Using the tub when pregnant

[nicker]

Just wondering if any of the women used the tub when they were pregnant.  My wife is 5 mths and is worried about using the tub.  Her doctor said it would be fine , just don't over do it.  I turned the temp down to 98 somtimes it gets to 99.    The doctor says just stay in long enough to relax the muscles and that if you feel hot get out.

Any and all feed back appreciated.

thanks

[Elle]

I would take her doctor's advice over any advice you might get on a message board.  

Elle

[Brewman]

Absolutely follow your MD's advice above all else.
Your wifes body will largely guide her- some days she may absolutely crave a nice soak, other days the thought of sitting in hot steamy water will be unthinkable.  I am a firm believer in listening to these cues, and following them- as well as following her doctors advice.  
Turning down the water temp. was a considerate thing for you to do.

Brewman

[Lori]

You got the best advice, in my opinion, from your MD!

It is a wise idea, considering he knows her condition thoroughly!!!

 I don't have kids, so I don't have to worry, unless I decide to have some!   :-/  My Mother-In-Law would be so ecstatic at that idea!  

[Yorag]

When my wife was pregnant the spa provided an opportunity for her to get some of the weight off of her back.
As others have mentioned, the temperature is critical. We kept ours in the 98-99 range which is very close to normal body temperature. The baby is insulated within the womb so if the temp. fluctuates to 99, it's not going to be a problem.

[Drewski]

Hi Nicker:

I've been asked this question several times by women friends who have been (or currently are) pregnant since I owned my tub and I generally answer cautiously.  For the most part, I think women in the first trimester of pregnancy should AVOID using a hot tub.

Why?  Well, that's a good question.  A 2003 study done by Li with Kaiser Permanente Research Institute in Oakland found that women less than 10 weeks pregnant "were twice as likely to suffer miscarriages if they took dips in hot tubs..."  Some experts speculate that "high body temperatures caused by fever can lead to birth defects, especially those that prevent the skull or spinal cord from forming properly" which, ultimately, can cause spontaneous abortion of the fetus.  

BUT, problems exist in Li's study in that he used "data mining" techniques to "pull" research data from an existing source and adapted the "pulled" data into his study's sample.  What this means is that the data set he used wasn't specifically constructed to test a hypothesis concerning pregnancy and hot tubs.  Instead, an existing data source generated from a generalized women's health questionnaire was used to support his conclusions.  Many of the women in the study who used hot tubs and reported miscarriages also had other risk factors, including alcohol use.  This lead at least one other researcher to conclude that Li's study was fundamentally flawed and that readers should draw no conclusions from it.

Nevertheless, it should make you pause.  Invitro hyperthermia is certainly possible when a mother sits in higher temperature water for long periods of time. So, on one hand some experts say DON'T, but does this mean that pregnant women should avoid hot baths or showers too?  Seems like a lot of research done by men makes being a woman a LOT harder.   :-/

So, in my OPINION, pregnant women should avoid hot tubs above 100 degrees during the first trimester of pregnancy, with lower temperature use done sparingly.  In the second and third trimesters, general use should be OK, but with "cooling off" periods completed after 20 minutes or less of use.  Long duration exposures (more than 20 minutes) should be AVOIDED.

A lay person explanation of the study I referred to can be found here, with the link to the original journal article being here.

I'd suggest talking to your doctor about this study and see what he or she thinks.

BTW, in case you were wondering, I do have a medicine and epidemiological research background.

Hope this helps...

Drewski

[Jackatkc]

I got mu hot tub a few months ago, and my wife became pregnant within the month.

We spoke with our Doctor about it last month.

He told us to turn the temp down, not sit in there for more than 3 or 4 minutes at a time.  

We decided that if there is any risk at all to just not use it. I would hate for something to happen when it's so avoidable. That's just us though.

Hope this helps.

[Mark_Vee]

My wife is also currently pregnant.  She decided that since there is a risk just to avoid using it.  

[stuart]

So getting pregnant in the spa is OK however being Pregnant in the spa is not!

Funny how it goes that way when the spa is what got so many of them in that situation in the first place.

[wmccall]

So getting pregnant in the spa is OK however being Pregnant in the spa is not!

Funny how it goes that way when the spa is what got so many of them in that situation in the first place.

If you get pregnant in a spa, your alkalinity level is too low.  Unless of course you were trying.  

[stuart]

If you get pregnant in a spa, your alkalinity level is too low.  Unless of course you were trying.  

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Sorry I couldn't resist!

[wmccall]

I would think (usual disclaimers apply) if it were a problem it would stem from overheating the torso area. I've noticed many pregnant women get cramps in thier legs. Sitting on the edge of the spa and using jets on the legs SHOULD be relatively safe.

[newtotubbing]

So if your are pregnant, you shouldn't take hot baths in your bathtub as well?

Strange, hot tub and hot bath are almost the same thing.  I've gotten into my bath tub in much hotter water than my spa.

Jonathan

[Steve]

You two ( mod Jr. & stuart) are pure entertainment. I no longer come here for the tub info, but rather to see the latest comic relief!

As for you Lori, just remember that "practicing" getting pregnant is what it's all about!

Jonathan brought up exactly what I was thinking. If it's safe to have a bath that's 98 or 99 degrees (cool for a bath BTW), a hot tub in no way could cause any serious problems other than not using your common sense and staying in too long. It's a big bath tub with jets people. No where does it say a spa must be at 104 for it to be therapeutic and beneficial.

Congrats to all of you with children on the way. Must have been a cool summer?

Steve

[HotTubMan]

I have a 4.5 month old. Mrs.HotTubMan went in our tub regularly in the last trimester @ 98-99 degrees. As mentioned above, it is not the water/ massage/ sanitizers that cause the risk. It is the heat.

She found it to be a great way to relax and get the weight off her joints. It also was nice for me because Mrs.HotTubMan could practice on top again

Some people will worry. Some people will not step on a spider or crack in the sidewalk either. Some people wont fly but will speed 40% over the speed limit.

Science and logic considered, there is no danger if the water is >99 degrees and the time spent in the tub is reasonable.

HTM