Place of relaxation par excellence, the jacuzzi has a bad reputation for pregnant women and can worry them. Let's take stock of the thermal treatments to which expectant mothers are entitled.
Because when you are pregnant, you only ask to relax and relieve your various ailments, whether in the first, second or third trimester, the jacuzzi may seem the ideal solution for a future mother. A doubt can however assail him: hot baths, hot tubs, are they really safe for the baby? Let's try to see more clearly before dipping the toes!
What are the risks of using a jacuzzi during pregnancy?
Several factors, which bring together the jacuzzi, can worry pregnant women: first, the heat of the water, because it has long been believed that too hot bath water could raise the body temperature too much pregnant woman, above the recommended 39 ° C, and that it could harm the baby. However, a study published in 2018 by the British Journal of Sports Medicine, which took into account the results of studies on 347 pregnant women, concluded that an expectant mother could take a hot bath of 40 ° C for 20 minutes without risk to the baby. None of the women studied saw their temperature rise above 39 ° C, whatever the trimester of pregnancy.
The other potentially disturbing aspect of the jacuzzi is of course in the eddies created by the massage jets. If studies are lacking on this precise point, doctors and midwives seem to agree on the fact that massage jets can potentially cause contractions, as early as the end of the second trimester.
Finally, the risk of a bacterial infection should not be forgotten, especially if it is a public jacuzzi which you have no control over. Because this risk of infection can harm the baby, especially in the first trimester by causing a miscarriage, but also at the end of the third trimester when the cervix is open.
What about a simple hot bath?
You will understand, the jacuzzi is not really recommended for pregnant women, and in the absence of precise data, it will be better for a future mother to settle for a hot bath to enjoy a good moment of relaxation . However, you should remember to thoroughly clean and disinfect the bathtub before each use, and make sure that the water temperature does not exceed 40 ° C. Also set an alarm clock to make sure you don't exceed the recommended 20-minute time – even if the water temperature drops after that time. At the slightest feeling of weakness or excessive heat, do not wait to get out of the water and cool off. This feeling of discomfort may be due to the vascular dilation caused by the heat of the water, especially in pregnant women whose blood pressure is already low at the base.
What about other treatments?
Since you are not entitled to a relaxation session in a jacuzzi, what about other treatments offered in a spa for example, including a massage, or a relaxing break in the sauna or hammam?
For a massage without risk to the health of your future baby, we do not forget to tell the professional who takes care of us that we are pregnant, especially if it is not seen. If you are at a hotel abroad, this is an opportunity to learn how to translate the word "pregnant" into another language! The masseuse will adapt her gestures to your pregnancy and above all will not use essential oils, some of which are strongly discouraged when you are pregnant, especially in the first trimester. Essential oils indeed penetrate the skin deeply and can reach babies. To take no risks, fall for a treatment specially adapted for pregnant women, which is increasingly popular and offered in many institutes. Because you have the right to be pampered during these nine special months.
As far as the hammam and sauna are concerned, medical advice had so far been divided, with a preference for the recommendation to refrain from practicing sauna or hammam sessions for the expectant mother. Why ? Always out of fear that the body temperature will rise above the recommended 39 ° C and become a risk to baby's health. But the British study cited above once again undermines this belief since none of the 347 pregnant women studied saw their temperature exceed 39 ° C after a session lasting 20 minutes in a sauna or a hammam. Remember, however, that the sauna and steam room are not recommended for people with varicose veins and heavy legs – and you may know that feeling of heavy legs can be one of the effects of pregnancy.
As always, we will seek medical advice in case of doubt, and at the slightest feeling of discomfort, we will immediately stop a possible sauna or hammam session at his favorite spa. Because you may be a heat aficionada, you may feel less comfortable in these somewhat extreme conditions, once pregnant, and that's normal! Your body is changing and you won't be quite the same for 9 months – and certainly even a little longer …
What are the swimming pool recommendations for pregnant women?
We often see more than one pregnant woman taking advantage of the swimming pool to do a gentle sport from the first to the third trimester, when the belly begins to get heavy. Swimming remains one of the sports most recommended by doctors during pregnancy. Let's just keep in mind that a risk of infection, potentially dangerous in the first and third trimesters as indicated above, is not impossible, even if every municipal swimming pool undergoes strict controls as to the faultlessness of its water. And concerning precisely these chemicals which maintain the water in the swimming pool, a study published in 2013 by the British Journal of Dermatology has shown that they could increase the risk of allergies in the unborn baby. Do not put your swimsuit away, and maybe go to the pool only once a week, no more.
In any case, it can never be said enough, if you are not sure about yourself, always ask the advice of your doctor or midwife, and if you experience any signs of discomfort for a while. relaxation in a spa, a swimming pool, during a sauna or hammam session, or simply during a bath, stop the activity immediately.
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