Bath temperature

[LuckyFlash]

Hi all,

I feel a bit ridiculous posting this but I usually have 3-4 baths a week and am reaaaaally missing them. I stopped having them when I found out I was pregnant after reading that hot baths can cause defects in the baby.
I’m 8 weeks tomorrow so still in the first trimester.

The NHS website says ‘warm’ baths are fine and recommends 35-37 degrees. So I ran a bath last week at what I thought was warm, not hot, and used by bbt thermometer to check. I’m guessing it has a max temp of around 40 degrees as it immediately registered that and then gave up and switched off... so clearly too hot.
I ran the cold tap till it got down to 37 which to me is lukewarm, not warm. I got in but had to get out after 5 mins as I was getting goosebumps and starting to shiver!

So my question is so those of you having baths, are you having them warmer than this or do you have them at the recommended temperature and are just better at sitting in cold water? Lol.

I know if I have the bath a bit hotter I won’t personally overheat (I would never go HOT) but I’m worried about damaging the baby.

Long ramble sorry, any advice appreciated

[Dillybear]

I researched this when I was pregnant and found out that the advice is given because birth defects can be caused if your core body temperature goes above 39 degrees, and only in the first trimester. I even took my temperature a few times in the bath to make sure it was okay! But then I saw my husband unwell with a temperature of 39 degrees, and realised that it would take a lot more than a warm bath to make my core temperature rise like that! I was also interested to learn that the advice about baths isn’t given in other countries. As with so much pregnancy advice, the variation from country to country suggests (to me) that it’s really not that risky at all. If it was really dangerous, I think, the advice would be more consistent. So I had warm (not hot) baths after the first trimester. Especially right at the end, I lived in the bath, it was the only place I wasn’t actively uncomfortable!! I think as with all things you have to weigh up the level of risk for yourself. Congratulations on your pregnancy!

[Mamabear2020]

I didn't have baths during my pregnancies. My doctor pit me right off when he made a comparison between hot baths during pregnancy and poaching an egg. It was worth the wait.

[TheHappyHerbivore]

A bath at 40c will be fine. Baths are different to hot tubs because in a hot tub the water is constantly reheated to keep the temperature constant, so it can raise your body temperature. A bath that cools while you’re in it doesn’t have the same effect and won’t raise your core temperature.