Heat during pregnancy?

[Hm56900]

Hi, I have read online that exposure to heat can be very dangerous during early pregnancy. I am nearly 6 weeks pregnant and while at work I sit with a small portable heater near my feet as the office is very cold all day. Is this dangerous and can this cause the growing baby problems ? As it is at my feet for most of the day so not sure if its raising my temp to 39? - I’m trying not to panic but google has made me worse!

OP I’m very sorry you’re so anxious but I don’t even know what to say to that without saying the word ridiculous.

Whatever problems you have googled, they won’t be caused by portable heaters.

You do know women in hot countries have babies?

No OP

By excessive heat it means like if you have a fever that raises your internal body temp to 38/39C or more
That’s why prolonged use of very hot hot tubs is not advised.

I know it can be scary and stressful time - but try to think rationally.

Hi, thanks for your reply.
Yes I do know that - but I can’t help but worry as to thinking having it on all day is obviously going to make me very hot no?
When you google it says 10000 different things to avoid and it’s driving me mad!

Thank you! I am trying my best to think rationally - but all I seem to do is worry lol! Google is a very scary place :(

If it makes you too hot surely you turn it off

OP you’ve got the wrong end of the stick with what you’ve googled.

Step away from Google, otherwise this is going to be a very long and very stressful pregnancy.

Its really ok, your feet are very far away from your uterus.

Ok thank you for all your help! :)

If it helps, both my kids were conceived in the Middle East, one on a weekend in July when it was about 50 degrees.

Sitting by a heater will not raise your core temp to 39C, you'd be VERY uncomfortable if it did.

Remember there are children all over the world being born healthy in a lot hotter (and colder) places. That’s how I reassured myself when the worries kicked in.

Thanks for reassuring me!
Google is very confusing - I have been sitting by this heater at work everyday for about the last 2 weeks, they’re saying more than 4 long period of heat exposure increases your risk of complications. So I just jumped to conclusions thinking I’ve exposed my baby to heat all day!

They're talking about hot baths where you immerse your whole body and it makes you sweat :) And even then you can have baths as long as you listen to your body and keep monitoring how you feel, if you feel too hot or start getting light headed then get out.

In China they specifically recommend women to stay warm during pregnancy, in Finland women keep using saunas as normal within the limits of how they feel. The real danger is with illness that gives you a high fever.

I always understood this to mean things like hot tubs, saunas and very hot baths. I think you’ll be absolutely fine.

The risk is around raising your core temperature too much, so fevers, extreme heat, hot lobster like baths. Having a heater on if you are cold isn’t going to fall into those categories unless it’s so powerful you practically roast yourself.

And for what it’s worth I was anxious over this too - after all you can control it (unless it’s a fever) and had close to tepid baths for months before I felt comfortable enough to warm it up a bit.