Is it safe to tan while pregnant?

Question

Hi again, most of you probably remember me by now ha ha
Anyhow, I just want to see if anybody know for sure if it is safe or unsafe to tan OUTSIDE while you are 3 months pregnant and beyond. I could not resist that wonderful Florida sunshine and love being at the pool to relax... I cannot stand tanning booths and am not really a tanoholic.. but I tan quite easily and am out there almost everyday now, also to swim... but could I be harming my fetus this way? I do cool off a lot in the water and try to drink a lot of fluids while there. How many of you still tanned OUTSIDE while you were pregnant? Is 3 months too dangerous to be tanning? THANK YOU !!

To Zipps86: that was a funny comment there, but my husband is the black guy ha ha.

Answer 1

Use sunscreen when you are outside instead of tanning lotion. You are allowed to go out and be in the sun, just don't try to tan like you normally would. It's not good for your skin anyway. Luckily for you Florida is one of those places where you can be in the sun and use 30 or 45 SPF and still end up with a great glow on your skin and swimming is great exercise. Careful to keep your belly, hips and butt out of the sun though or stretch marks will get much darker and probably won't ever fade away. Might want to get a tankini with boy short bottoms. Talk to your obgyn and see what they think first though.

Answer 2

The only risk you take with tanning outside is the heat, that's all. So as long as you say you're hydrating and cooling off in the water, you're good! Just be sure to use sunblock too :-) You can be outside until the day before you deliver as long as you're safe... good luck and enjoy! I LOVE florida! Lived there for 3 years and couldn't get away from the beaches and the humidity was great for my skin!

Answer 3

If you're not feeling attractive during your pregnancy, the look of sun-kissed skin that a self-tanner provides can do wonders for your self-esteem. The good news is that the ingredients in self-tanners are harmless, so it's fine to use them during pregnancy. These lotions and sprays are basically dyes that stay on the surface of your skin and won't harm your developing baby. Best of all, self-tanners have improved dramatically during the last few years, so you don't have to worry about looking like an extra from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

Tanning beds are a different story.
There's no conclusive evidence that they're harmful to a developing fetus, but there is plenty of proof that they're dangerous to you. Tanning beds pose the same dangers as the sun: They emit ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which causes skin cancer. Don't believe anyone who tells you that because tanning booths emit only UVA rays they're not hazardous to your health. One study suggests that visiting a tanning booth ten times in a year can double your chances of develop melanoma — one of the most deadly types of cancer. Melanoma is the only type of cancer that spreads to the placenta, and that could be disastrous for both you and your baby.

If the threat of developing skin cancer doesn't frighten you, consider the possibility that lying in a tanning booth can raise your body temperature to a level that may be hazardous to your baby, particularly during your first trimester. Having an elevated body temperature during pregnancy — that is, above 102 degrees F. (which can happen in a tanning bed, hot tub, or sauna) — has been associated with spinal malformations in developing babies. And then there's the concern that lying on your back too long might restrict blood to your heart and thus to your baby as well. You'll know when this happens because you'll feel lightheaded.

Finally, yet one more downside to tanning: Pregnant women with sensitive skin who expose themselves to ultraviolet rays (whether from tanning beds or the sun), may be more prone to chloasma, those dark skin splotches that can appear on the face and occasionally the arms during pregnancy.

Answer 4

It is totally safe to tan outside while you are pregnant no matter whether you're 3 months along or 9 months along. I went to the beach and the pool all summer long with both pregnancies. Just as long as you don't get overheated, you'll be fine and you did say you wuold drink lots of water. There is no harm from the sun at all to your fetus.

Answer 5

I would a least use a low spf for protection. If you tan easily then it should not be a problem because you will still tan through. Just be careful like you said about overheating and drink lots of fluids.

Answer 6

Some outside tanning is ok because it is natural sun. Don't use a tanning bed at all and don't become overheated. Remember when you tan, you remove some elastin from the skin. This will increase your chances of getting stretch marks!!!

Answer 7

Tanning is never safe. The presence of a tan is an indicator of injury to the skin. However, tanning is unsafe due to the risk of skin cancer. I don't think there is anything out there that says there is a direct risk to the fetus from tanning.

Answer 8

Try not to stay in the direct sun's rays more than an hour a day. Drink lots of water and have fun - it won't hurt your baby, but you might get skin cancer down the road if you get too much sun!!

Answer 9

It's safe, but use sunblock.
don't get overheated, it's the same has taking a hot bath during pregnancy. They tell you not to take too hot of baths because of risk of overheating the womb which can cause problems with the baby.
Keep your body temp down and stay hydrated and use sunblock and everything should be just fine!!!

Answer 10

Actually you might need the Vitamin D, childhood rickets is going up because of sun-fearers. Plus the pool can help ease siatic/sciatic nerve pain. Just keep cool, sounds like you are.