Tanning While Pregnant

I was pregnant when I got married and there was nothing more I wanted than to be tan in my gown but I put my babies health before my own vanity. In hindsight, Im happy I made that choice. Besides your gonna get tan when you get there right? Thats if you can stand the sun.

I too was a big tanning salon fan and when I got pregnant I had the same question. I was told over and over that I should NOT tan while pregnant...reason...your body temperature rises quickly after tanning which in turns raises the baby's temperature too quickly. This is not good. I chose to just hold off while pregnant. I found a self tanner that works great...coppertone endless summer self tanning lotion...it has dual chambers that release together. It works great! Good Luck!

The reason your OB says not to is because when you tan, your body temp raises. When your body temp raises when you are pregnant, it can cause your baby's brain to not develop properly. This is also the reason you are not supposed to use a hot tub while pregnant. If your friends babyturned out fine, then she was lucky. It's just like smoking or drinking while pregnant. Sometimes the babies are fine, and others aren't so lucky.

I would say if the doctor recommended not to do it I wouldn't, You can always wear sunblock, to keep from burning.

to me, if my OB said no, it wouldn't matter what "other moms" have done. your baby is completely dependant on you to control his body temp and the tanning booth will raise your body temp. that's why hot baths and hottubs are off limits while pregnant as well. in addition, my general rule is if i'm not sure, i don't do it!

NO they are not safe. Get a fake tan or a spray tan. Why would you even question it if your OB says NO. YOu looking good is second to a healthy baby.

That would be a HUGE NO
It' is not safe. Who told you that? Your body temp would be too high and not safe for the baby.
When I was pregnant I hated the sun and it made me SO sick.
You are not just taking care of you, don't forget about that precious little life inside of you.
Enjoy your trip and put on the sun block

Best Wishes & a Great Trip
N.

(warning - you did say "I would appreciate any input that anyone can provide.")
Ok, let's get this straight. You're pregnant, and express concern about your baby. Well, look 20 years in the future, and decide if you'd like to be there for your children, perhaps graduations, perhaps weddings, perhaps grandchildren. Or not. Your choice.
Pre-tanning in a UV-bath = future not a priority for you, but must look good on vacation!
Using sunscreen judiciously when you know you're going to be exposed to the sun = important to you to protect your longevity and be there for your kids, and white is alright.
I lost my dad at age 19 to melanoma, after a twelve year remission (he was 44). He never made it to see graduations, my wedding, grandchildren, and the invaluable everyday stuff. Yeah, he was a baby boomer, the generation that thought 'the more sun, the better'. We don't live in that world anymore. Why not live safe and perhaps longer?
Then again, you never know - I lost my mom to a car accident. She lived safe, quit smoking, was a weight watchers success, but it was out of her hands. So maybe you should just go ahead with the 'live fast, die young' approach.
Hey, you know, smoking still makes you look really cool, too....

You know, I was questioning the same thing. I had been tanning and then found out I was pregnant. (I am about 8 weeks)I asked my OBGYN nurse if I would have caused any damage since I was tanning when I didnt know I was pregnant and she said it doesnt actually harm the baby, but they tell you not to go in case of dehydration due to the high temps. I havent gone as much since I found out I was pregnant, but occasionally because we are going to Disney World next week and I wanted to be somewhat tan. I had heard different things from different people as well, so I just used my own judgement. I would say as long as you arent in real long, and dont continue as you get farther in your pregnancy, you will be OK.

Tanning beds & hot tubs - big "NO's" during pregnancy. Both because of the rise in body temp as many of these posts indicated. Let alone the danger of skin cancer later in life. Not really even later in life - I work with a young woman (early 30s) who just had a malignant melanoma removed - her dermatologist said that they are seeing a huge increase in malignant melanomas in that age group primarily due to the use of tanning beds. So... Don't do it! For many many reasons!

Overheating of any kind is dangerous while you are pregnant, especially in this early time when the most primitave of features is developing in your baby. Be sure to use sunscreen if you do not want to burn, and to stay hydrated...drink lots of water. If you have received conflicting information, then it is good that you came here to ask. In my experience, a lot of doctors DON'T always know best (ask the last OB I told to go to hell). Tanning is a big no no for all of the reasons stated by the other moms. overheating your body for any reason is dangerous. Fever, overexertion, too much sun exposure, or even a too warm room can put unneeded strain onyour body. maybe your baby would be fine, but no one knows for sure and it's not worth the risk when the same agenda can be achieved by using sunscreen (use a high SPF level so that you don't have to use so much...the chemicals in sunscreen aren't that great either, but a much lesser evil than UV rays from tanning beds). Use a children's sunscreen with an SPF 30 or higher. The chemicals are more gentle. And drink lots of water.

I myself wouldnt do it. I cant see how that can be safe . Especially if you have talked to your OB and they said that you probably shouldnt.I wouldn't even question it. They know best. The tanning beds get too hot and that can elavate your body temp which is not good for the baby. There are so many lotions out there now that have soome color in them. Jergens , Aveeno there are a ton of them. I wouldnt even think about going in a tanning bed while I was pregnant. The baby comes 1st !

Tanning is off limits while pregnant. You get too hot and when you're pregnant you need to watch your body temp

No tanning for you. Spray on tan is also. There is hope though...you can use that Jergen's Healthy glow lotion. My midwife said that it's prefectly safe to use :)

Ok, so your Doctor says probably not, so I would say DO NOT tan. I too was a tanner and the minute I found out the place would not even let me go tanning. It is not good better to ba safe!! I am surprised that you would even question it.... Be safe for your baby's sake!
Have fun on vacation! :)

Just don't tan. Period. I'm 45, and I'm of a generation that went to the beach and slathered oil on ourselves. In a strange twist, I was lucky to have fair skin that burns. After one or two bad burns as a teenager, I vowed not to bother with trying to tan, because it wasn't worth the pain to me. I always kept covered, and slathered on sunblock when it first came onto the market. I still do so today, and at age 45, I've got better skin than all my friends who tanned all their lives. One friend in particular, now completely regrets all the tanning she did in her younger ears. I kid you not. She is 44 but looks as though she is well into her 50s because of all the sun damage to her skin.
Also, my mother-in-law was recently diagnosed with stage 2 melanoma, a very bad form of skin cancer. So that's made everyone in our family more conscious. And a dermatologist I know calls tanning salons "Cancer Retailers". Tanning beds give off the same damaging UVA/UVB rays that the sun does.
Use a sunless tanning lotion, wear sunblock and cover up. When you're in your 40s and still look young and beautiful, that's when you'll really glow!

hey S...i would not go into tanning beds being pregnant the high heat that the beds let off can harm the baby that's why they say not to go into hot tubs i would listen to your doctor on this one he has you and your baby's best interest at heart so for your baby's sake don't go to tanning beds.

i would not tanning booths get to warm and is to direct with the light, you actually may get dizzy and pass out.. The beach is more open and airy got your tan there.

i've also heard it NOT good to go to tanning booths while pregnant!.. i kno i would not for sure.... but then agn , last yr when we were in our honey moon down in VA. i was 8 months pregnant, and i could not just sit there on the sun.. it made me really sick!.. but ur not that far along yet, so u should be good for the sun!

No, it is not safe to tan while you're pregnant. Frankly, and I'm sure you know this, it is not safe to tan. (Sorry, I'm on a personal crusade against tanning, and skin is my professional field, but if you want some good information as to what happens when you tan and what the possible consequences are, the May issue of Allure magazine has a great set of articles. Not to mention that looking at how many crows' feet and whatnot Lindsay Lohan has on the cover at 20 or however old she is is a great object lesson in the idea that tanning is aging to the skin)

Get a spray tan or a sunless tan if you like some color, those are fine. I second the comments on tanning beds--they can be much too warm and elevate your core body temperature, which, especially in the early stages of pregnancy, is just asking for trouble. Also, since I see that this is not your first child, you should know that sunning will make any stretch marks you have from your first pregnancy stand out more than normal, since stretch marks cannot tan. Again, the spray tan is a good plan if you want to conceal stretch marks, it will help blend the colors together. Later in pregnancy, it is actually dangerous to the baby's developing eyes to get too much sun exposure, so if you must lay out, don't do it in a bikini!