Is It Safe to Sit In a Hot Tub When Pregnant?

Pregnancy can be a time of considerable physical discomfort for women. It results in limited range of movement, limited positions where you can find comfort, sore muscles, and often an aching back. The hot tub is one of the most popular ways of de-stressing and soothing those aching muscles. However due to the increased risk of birth defects, pregnant women and hot tubs should not mix without understanding important considerations.

Significance

The problem for pregnant women in hot tubs comes from hyperthermia. Most hot tubs have a default temperature of 104 degrees F. Just 10 minutes in hot water is enough to raise your body temperature to 102. The problem is that a woman's body needs to stay below 101 degrees during her pregnancy for the protection of the baby. All is not lost, however. There are options for women who want to relax safely.

Potential

Take a bath. It is a much safer way to relax than a hot tub, so long as the water is not scalding or uncomfortable. Furthermore your upper body will likely remain out of the water, and will be less susceptible to overheating. Where a hot tub will maintain its temperature, increasing the risk of hyperthermia, a bath loses heat from the moment the water is drawn.

Potential

If that is just not going to do it for you, there are still some options for using a hot tub safely during your pregnancy. The thing to keep in mind is your body temperature. It's not the hot tub, but the increased temperature that you have to watch out for.

Potential

One option available on some hot tubs is to lower the temperature of the water. Better for it to be a warm tub than a hot tub, and you will still get the benefits of near weightlessness, and the massaging action of the jets. When you turn the water temperature down, remember that it will take time for the water to lose its heat. Use a pool thermometer to determine when it is safe to enter.

Potential

Use a human thermometer to keep track of your body temperature. This is a must. Once again, the issue is not the piece of equipment but the resulting hyperthermia. Take your temperature constantly while in the hot tub, if you choose to use it.

Expert Insight

Pay attention to the signs of overheating, such as sweating. While sweating is normal in pregnancy, the sort of sweating that comes from a hot tub is easily discernible. If you are uncomfortable, or sweating, get out of the water.

Expert Insight

Limit your hot tub time to less than 10 minutes. As much as you may be tempted to have a nap for half an hour in the hot tub, pregnancy demands a more selfless approach to your hot tub enjoyment. Most importantly, when pregnant, or considering pregnancy, or know someone who is, will be, or ever has been pregnant, when using a hot tub, remember it is shallow, so it is wise not to attempt to dive into a hot tub. In fact, cannonballs are right out as well. Remember who the grown up is and use the hot tub responsibly.