Pregnancy-Hot Baths

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

I was reading in my old textbooks as well as some of the newer literature being given out in my OB/GYN clinic saying that a pregnant woman should avoid hot baths and saunas, but do not see the reason why. Anyone know?

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Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.

I remember reading that when I was pregnant with my second child(I love hot baths). If memory serves, it was to avoid raising the temperature of the fetus. I don't know how hot the water or sauna would have to be to do this though. I like baths that are extremely hot, and redden my skin intensely. I took such baths during my first pregnancy and my son turned out ok though. I guess it's good not to take chances.

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Because hot hot hot water will raise internal temps.... (kind of morbid but I always thought of it like boiling a chicken.) I think the reason has something to do with the baby not being able to sweat & the heat turns up your heart rate causing stress to the baby??? But I could be wrong.

Either way you dont want to submerge or steam in water over 100 F.

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Specializes in LTC.

I know one reason is that high heat exposure may increase the risk of neural tube deficits for the fetus; there's probably more reasons.

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Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.

I'm visualizing where the fetus would be during a hot bath....while the mom is partially out of the water and can maintain a relatively stable temperature, the baby is completely submerged and would be more at risk for (pardon the word) cooking....

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I think it just has to do with raising the mom's and therefore the fetus's temp--almost 6 years ago I was told to avoid hot showers and baths, sun bathing, saunas. Even a febrile illness can raise the chances of a neural tube defect.

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Specializes in Dementia,. Alzheimer's.

I did not know this but it was interesting to read now I how to go and research to see how true.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

From what I've read in my pregnancy (non-nursing) books, it's because it increases the chance of birth defects developing.

Personally, I love a bath where I turn on just the hot water tap, lie back and soak with a good book...so having to give that up and settle for lukewarm for 9 months was kind of rough.

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