“What Is An OK Temperature For The Hot Tub During Pregnancy?”

What Is An OK Temperature For The Hot Tub During Pregnancy?

While you may associate a hot tub or sauna with relaxation normally, a hot tub is not necessarily a good idea during pregnancy. Pregnant women should avoid allowing their core body temperature to raise above 102 degrees during pregnancy for more than a few minutes. Too much exposure to excessive heat can result in serious problems in a developing fetus.

Most women prefer to simply stay away from the hot tub just to be safe during pregnancy. You can as an alternative enjoy a warm bath, just be sure your bath isn’t too warm. You can also dip your feet in the hot tub. If you do decide to pop into a hot tub, follow some safety precautions:

•  Be sure the water temperature is not too hot.
•  Make sure you limit the time you spend in the tub to 10 minutes.
•  Get out immediately if you become too hot or dizzy.
•  Keep your upper body including your arms out of the water to help your body maintain a safe temperature.
•  Consider taking your temperature while in the tub and get out if your temperature rises more than one degree.
•  Avoid the hot tub during the earliest months of pregnancy when the risk for birth defects is greatest.
•  Consider just dipping your feet in the hot tub.

Other Means of Relaxing During Pregnancy
There are fortunately several other ways you can enjoy a stress free pregnancy. If you find your muscles and joints are stiff during pregnancy, you should take advantage of a relaxing prenatal massage as an alternative to the hot tub during pregnancy.

Other women find prenatal yoga or pilates is helpful for eliminating leg cramps and backaches during pregnancy.

You can also use a pregnancy pillow while sleeping at night to help improve your comfort and promote an anxiety free night’s sleep. Examples of good quality pregnancy pillows including Snoozer Pregnancy and Body Pillows. They help lend extra support where you need it most during pregnancy.

Still another great idea is the occasional pedicure during pregnancy. This is often my favorite treat during pregnancy. You can usually get a pedicure rather inexpensively. If you don’t want to pay for one, ask your husband, sister or a close friend to help you out with one. Most people are more than happy to indulge the simple request of a pregnant friend. Just be weary of rubbing your ankles and feet too vigorously.

There are pressure points located in the ankle and calf that help stimulate uterine contractions. While this may be beneficial if you are in the last couple of weeks of your pregnancy, you certainly don’t want to start any preterm labor contractions earlier in your pregnancy.

Make sure you are also getting as much sleep as you can during pregnancy. While this does get more challenging toward the end of your pregnancy, you’ll find you are much more relaxed and much less stressed when you get enough sleep. If you can try taking a cat nap of no more than 15 minutes once or twice during the day. Even taking some time out to simply close your eyes and rest your head can result in a dramatic improvement in your overall health and well being.