Some women wonder if it’s okay to take a bath while they’re pregnant. This is because you’re not supposed to take a hot bath when you’re pregnant, and it trickled over into baths in general.
The human species loves the water and the placenta and womb are full of liquids and fluids so it’s only right to think that a nice soak would be good for everyone involved. As long as you keep the water temperature in the right place there’s no reason why you can’t enjoy a bath while you’re pregnant.
It’s perfectly fine to take a bath during pregnancy, and in fact you can take them whenever you want to pamper yourself and relax. Often times it’s a better all natural cure for various aches and pains like a headache or tension in the neck.
Can I Take a Bath While Pregnant? Answer: Recommended
Taking a nice warm bath is a great way to relieve yourself of back aches, as well as other stresses that come from being pregnant. There are even benefits to your pregnancy itself by taking a bath. You will be increasing the level of amniotic fluid that you have inside you, and at the same time you’ll be decreasing the likelihood of having contractions before you’re supposed to.
Do It Japanese Style
The Japanese have perfected the art of taking a bath and have it down to a science. First, you should take a shower to wash off all of the dirt and grime you’ve accumulated since your last shower. Then you fill up the bathtub with nice warm water than you find comfortable. This way you are not sitting in your own filth, and you can sit and enjoy the bath for as long as you want in the nice clean water.
Another option to consider if you’re in the third trimester and feeling a little wobbly, is to take two baths. This way you don’t run the risk of slipping and falling in the shower. You can take one bath to get yourself clean, and then drain the tub and refill it with nice clean warm water to soak in. Even if you have a regular sized tub, you’ll likely find that you fit just fine, and even though you might be dispersing more water, that just means you’ll need less water to fill the tub. Eco-friendly!
Get Assistance
Always have someone there to help you while you’re getting into and out of the bath. Many of the accidents that happen in the home happen in the bathroom so be extra careful with yourself while you’re in there. If your man’s not around call up one of your girl friends to come by and give you a hand. It can be a fun bonding experience for both of you.
Avoid Bubbles
Your skin is meant to keep out toxins and other harmful things from the environment. But it also soaks things in too. So it’s important that while you’re soaking you’re not soaking in a bubble bath with lots of soap that you’re absorbing into your system. Just use plain water and let the warmth of it ease your stresses and cares away.
Use Natural Soaps and Shampoos
Many of the soaps on the market today are full of all sorts of ingredients that you don’t want to be rubbing onto your skin. The best soaps and shampoos to buy are the ones you can find at your local health foods shop or at a place like Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods. These will be made from organic or all natural ingredients and won’t contain anything in them that would be potentially harmful to your or your baby.
Avoid Aromatherapy
You don’t want to inhale things that could potentially be upsetting, and highly concentrated scents and oils like those used in aromatherapy should be avoided. You may find that they relax you, but these scents are meant to work on the neurotransmitters in your brain and get you to produce different chemicals and hormones. You don’t want to be tinkering with things like that when you’re pregnant.
