Dr. Marjorie Greenfield
Specializing in pregnancy and birth.
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 Ask Dr. Greenfield
Whirlpool Baths in Pregnancy | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Greenfield,
I wondered if pregnant women can take whirlpool baths? I'm primarily worried about the pounding by the jets of water. Can the force of the jets cause miscarriage (especially in the first trimester)? Thanks in advance.— Gena H. in Austin, TX | | | ANSWER |
April 25, 2001 | | | Dear Gena,
There is no evidence that massage by the jets in a whirlpool causes any risk to the baby--but there are two concerns related to whirlpool baths in pregnancy.
One is simple. You would not want water to forcefully enter the vagina in pregnancy (or at any other time, for that matter). There have been rare fatalities from water skiing during pregnancy, where the water was believed to forcefully enter the woman's vagina and get into her bloodstream. So if you are going to take a whirlpool bath, watch where you aim those jets.
The other is more debatable. While it is clearly bad to get overheated in pregnancy, and doctors recommend avoiding hot baths, research has shown that when a pregnant woman's body temperature begins to rise, she usually feels awful and gets herself out of the tub.
I recommend that you ask your obstetrical practitioner about his or her views on whirlpools baths for you. For more general information, see our article on sports and exercise in pregnancy.— by Marjorie Greenfield, M.D. |
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