Hot Baths While Pregnant?

Well my OB ( he was really lax) said I could get in a hot tub for a few minutes ( until I felt hot) but I didn't chance it.. and I LOVE HOT HOT Baths.. I just felt like I could wait until he was born- Now I love em- and I don't feel like a whale.
Hope you find the answer you want
L

Looks like you already got the info you wanted, but I'd just add that we have a hot tub and my OB said to keep it at 100* or lower and it would be fine. He said hot baths are not a problem at all since they don't stay that hot in the long term, they slowly cool off.

Homeostasis.

That would be the process in which our body keeps everything *essentially* the same, from our blood, to the chemical maelstrom , to O2 levels, to our temp.

It burns more calories for our body to cool us down (hence why you'll see people running in garbage bags), than it does to warm us up (not including fevers, or hypothermic conditions in cold weather). But burn them our body does, and out temp stays essentially the same (between 97 & 99). Yay for warmbloodedness.

Your baby not only has your own body maintaining homeostasis, but it's got several walls of insulation, plus that whole swimming pool of amniotic fluid. They quite literally have a thermos within a thermos.

The point of this? Hot baths are FINE. Great even, for relaxing sore muscles. Even hottubs are fine BUT with hottubs you have to be careful, because they don't cool down as you're in them like baths do. But you can still hottub...you just have to get out a lot sooner than you otherwise would (you'll WANT to, to...if you start feeling dizzy...you should have gotten out 5 min before...because your body has to work extra hard to maintain homeostasis. But maintain it it will, to a point. That dizziness is the point wherein your body has started to LOSE it's grip on homeostasis.)

So you've got homeostasis, and that amazing babygrowing chamber that protects it from the world on your side. You've also got this:

Women have been carrying healthy, happy babies to term in deserts and jungles around the world for millennium, and still do. Where the temp is over 100 degrees every day. In some times/places over 115. Temp your bath next time you take one. Is it over 115? probably to start out with, but 115 is the temp bath water usually hangs out in for the majority of the time. About 110 and most of us get out. (110 is also the perfect temp for kids hot chocolate) And do you stay in 115 degree water for 12 hours? No? You should be fine.

Just listen to your body. If it feels good, have at...if you feel lousy/sweaty/dizzy or otherwise bad, it's telling you you're working to hard. You may also try taking a glass of ice water in with you, to stay hydrated (hydration = easier to maintain homeostasis)

So take those warm baths. It's not like your wee one is going to get soap in their eyes, it's a sealed system, after all. :)

Just be reasonable and use some common sense. Just leave the temp a little lower than "turning your skin pink" and keep the bath-time at a reasonable length and you'll be fine. You don't have to almost scald yourself to warm up!

I would ask doctor prior to having any more baths that hot!

I know when I was pregnant I was told no hot tubbing.
And you baths sound to be pretty warm.

Delicious, but warm!!

Good luck!

M. Hawkins, LAc
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I can't live without hot baths, but did so during pregnancy. You can't take hot baths because it raises the baby's temperature to a harmful and, most importantly, sometimes lethal temperature.

I had to throw in my 2 cents - the most recent research suggests that heat can be really destructive to a growing fetus. For exercise purposes the mother is supposed to keep her body temp down (even more than her heart rate, perceived exertion, weight lifting, etc). For this reason, hot baths CAN be really destructive. Pregnant women are advised not to use hot tubs or take hot baths (warm baths are ok).

However, the recommendation is to stop the activity if the mom's body temp raises one degree. Therefore, you could take a hot bath for a short amount of time, or a warm bath for a longer amount of time. And if you want to be both careful and indulge, you could keep track of your body temp. (Athletes use an anal probe for this, but a regular thermometer would be better than nothing, i assume.)

I'm with the go ahead and have a hot bath crowd. 20 years, so far, of studying midwifery, working with home birth, and raising my own daughters--all of whom were in utero while I was in hot baths and hot tubs, with my midwives' permission. No damage.

The truth is, as someone said below, our bodies maintain homeostasis, and the baby is in a well-insulated chamber that provides the best possible continual balance of nourishment and temperature, among other things. Nothing much changes in there, unless you really drive your body temperature up--beyond what a low-grade fever would be. You don't harm your baby by getting the flu, and you don't harm your baby by getting a little warmer than usual.

What feels so great about a hot bath or a hot tub is that our skin, the outer layer of our body, is generally cooler than the inside of our body, and has nerve endings to deliver sensation to the inside. So that initial feeling of "Ahhhh!" when you get into the tub is from your skin--doesn't matter if it's pink, it's not coming from your baby getting too hot. Several minutes in, the skin is now thoroughly warm, and the muscle and fat layer underneath is experiencing some of that warmth. It would take quite a bit more to significantly increase the temperature of your amniotic fluid.

What I was told, and then noticed each time I went through pregnancy, was that, as the pregnancy progresses, and the baby is perhaps more exposed to the heat as the belly protrudes more and more, our own bodies will react more quickly--and it may become uncomfortable more quickly. I am someone who regularly went in a 110 degree hot tub more than once a week and would power through many minutes, submerging my head for maximum effect, when not pregnant. When I WAS pregnant, I not only didn't feel as attracted to that very hot water, but as my pregnancy moved into it's later stages, I found myself noticing that I felt like getting out sooner and sooner. If you just follow your own body's signals, you will be absolutely fine.

P.S. All three of my children were born after a labor spent mostly in a large tub of very warm water--and the second and third were born into the water itself. It's all a good thing!

-- I took long, warm/hot soaking baths through all 3 of my pregnancies -- I do remember cutting them off at the later stage of my 3rd - and HATING having to do so--- -- but I tried really hard to ''follow directions'' and since I'd almost miscarried that 3rd pregnancy in the 2nd trimester- I obeyed. Unless you get direct orders from your ob -- I'd enjoy 'em--

Blessings,
Old Mom
aka- J.

Hot baths and hot tubs, etc. are a no-no. These things raise your body temperature, and also the temp of your fetus. It can be dangerous, and in my opinion not worth it. This was told to me by my midwife when I asked the same question.

I had to turn the level of heat down when pregnant. I too like a good hot bath so I can understand. My body seemed to stay warmer when I was pregnant so I didn't need to run the water as warm anyway. Check with your doctor on the recommended bath temp and stick to it. It might mean more shorter baths than one long one but much safer for both of you.

Heat raises the chances of serious and specific types of damage. It is a chance I would not knowingly take. Extra heat in the house and a nice fuzzy warm bathrobe were both costs I considered medically necessary at different times ... certainly when the baby is outside of you, you will spend extra money to keep them at a healthy temperature (raise the thermostat, buy fuzzy jammies ... consider cosleeping, if you swing that way ;) ...), so just mentally start that "cost of raising a child" tickertape now :).

I know there is NOTHING like water, but I agree that this would be a danger. And that you should ask a pregnancy specialist (the midwives also know this--word up for the midwifery community ;)! ) for specific advice ;).

On the other hand, I had an incredible fever for nearly a week during the first month of my first pregnancy (didn't know I was pregnant, so I let it take its course), and that baby seems to be doing pretty well (she's almost 9 now :) ). Just so that any moms who are reading this in horror at what they may already have done, can know that the heat thing is not a "for sure."

I've taken hot baths while pregnant, I just limit the time I'm in there. 10-15 minutes is plenty of time to enjoy it and then start washing off and cooling down. If I am sweating or feeling really hot, I am assuming I am getting too warm. If the water is just super warm, I just enjoy myself and not worry about it as the water cools down especially in winter.

My last pregnancy I had a case of hemorrhoids that were really bad. I had to hop into a hot bath after every trip to the bathroom to clean up and get some relief. My midwife had no problem with that! Plus, those were short baths too since they were frequent.

I was informed by my doctor and midwife that taking hot baths while pregnancy was not advisable. You don't want to do anything to overheat your body. Too extreme for the baby. Something I did though that might help you out, would be when you are taking a bath, make it warm. Take a washcloth and place it over your belly (which is always what gets cold on me first) and keep placing warm water from a cup on it. If the water starts to get too cold, just run a little bit of hot water at your feet. This will help for a bit. Believe me, I'm there with you. I love those scorchers that leave your body feeling a bit like a lobster. They definitely relax the body, but I'm willing to make a bit of a sacrifice for my wee one. ;) Hope this helps!

Hot bath are not o.k. while pregnant. You could damage the fetus. Do you really want to risk your babies health or possible adle the baby's brain just to get warm? :) Snuggle with your husband for some body heat instead. One winter of baths to miss is only the beginning of all the simple self-indulgent pleasures you will lose as a mother of two and it is not that big of a sacrifice. You'd better get used to giving baths up anyway because after you have the second baby sorry to say that you won't have that much time to be sitting around in a tub. (Two babies are A LOT OF WORK but OH SO WONDERFUL too.) GOOD LUCK

Hey I just had to tell you that with my last two pregnancies I ALWAYS took long, hot baths!! It was my favorite way to relax! My doctor said you just have to listen to your body and if you start to feel overheated ( and everyone knows what that feels like) then get out or cool down the bath. My babies are Perfectly healthy! :)

You are asking a medical question. You should direct this question to your OB. They can explain the risks of hot baths and pregnancy

Hi N.,
not sure what they say now but when I was pregnant, 11 years ago, I was told no hot tubs and no hot baths....only warm. As they put it to me, I can escape the heat but the baby cannot. Better ask your pediatrician that question.

what i've seen recommended is that you don't take a bath so hot that it increases your body temperature. if you raise your body temperature you risk damaging the baby.

http://www.babycenter.com/406_is-it-safe-to-take-hot-bath...