for the baby. I would stay away from saunas. They can not only make your body temp go up but they are a breeding ground for germs. Being in a sauna could possibly cause a yeast infection.

Answer 7

You should give up your hot baths whilst your pregnant it can be dangerous, but you can have a juccuzzi as long as the current is'nt to strong just on a low setting if you have a mat that goes into your bath tub.

Answer 8

Warm yes, hot no. It can affect the ability of the cells to divide properly if mum gets to hot (as she would in a v. hot bath). Its much the same as having a fever in effect.

Answer 9

You can have hot baths as long as thier not scorching hot and i wouldnt reccomend going to a sauna dont kw why. You shud see ur midwife and ask her

Answer 10

it is not recommended that you take a hot bath, go into a hot tub or a sauna while pregnant because it can raise your core body temperture which is not good for the baby you are carrying. i love my baths too but while i am pregnant i just make sure that the water is not too hot. if it makes you sweat or feel too warm then the water is too warm. good luck to you.