Stuff to avoid in pregnancy; baths and flaxseed - urban legend or truth?

[misssmilla1]

I am driving myself mad with contradictory information about what's ok and what's not atm.

I have a terrible cold so thought sitting in the bath might help me decongest. The OH was all about the prospect, but I thought there was no impact as long as the water is not boiling hot?

I also have constipation and no amount of prunes and hot lemon water is shifting it I bought flaxseed to add a tablespoon to my porridge in the morning to get things moving (plus it has omega 3's etc which hopefully might replace the horrible fishy burps from the fish oil capsules..) but have just looked on line and can't find anything definitive on whether this is ok or not. Some articles are all doom and gloom and some say it's ok as long as it's not flax seed oil.

Can anyone shed any light on either?

No idea about flaxseed but of course you can have a bath! I basically lived in the bath when I was pregnant.

Just had a lovely bath and I'm pregnant. Did throughout first pregnancy too.

Enjoy (just don't make the water massively hot)!

No idea about flaxseed...

Thanks! I think the OH has the old wives tale about gin and hot baths stuck in his head definitely going in there and might leave off the flaxseed tik I see the dr next.

Think you can take Lactulose for the constipation. They gave it to me in hospital recovering from a C-section and b-feeding. Pretty safe, but double check if concerned.

As to baths, I bask in a hot one from time to time.

So long as bath not to hot sure it fine. I have to have bath in evening to warm up! With constipation I drank lots of fruit juices xx

I have given up pretty much everything I liked doing before I got pregnant. I, for one, am not giving up baths. Bath and a radio 4 comedy on the radio, heaven.

On a similar note, I have stopped using bubble bath. Is that something that should actually be avoided or just an old wives tale I've fallen for?

I never gave up bubble bath. flaxseed is not on the nhs list of things to avoid either

I think bath temperature should not be over 32 degrees what is warm but not hot.
I gave up baths completelly in first and second trim i was just paranoid like that, went with less is more and better leave everything undisturbed as you never know. There is always also possibility of infection.
I took one warm bath at 29 weeks with some almond and lavender oil which was very nice.
Was taking hot showers instead but starting at about 28 weeks they didnt do me good, was feeling uncomfortable after and brought in Braxton-hicks contractions. I avoid too hot water now.

How can you get an infection from the bath?
I think the bath thing is a myth, you can get hot enough to harm the baby but it would be fever levels (40 degrees) and you wouldn't be able to lay in a bath so hot without burning yourself

I've been having flaxseed on my porridge every day for most of this pregnancy with no ill effects. It doesn't make much difference on the constipation but as you say it's got other stuff in so I persevere. Prune juice mixed with my usual fruit juice as a breakfast mocktail seems to work though

3rd pregnancy here and I've had a deep bath pretty much every single night of all of them! I couldn't do without to ease the aches and pains. Don't get so hot you feel light headed.

Not sure on flax seed but I'm sure it's ok, go and talk to the pharmacist tomorrow

Flaxseed has some estrogen like compounds in it, which makes some people nervous about effects it mighthave rduring pregnancy. But there is no evidence of harm (I think mainly because no-one has studied this directly). So alternative constipation relief might be recommended just to be cautious.

I laid off the flaxseed whilst pregnant. Was advised too because of something to do with oestrogen.

I've had hot baths, well, hot to other people, hot to me is scalding to others. I've even -gasp- gone into hot tubs. Just last weekend I was in one, it was 37.5-38 degrees, and it was heaven on my sore upper back.

32 degrees?! Even my DC would complain in a bath that cold! Brrr. 37 degrees is body temp, so can't really see a problem with that (I'm pretty sure that's what they kept my birthing pool at in hospital). I had loads of baths second time round as it was the only place I felt comfortable. Definitely had it hotter than 37, but my bump stuck out of the water anyway

Go to the chemists and ask about lactulose - it's not absorbed by the gut so would imagine it's safe in pregnancy, but a pharmacist would know. Drink lots of water as well!

Oh I meant to say the one problem I found with baths wasn't the temperature, it's trying to get out of the bloody thing! Even with a very little bump my swollen legs made it super difficult, the GLAMOUR of it all.

Baths are fine. The biggest risk is of hitting your head as you are more prone to dizziness if you overheat. Don't lobster and it's fine.

The idea of infection risk is if your waters have gone. Not before.

Bubble bath- you can have increased skin sensitivity in pregnancy. If you aren't itchy it's fine.

God I hate pregnancy myths. Enjoy your bath.

Oh yeah, and big bumps stick out of the water and get cold.

I got the advice regarding water temp and bacteria in water from OBG in another country where I believe some doctors advise to avoid baths and pools and some say its fine.
This was specifically for pools in thermal water park but I guess same concept would apply for home baths? except less bacteria probability.
I have friend who got infection next day and miscarried due to that so I am very aware these things are possible althrough this was after water park visit not home bath.

For me it was ok, suprisingly I didnt miss baths at all so one less thing and risk to worry about and my husband is not home most of the evenings so there would be no one to keep eye on me anyway.

Zahra. I am very sorry for what happened to your friend. But it has no relevance to domestic baths.

The mucus plug is there for a reason and domestic baths are clean, fresh water.

Also, though very sad, miscarriage is very common and very hard to trace reasons for. It probably wasn't the thermal bath. It was probably just the random cruelty of reproduction.

I had a long bath every day during my last pregnancy and all was fine so I'm doing the same again this pregnancy. I have to have mine quite warm too, though I did have them cooler during the first trimester.

I've also been interested in the flaxseed thing. I normally take omega oil supplements as I'm vegetarian but the vegetarian ones all contain flaxseed. They also contain too much vitamin E when combined with the vitamin E in my Pregnacare though so I haven't been taking them as usual due to that (have read too much may be linked to heart defects).

Baths are fine, just don't roast. Careful of dizziness when standing. Infection in baths is not an issue when you are at home and it is your own bugs (presuming you have a reasonsble level of cleanliness in your bathroom!) even with broken waters you can get in a bath... We do water births! However you would want to ensure it was clean, don't get in a bath your post football match mud caked husband just got out of, common sense etc etc.

I should add when i ssy waters broken, I mean when over 37 wks and labouring! Prem Rupture of membranes you would have to ho on the advice of a doctor.

Baths fine, I sometimes have two a day! Eases backache.
And yes to lactulose, take it every day and you could try Senakot and prunes/prune juice too. I find you have to keep on top of it or it builds up, so to speak. My DD at 17 months has been prescribed lactulose for constipation too so it's very gentle, just quite disgustingly sweet.