What temperature is a warm/ hot bath?

[PurpleCurtain]

Hi all. Last time I had some aches and pains my midwife recommended I took a warm bath - I'm generally a shower person but have a bath maybe once a fortnight.

But what's a warm bath, for how long, and does that vary person to person?

I had what I thought was a "warm" bath, not hot, as it was easy to get in (whereas I grew up taking baths you had to ease yourself into), and stayed in for 45 minutes, with the bath full to the top. The temperature at the start was 41.5C.

I really didn't realise/ remember that there were rules around this - after my bath I happened to search something about pregnant women and baths, not from a concerned perspective, and see endless streams of advice about "limiting baths to 38 degrees and maximum 20 minutes, with bump below the water". Even the NHS website says that pregnant women should avoid hot tubs because the temp is sometimes as hot as 40C (cooler than my bath apparently!)...and past mumsnet users say baffling things like "I have my bath really hot - 38 degrees - and my babies have all been fine".

I feel such an idiot... I genuinely thought I was doing as I was told/ that my baths are "warm"! I did feel hot, but I don't think I felt dehydrated, though not sure.

Does anyone else have this temperature, duration and fullness of bath?

Or am I a complete idiot that's caused serious damage? 38 degrees would be absolutely freezing to me, so I guess if these are the rules I won't be having any more baths in pregnancy. I'm 22 weeks.

My understanding (and it is obviously unofficial) is that the risk of baths is rising your own body temperature. There have been some links between increased maternal temperature and spina bifida.

Equally, my understanding is that the spinal chord is fully formed by 12 weeks, although it is only at your 20 week scan that they are able to check for any neural chord issues.

In my first pregnancy i attempted a 38 degree bath. It was grim! My second i avoided them entirely cos I couldn't face that again. This time round I had planned to have baths after I knew things were okay at my scan. I probably wouldn't go nuts but would use the kids bath thermoeter and aim at 40C. (I hate a cold bath but equally a 42C bath would require me to lie down for 20 mins afterwards as I have a tendency to faint).

I won't be having my bath as planned as my scan found a (non bath related) complication and I want to speak to the consultant first but I hope you get yours.

If you've bad your 20 week scan and everything was fine then I think you can rest assured that no damage has been done. (Though even if there had been something wrong I doubt the baths would have been the issue).

I carried on with hot baths all through pregnancy - genuinely didn't even think about it. I always run 45 degree baths. I was fine as is my DS. I also thought it was more in early pregnancy than throughout.

I had long hot baths all through my pregnancy, lying in them for approx an hour each time and my dc is fine.

When pregnant my midwife didn't mention anything about baths being too hot etc

Are you all made of asbestos?!

38 is as hot as I can stand.

Thanks all, good to hear, and it does seem odd that a midwife would actively suggest a warm bath (without a definition of that) if misjudging that had serious risks!

I've had my 20 week scan and no issues thankfully.

Maybe this is in the same category as some of the guidance around exercise - i.e. lots of places still seem to sugges there's a slight risk around cutting off oxygen supply if your heart rate increases too much. I haven't strictly abided by that one as have still been running where I can.

@Muststopeating - hope your appointment with the consultant goes well!

@TheYearOfSmallThings

Are you all made of asbestos?!

38 is as hot as I can stand.

Wow - this is the issue with the "warm/ hot" description you see! 😂 I actually thought I was on the wimpy end as my mum's always called my baths "cold"!

I recently had a 38 degree bath and it was shite! I don’t ordinarily take the temperature of my baths but pre pregnancy I definitely had them much hotter than 38! If it doesn’t burn your bum as you sit down it isn’t hot enough 😂
I’m generally more of a shower person so I’ve not had to deal with it much. Although when I do bath, I’m in there a good 45-60 mins watching Netflix. Definitely have plenty of bubbles - this does wonders to keep the warmth in! Every time mine went below 38 I’d add more hot water. Can’t wait for baby to be here so I can have a scorching bath complete with wine!

As I understood it the risk was more in the first trimester so I’d try not to worry now! Think it would be different if you’d been doing it every day but I would try and avoid doing it again just to be on the safe side :) xx

I have no idea what temperature my baths are normally but I do like them super hot. I've been cautious and making them just above Luke warm plus keeping them short.

You'd have to be seriously sweating as in sweat driping down your face/ the whole bathroom really steamed up to be sitting in a too hot bath OP. Please just continue to enjoy your warm baths, I have for 3 pregnancies and its been fine. Had to leave my MN FB group as the level of scaremongering over not having baths at all/not drinking a cup of tea during pregnancy got me so wound up!!

Thanks all - mostly just frustrated at the realisation that a "warm" bath seems to be such a subjective thing!

Am in the camp of "no point having a 38 degrees bath" so will save any future baths for instances of extreme aches and pains only!

@sundowners cups of tea! That's definitely well beyond the line of the things I'm willing to make allowances for/ give up, not least because I couldn't hold down hot drinks in first trimester!

I love a hot bath (no idea how hot as I don’t take the temp) and have had them regularly throughout both pregnancies (currently 37 weeks with number 2) - all has been fine! I don’t have them so hot that I’m sweating buckets or anything, but they are definitely on the hot side of warm! I read somewhere that the problem with hot tubs, saunas etc. is that they maintain a constant temperature - whereas a bath starts to cool down as soon as you have run it. Enjoy your baths

Hi @PurpleCurtain

I had a worry about this a few weeks ago. I'm not sure how hot my bath was but I managed to worry myself.

I then ordered a thermometer and have my bath around 38 degrees which is slightly cooler than I'd have but still feels nice and warm to me.

A hot tub is still different as it stays hot whereas a bath cools down quite quickly.

The risk is your body temp rising too much so if you felt okay then it was probably fine but if is also less of a risk after 12 weeks I understand.

If you are worried get a thermometer or have showers. I'm anxious anyway so would rather just be on the safe side so I know I won't be stressing about it after.

@ElderMillennial

Hi *@PurpleCurtain*

I had a worry about this a few weeks ago. I'm not sure how hot my bath was but I managed to worry myself.

I then ordered a thermometer and have my bath around 38 degrees which is slightly cooler than I'd have but still feels nice and warm to me.

A hot tub is still different as it stays hot whereas a bath cools down quite quickly.

The risk is your body temp rising too much so if you felt okay then it was probably fine but if is also less of a risk after 12 weeks I understand.

If you are worried get a thermometer or have showers. I'm anxious anyway so would rather just be on the safe side so I know I won't be stressing about it after.

Thanks - I happen to have a thermometer, just shocked to find out my "just about warm enough" is 41.5C and thus a fair bit higher than the guidance

As the guidance isn't formal NHS guidance as such (barring the advice on hot tubs and them being as hot as 40C) i'm relatively content to continue if I want one enough, but do find the mixed messages/ lack of objective advice very odd and frustrating!