Is it safe to take a hot water bath when you are pregnant?

If you had a long, tiring day, a hot water shower works wonders.  At the end of the day, nothing is more relaxing than soaking yourself in a hot bathtub with some good-relaxing music and your favorite book to read. But, before you go into your dreamland, there’s an important message for all pregnant women. I know you love hot showers as much as I do, but do you even know if it is safe to take long undisturbed hot showers when you are pregnant? Hot water is the best way to relax your aching muscles and soothe your body's pain. But if you are expecting you need to take a pause and think about it. Read to know the truth: 

Is a Hot Water Bath During Pregnancy Safe?

Yes, it is completely safe to take a hot water bath when you are expecting but the water should not be hot. But you need to keep several things in your mind before you go for your bath. 

• When you are stepping in, always check the temperature of the water. The water should not raise your body temperature to 102 degrees Fahrenheit. Mixing half cold and half warm is always a good idea. 

• Soaking yourself for more than 10 min can have bad repercussions for your body. Your blood pressure can go down and it can also increase the risk of neural tube defects.

• Taking a hot water bath can make you feel dizzy and weak. 

• Long hot showers can make cause a lot of skin infections such as redness, blisters, and rash. 

Benefits of a hot water bath when you are pregnant

• It helps to reduce your sore muscles 

• Can nurture your skin 

• Improves your sleep cycle and combat insomnia

• Ease premature contractions 

• Reduce any muscle pain or swelling in your body

Things to keep in mind 

Take extra care when you are going for a hot shower. You can use a bath thermometer to detect the temperature. Never use any kind of essential oils, or bath salt as it can cause irritation to your skin. It can make your skin itchy and too much scratching can give invitation some severe infections. 

Avoid taking a sauna bath as the temperature is way too high for your body temperature,  and may increase your heart rate. 

Extreme high temperatures can cause premature labor and in some cases miscarriage.