The bath has long been considered a luxurious pregnancy ritual for centuries — from the mikvah to the water birth. But all a nervous mama-to-be will read on Google is everything that could possibly go wrong!
The truth is, taking a bath is a totally safe preggo activity with incredible benefits like easing pregnancy aches and pains (hello, lower back and round ligament pain), reconnecting with your growing babe, and enjoying a few minutes of much-needed “me” time.
“There is zero harm in taking a bath,” says Dr. Shieva Ghofrany, an OBGYN based in Stamford, CT. “What women actually need to avoid is a hot tub or anything that’s elevating their core temperature. The minute you get into a regular bathtub, the temperature is getting incrementally cooler every millisecond, and so your core body temperature will not rise, and therefore you’re totally safe.”
So take that bath, mama, and enjoy it! But if you want more information on how to make it super duper, fool-proof pregnancy-safe, read on for some tips and tricks and make your bath experience a luxuriously happy one.
Watch the Temp.
The number one thing to be conscious about when soaking in a preggo bath is that the water temperature is safe, even in the first trimester. Don’t make the water too hot (i.e., stick to 99 degrees or lower, which means your skin shouldn’t turn red at the touch). If that’s too vague for you, get a bath thermometer to put you at ease that you’ll use with babe later.
Ninety-nine degrees Fahrenheit is a safe rule of thumb for a healthy pregnancy bath water temperature because it provides a little bit of a buffer. The absolute max temperature that your bath could be at before being a potential risk for your pregnancy health is 102 degrees Fahrenheit.
When water exceeds 102 degrees, this strong heat can raise your core internal temperature, which can become unsafe for growing babies in bellies. While this means that you likely can’t use hot tubs or jacuzzis while pregnant (or saunas), water wellness can still be part of your self-care routine.
Enjoy an at-home relaxation period in your bathtub — besides getting to pick the Epsom salt bath combo you prefer, you can have full control over the temperature of the water. A hot bath can wait until after the fourth trimester.
Go Fragrance-Free.
Don’t use irritating products that contain chemicals, fragrances, or other irritants. The last thing you need is a yeast infection in pregnancy or another reason to get nauseated!
Fragrances and products with chemicals and dyes can be harsh in that they can make you more susceptible to vaginal irritation. Instead, opt for gentler, fragrance-free choices to nourish your skin during your bath time.
Instead of taking a bubble bath, or popping a bath bomb into the tub, try for Epsom salts added to your bath water. Epsom salts can help alleviate any body aches or muscle discomfort that are so synonymous with the second and third trimesters.
If you add two cups to your bathwater, and allow it to fully dissolve before getting in the tub, then you can experience a soothing bath time that can also help to reduce your stress to leave you feeling calmer.
Add Your Vitamins.
You’ve heard about eating your vitamins, but what about literally wearing them?! Well, now you can every time you get in the tub.
DO add in some nourishing ingredients to ease aches and pains and soothe dry, itchy hormonal skin, such as Mama Calm Belly & Body Bath Soap. We personally love the coconut milk and Himalayan sea salt.
The Himalayan sea salt is filled with minerals that can help detoxify your skin and relax your body. The organic coconut milk further helps nourish your skin to assuage sore, swollen sore muscles and to support your skin’s elasticity.
This calming belly and body bath soap is free of fragrance, dyes, parabens, and phthalates, which means it is safe for pregnancy. Additionally, it’s dermatologist and allergy tested and has magical moisturizing capabilities that help leave your skin feeling silky soft and glowingly smooth when you get out of the tub.
For some extra zen and moisture, combine the bath soak with a few drops of our beloved Belly Oil. The oil can help alleviate stretch marks and add an extra mineral boost for your pampering needs and dreams.
Keep It Short.
Your pregnancy bath might be more of a ten-minute sesh versus your old 30-minute romp in the tub. But that’s all you need to get a little relief, and it’s great practice for finding those small moments for you post-babe!
The shorter time assures that your internal core temperature stays at a healthy, safe level for both you and babe. Plus, docs say that besides overheating, spending too long in a bathtub while preggo could contribute to increased risks of vaginal infections.
To prolong the relaxation, after you wash your face and get out of the bath, add the face oil and serum duo from our Pregnancy Glow Bundle to your post-bath routine. Pregnancy can bring a lot of changes to your skin. But thanks to our glow bundle, with yummy ingredients like apricot, grapeseed, safflower oil, camellia, papaya, and primrose, you can feed your skin a lovely dose of vitamins with each application.
The Glow Bundle’s nourishing botanical blend is designed to deeply hydrate your pores so that you can have smooth-looking skin that radiates a natural glow. Your face won’t just look glamorous, either — you’ll likely be able to feel the difference with softer skin in texture too.
Get Comfortable.
Take extra steps to make the bath a more comfortable experience for your changing bod. You might want to line the tub with a towel or pad and grab a neck pillow to help as you grow and shift.
Once you get out, get even comfier by applying Down, Girl, our cooling leg and foot cream. This soothing ginger and mint infusion is a gel-based cooling cream. With calming and remedying ingredients such as aloe vera and chamomile, the antioxidant-rich cream can help decrease swelling, hydrate, and enhance skin regeneration.
Put on our fave retro Compression Socks right after you invigorate your tender, swollen limbs to seal in the moisture and get the blood flow started again. Check out our Swell Relief Duo, which offers both the soothing cream and the compression sock in one bundle for your convenience. You might even want to bring a hot water bottle into the fix for your sore muscles from early pregnancy on — you deserve it!
Support Your Balance.
All that extra weight with your glowing baby bump means that your center of gravity can change while preggo. Falling can be easier, and your balance can feel off more often.
Make sure your towel or robe is ready for your close by on the other side because you have less balance while you’re pregnant. Take it slow while stepping out! You may want to place a non-slip mat directly next to the tub to help guide you on your way up and out.
Happy Bathing for a Happy Babe
A tub full of warm water (not steaming) should be perfectly safe and can even be beneficial to take a bath during your pregnancy. Relaxing in warm bath water can help you relax, wind down, and eliminate stress, which is positive for both you and your little one. If you have any questions, reach out to your healthcare provider for medical advice.
Taking a bath can also help soothe pregnancy symptoms such as stretch marks, hemorrhoids, cramps, muscle pain or soreness, and body aches.
With these simple safety precautions, you’re on your way to a safe, relaxing bath that boosts your self-care routine and nourishes your preggo body through all your trimesters.
Happy bathing!
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