Pregnant women & hot tubs???

[drewstar]

funny to read this thread....i was out of the store this afternoon and my wife was in charge.  A pregnant lady walked in and started talking about having her baby in a hot tub.  The hot water is natural anestisia.  She would have a mid-wife in the water with her.  Beyond that the details became sketchy.....strange day my wife thought......bless her heart

Birthing tubs.

Google.

Gross.

[Tom]

...We have read that a pregnant woman should not get into hot tubs because it raises their core body temp and could effect the baby.

I am looking for scientific medical studies that have led to this conclusion.  The only one I've been able to find was poorly done --confused bathtubs/whirpool baths/hot tubs, and didn't accurately record water temperatures or length of immersion.  

Can anyone help?

Thanks

[Im-A-Duck]

[size=16]NO ONE IS HAVING A BABY IN MY HOT TUB!!!! AND I MEAN NO ONE!!!![/size]

Maybe buy a baby pool but not in the hot tub please!!

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

A study published in the November 15, 2003, issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology found that women who used hot tubs or Jacuzzis in early pregnancy were twice as likely to have a miscarriage as women who did not.

[Chad]

http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/hottubs.htm
http://www.medhelp.org/forums/WomensHealth/messages/10929.html
http://aapnews.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/8/10/2-c
http://www.surebaby.com/pregnancy-smoking.php

I could post links all day long. Imo it's just not worth the risk.

[Chad]

A study published in the November 15, 2003, issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology found that women who used hot tubs or Jacuzzis in early pregnancy were twice as likely to have a miscarriage as women who did not.

http://www.rhtubs.com/pregnancy.htm

[kervis]

I had broached this topic here a couple months ago, as I am pregnant and due in August.    I am 17 weeks now.

I did not look at the links that Why Not posted--perhaps they have some good info.  Another forum friend, Fatman, chimed in with his advice--perhaps he'll see this thread and PM you.

YOU are able to sweat in order to regulate your body temperature and dissipate your extra body heat.  The baby does not have that ability.  I have heard that raising your body temp past 101 for an extended length of time, can be very bad. (hot tub, hot bath, exercise, hot summer day)

You can keep your tub temp at 98 (your normal body temp) and enjoy it during your pregnancy.  Your wife is past the very critical first trimester, so go for it!  Perhaps you keep it at 98 and keep your soaks to 20 minutes.

I have stayed out of mine since November, and will FINALLY be going back in this week.  First, I chose to stay out for the first trimester.  Then, we have had wickedly cold weather--days of below or hovering at the zero point.  I did not think 98 degrees would be "warm enough" to enjoy the tub in those conditions, so I have stayed out.  Two more days of cold weather and I'm home free!!  I absolutely cannot wait to massage my tired muscles and experience some non-gravity!  I will bring a kitchen timer with me and a giant glass of ice water and I will be just fine.

  You should see the looks I get when I shovel snow or cut the grass.  No one seems to care though when I am pushing/unloading a grocery cart or lugging baskets of laundry up and down stairs...

Indeed, the world as we know it does not stop for a pregnancy.  Everything in moderation and use common sense!

Hope she is feeling fine!!  

[rick_in_cleveland]

I'm am not a real Doctor...I only play on on the internet......Ask your Doctor...Ask your Doctor....Ask your Doctor....Listen to your Doctor.....Listen to your Doctor.....Listen to your Doctor

[drewstar]

funny to read this thread....i was out of the store this afternoon and my wife was in charge.  A pregnant lady walked in and started talking about having her baby in a hot tub.  The hot water is natural anestisia.  She would have a mid-wife in the water with her.  Beyond that the details became sketchy.....strange day my wife thought......bless her heart

Reminder: Users should rinse  thier filters after giving birth in thier tub.




Hotsprings contest entry: "30 ways you will use your new Aria Hot tub

#29: Giving birth to our child. (Thank god for no bypass filtration).  Bonnie, your sister can use that if she wants.  

[anne]

I am looking for scientific medical studies that have led to this conclusion.  The only one I've been able to find was poorly done --confused bathtubs/whirpool baths/hot tubs, and didn't accurately record water temperatures or length of immersion.  

Can anyone help?

Thanks

I think you'd have to be an AMA or other medical member to access anything from a "real" referred journal. In vet med, that is how it is. Anyone can go to the library, though.

[ebirrane]

We have a 5 month old baby and, during my wife's last trimester we used the tub to help my wife with achy joints, swelling, and tense muscles.  We talked to our doctors about it and the overwhelming concerns was temperature and making sure that the water was properly maintained.

As for temperature, core body temperature should not go over 101 in the first trimester, but it is never good to have an elevated body temperature while pregnant.

We set our hot tub to 96 degrees for when my wife would get in.

It was certainly "chilly" for me, but it allowed my wife to use it for as long as she needed to for her to be comfortable.  As for chemicals, pregnant women (AFAIK) are not told to avoid pools, which also can have lots of chlorine in them.

Remember, too, that if the *surface* of your skin is 100 degrees, your internal body temperature will be much warmer.  The original poster mentioned setting the temperature "down" to 100 or 101 and that seems like it is much too high for a pregnant person.

My 2 cents...

-Ed

[ebirrane]

I did not look at the links that Why Not posted--perhaps they have some good info.  Another forum friend, Fatman, chimed in with his advice--perhaps he'll see this thread and PM you.

I followed those links and they all talk about overheating.  Overheating, as a risk factor, can be completely eliminated by turning down the temperature on the tub to something obviously safe, such as 95-96 degrees and only using the tub when you can keep the temperature from rising (i.e. at night or not in the heat of summer).

There is still a benefit (we found) from soaking in tepid water: the general bouyancy takes alot of weight off of different parts of your body and the jets still give a massage especially those foot jets for aching, swollen feet.

EDIT: I use a FF tub. It is unclear to me whether you can prevent tub temperatures from rising in systems that more efficiently reclaim pump heat to warm the water.
-Ed

[Reese]

I had broached this topic here a couple months ago, as I am pregnant and due in August.    I am 17 weeks now....

Congrats to you, too!

[Reese]

We have a 5 month old baby...

Continuing on my little mission of spreading a little sunshine... Congratulations! That explains why we haven't seen much of you lately!  Boy or girl?  Name?  Now, please post a picture of him/her in the Stumpinator thread.  

[ebirrane]

Continuing on my little mission of spreading a little sunshine... Congratulations! That explains why we haven't seen much of you lately!  Boy or girl?  Name?  Now, please post a picture of him/her in the Stumpinator thread.  

 Thank you!

We have a little girl named Kaitlyn.  I won't post a picture of her on this board because I don't want Term to find out that my baby-with-a-foot-coming-out-of-her-head is cuter than his baby-with-a-foot-coming-out-of-his-head.

-Ed