Bathing during pregnancy

Eva Rudolf-Müller is a freelance writer in the medical team. She studied human medicine and newspaper sciences and has repeatedly worked in both areas - as a doctor in the clinic, as a reviewer, and as a medical journalist for various specialist journals. She is currently working in online journalism, where a wide range of medicine is offered to everyone.

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Bathing during pregnancy can be wonderfully relaxing and refreshing. Whether it's a bubble bath in your own tub, swimming laps in the swimming pool or splashing around in a lake - bathing during pregnancy is basically possible anywhere. However, pregnant women should heed some advice and precautions. Read more about bathing during pregnancy!

Bathtub: Not too hot and not too long

When it comes to bathing during pregnancy, many women think of a warm bubble bath in the tub, perhaps with candles and their personal favorite music. In fact, taking a bath in the bathtub relaxes your body, soul and spirit. The soothing "let yourself hang down" lets you forget everyday life, the warmth loosens the muscles, the back and joints are relieved, and the baby also feels the warmth.

The temperature of the bathing water should ideally be around 33 to 34 degrees. Higher temperatures from 37 to 38 degrees are unsuitable because the vessels then expand, which causes the blood pressure to drop. This could cause you circulatory problems. For example, some pregnant women get dizzy, which increases the risk of accidents, for example when getting out of the bathtub. Existing varicose veins can also worsen. If the core body temperature rises to over 38.5 degrees for a long time due to warm bath water, the risk of premature contractions also increases; The rate of premature births and malformations also increases.

If you leave the bathing temperature at a moderate level and do not exceed ten to 15 minutes when bathing during pregnancy, nothing should stand in the way of healthy and safe bathing fun. A few more tips:

• Always have a glass of water within reach and drink a lot, as the heat causes your body to lose fluids.
• Also, make sure that you are never alone while bathing while pregnant, in case you need unexpected help.
• For dry skin, you can add lipid replenishing additives to the bath water. However, it is better to refrain from using essential oils in bath oils, because some substances such as camphor, cinnamon or cloves can trigger premature labor - talk to your doctor or midwife if you are not sure.

Whirlpool

When bathing during pregnancy, you should avoid whirlpools: thanks to the warmer water in them, it can be teeming with bacteria and fungi, especially if the water is not renewed very often. As the changed hormonal balance during pregnancy reduces the acid level in the vagina, the local immune system is weakened. This makes you more prone to infections. If you do not want to get a vaginal yeast infection while bathing during pregnancy, then you better avoid water that is too warm.

Swimming in the swimming pool

Anyone who has been trained in sports and regularly swims in pools can continue to do so during pregnancy. Swimming is good muscle training and also helps against constipation that often occurs during pregnancy. However, only the basic types of swimming such as breaststroke, crawl and backstroke should be practiced and not trained in the performance range. Make sure that swimming does not cause your heart rate to rise too high. It is best to discuss which upper limit is advisable for you with your doctor. There should be a break of at least 24 hours between visits to the swimming pool - then bathing during pregnancy will be relaxing for both mother and child.

Swimming in lakes and rivers

If you prefer to bathe in natural waters, you should find out about the quality of the water beforehand from your city council. The water of most lakes and rivers is not polluted today. Nevertheless, it makes sense to inquire if you do not want to take any risks during pregnancy from water that may be contaminated with germs.

Bathing during pregnancy: play it safe

If you follow a few rules and do not overexert or overheat, bathing during pregnancy will not cause problems and will be good for you and your child. But always ask your doctor first if you are unsure or if problems arise during your pregnancy.

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