Table of contents:
- Effect of water temperature on pregnant women
- Bacteria in water
- A safe way to bathe when pregnant
- How about taking a warm shower?
Soaking in hot water can relax your body and help improve your mood, especially for pregnant women whose moods change easily due to hormonal changes. But did you know, it turns out that soaking in hot water while pregnant can pose a risk to the fetus?
Effect of water temperature on pregnant women
Soaking in warm water is one of the things you should avoid when pregnant. The temperature of the hot water for soaking is at least 38.9 degrees Celsius, if you soak for just 10 to 20 minutes, your body temperature will also increase due to adjusting to the surroundings. The increase in body temperature occurs because the body cannot sweat when bathing, so the body cannot emit heat and ultimately makes the body temperature increase automatically. This will cause hypertemia in pregnant women.
When hyperthermia occurs, blood pressure will decrease. If blood pressure decreases in pregnant women, it causes a decrease in the distribution of oxygen and nutrients to the fetus. Lack of oxygen and nutrients in the fetus, resulting in various complications such as low birth weight, birth defects, even fetal death or miscarriage.
Research that has been done, shows that soaking in hot water during the first trimester will increase the risk of babies experiencing abnormalities in body functions at birth, such as abnormalities in the brain and nervous system. Other studies reported in birth defect research found that the first trimester is a vulnerable period and the risk of a mother having a miscarriage during this time is very high.
Bacteria in water
In addition to temperature, the thing that is feared can be bad for fetal health is the bacteria in the soaking water. If you have your own bath, then make sure to use a disinfectant and the pH of the water should be between 7.2 and 7.8. However, if you are soaking in a public place, then ask the staff about the cleanliness of the pool before bathing, the questions can be, such as how many people use the pool, how often the pool water is changed, and whether to use disinfectants.
A safe way to bathe when pregnant
If you are in the first trimester, then you should not soak in hot water, even if you soak for a while, because it will directly affect your body temperature. Instead, you can soak your feet in warm water, this can help you relax and calm down. However, if you have passed the first trimester and want to soak in hot water, then the following steps can reduce the risk of complications in your pregnancy:
- Soak in the tub for no more than 10 minutes and get out of the water frequently to cool yourself down.
- Sitting in an area where the water temperature is not too high, avoid sitting near the hot water jet because usually the water temperature in that area is hotter than other parts.
- If you feel sweaty and feel uncomfortable, get out of the water and cool off immediately. Don't go back to the bath if you don't feel comfortable and your body hasn't returned to normal.
- Try to keep your chest from being submerged in water, even better if only half of your body is submerged in water, so that your body temperature doesn't increase drastically.
- Don't take a bath if you have a cold or flu, it will make your situation worse.
- Reducing the temperature of the soaking water, this will reduce your risk of developing hyperthermia.
How about taking a warm shower?
Bathing with hot water is safe for pregnant women, because the risk of experiencing hyperthermia is smaller. As long as the temperature of the water used for bathing is not too high, then this is not a risk to the health of the fetus. In addition, taking a shower with hot water for a long time will not immediately increase your body temperature. Even if your body temperature increases due to exposure to hot water, this will not last long, because the body is not in the water and can quickly return to normal temperatures. Have regular consultations with your doctor and if necessary ask whether you can use hot water when bathing, because the effects and conditions of each person are different so that it will have different effects.
