Spas in pregnancy: the treatments to avoid and those recommended
Spas during pregnancy are a pampering that all future mothers should indulge in at least for a day. If you are wondering if spa treatments can be bad for you or your child, you don't have to worry, we will talk about it in depth in this article. Before understanding what is best to avoid at the spa and what are the most suitable therapies, let's find out together how to pamper your baby during pregnancy.
Spas during pregnancy: a place of treatment and relaxation
As anticipated, during the 9 months of pregnancy the expectant mother can safely go to the spa for a day of relaxation and to indulge in some specific treatments for the body. Just take a few simple precautions to avoid disturbances. Among these, the advice we can give you is to avoid swimming pools with water that is too hot or too cold, in general avoid too long dives, the sauna, the Turkish bath, the salt room and the mud, which will be more appropriate to send them back to after childbirth.
Apart from the sweet expectation, the beneficial properties of the thermal waters are essential for treating some frequent disorders of the respiratory tract, diseases of the skin and digestive system, as well as bones and joints. Through specific massages, you can also benefit from some municipalities. typical pregnancy disorders such as constipation, reflux and circulation problems.
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The benefits of spas in pregnancy
Leaving aside for a moment the relaxation that can be gained from a day spent at the spa, let's try to understand what are the benefits that the spa treatments bring for the mother and for the child. Some of these are more related to the person and not to the fact of being pregnant, such as inhalation therapies that can help in the case of chronic respiratory tract infections.
Drinking thermal water rich in magnesium, on the other hand, can act as a therapy for some ailments and ailments strictly related to pregnancy. Among these: digestive difficulties with reflux and constipation for which the thermal water acts by improving the intestinal tract; but also swollen legs due to poor circulation and water retention. To understand which is the best thermal water to drink, it is always advisable to contact your doctor or gynecologist to avoid finding yourself drinking unsuitable water. We also suggest this because, thermal water can also help in the case of gestational diabetes, improving blood sugar control, especially if used as part of a therapeutic plan that also includes an adequate diet.
If you suffer from hypertension, the hot water pools in the spa can have a vasodilator effect and therefore lower the pressure, improving peripheral circulation, reducing swelling in the feet and legs. There are specific paths, better known as Kneipp paths, which provide for the alternation of tubs with jets of hot water, alternating with tubs in which there is cold water. Usually they are low tubs in which you dive up to mid-thigh; in this way you can also improve skin imperfections due to broken capillaries on the legs. If you are pregnant, before embarking on the Kneipp path, ask your doctor or spa doctor for advice to be sure that there are no risks for you and for the fetus.
With the baby bump growing every day, one of the first to suffer is the back, which often takes all the weight on the spine. To reduce this discomfort, there is a walk in the thermal pool: a very simple exercise that involves walking while remaining immersed in water that is not too hot up to the chin. It is fine to do this exercise even in a normal swimming pool, but in the thermal one you will enjoy the advantage of breathing the sulphurous gases released by the water itself. They have an effective anti-inflammatory action, as well as freeing the airways, are rich in calcium and they help muscle relaxation by promoting circulation.
Why avoid the sauna, Turkish bath and mud baths?
If you are pregnant, it is better to avoid saunas, Turkish baths and mud baths ... we will explain why!
Mud treatments are to be avoided, especially the total body ones, because they raise the body temperature too much, therefore under medical advice, it is better to do mud only in some small and specific areas of the body: ankles, elbows, knees. Cosmetic muds often contain essential oils that penetrate the skin and can reach the fetus.
In the rooms used as a sauna or a Turkish bath, temperatures reach high levels, so especially if you are pregnant, it is better to avoid them in order not to run the risk of overheating, dehydration and fainting.
Finally, the salt rooms, if done occasionally, should not cause any disturbance. The problem arises if you suffer from thyroid dysfunction and salt treatment could make it worse. However, during pregnancy it is best to avoid.
Spas in pregnancy and beauty treatments
Spa massages are often relaxing and beneficial, but the problem arises because essential oils and scented creams are used to do them that may not be safe in pregnancy, especially in the first trimester, when the baby's organs are forming, because through the skin reach up to the fetus. Consequently, not being sure of the effects that can be had, it is better to avoid it altogether.
Another aspect to pay attention to are the herbal teas that are often offered to guests during their stay at the spa. Sometimes they are prepared with spontaneous local herbs, but during pregnancy it would be better to avoid them completely and indulge in plain water. During the 9 months of gestation the woman's body changes radically and the water requirement changes: remember to drink a lot and often to avoid dehydration.
What to do at the spa if you are pregnant
All the aspects of spas to avoid in pregnancy that we have mentioned so far, should not discourage you especially because there are so many other things you can do, which will positively affect the well-being of mother and baby. Three simple rules to follow will allow you to experience a day of pure relaxation. Which ones are they?
1 - Avoid sudden changes in temperature
This rule applies to both very hot and very cold waters. In general, the water should never exceed 38 °, if you notice that it is much warmer, avoid entering it. If you enter the water for physical activity, then the temperature should be even lower and no more than 35 °.
2 - Do not stay in hot water for too long
10 or 15 minutes at most may be enough, after which it is better to go out and dry and then eventually re-enter the water, allowing at least 30 minutes to pass.
3 - Pay attention to the whirlpool
Especially during pregnancy, you should avoid staying too close to the jets of the whirlpool bath that supply new hot water. The temperature here could be higher. Do not give up the well-being of the hot tub, but positioned in such a way as to feel the benefits without them being too strong.
Are spas in the first trimester of pregnancy dangerous?
In the first trimester of pregnancy, exposure to very high temperatures such as those of thermal water, can increase the risk of developmental defects of the fetus, especially if the mother, due to temperature changes, catches a fever.
Furthermore, the heat has a strong vasodilating action, which causes a decrease in pressure, which in turn can lead to fainting: if a woman is already in a condition of low pressure then, the spas are contraindicated. Precisely in the first trimester of pregnancy, the pressure of the expectant mother drops considerably, so the situation could degenerate at the spa.
