When you come home chilled, you want to jump into a bathtub full of warm water. But now that you are pregnant, you fear a hot bath may harm you and your developing baby. We advise on how to safely bathe during pregnancy and what cosmetics to use to properly moisturize the skin.
It warms up, soothes pain in muscles and spine, and when you pour fragrant liquid into water, it also relaxes and improves mood. The advantages ofbathcould be multiplied. We appreciate it especially in winter, when nothing warms you up better than warm water. Contrary to what you may read on the internet, there is no reason to give up bathing duringpregnancy . Unless your pregnancy is at risk (bathing could then cause contractions and premature birth) or you suffer from recurrent genital tract infections. In the latter case, doctors advise against splashing in the bathtub, because the water flushes the "good" bacteria out of the vagina, and in their place, fungi or pathogenic bacteria develop.
Three rules for safe bathing during pregnancy
However, in order for the bath to harm you, you must follow a few rules.
- First: be careful with the water temperature
The information that a bath in warm water can harm your baby by heating up the amniotic fluid is just a superstition, but too hot water can cause strong uterine contractions, bleeding, and even premature birth. That is why doctors recommend that the water you pour into the bathtub should be no more than 37-38˚C. It must be warm (in too cold water you can catch a cold) but not hot. You can measure the temperature with a special bath thermometer (available at children's stores) or with your elbow (here the skin is sensitive to temperature and if the water in the bathtub is too hot, you will feel it).
- Second: don't stay in the bathtub for too long
The optimal bath time is fifteen minutes. A longer one will not relax you or relax you, but it will make you feel sleepy and unable to exercise.
- Third: be careful in the bathtub
Before you enter it, put on the bottom a thick towel or a special non-slip mat with adhesive tapes (available in children's stores). Thanks to this, you will not slip - this is especially important in the second and third trimesters when the point changesthe weight of the body and it is easy to tip over. Enter the bathtub slowly and carefully. If possible, install special handles in the bathroom that you can hold on to. For this purpose, however, do not use the hair dryer bars or shower handles - you can accidentally tear them out of the wall and hurt yourself. Before leaving the bathtub, check that the floor is not splashed with water. If there is, put a towel on it and then leave.
You must do itMoisturization indicated
After bathing, do not rub your skin with a towel, just wrap it around yourself and let moisture soak into it. Then massage the stretch mark prevention cream into your breasts (avoiding the nipples), stomach and thighs, and a moisturizing lotion into the rest of your body.
Bath cosmetics
While bathing, not only the temperature of the water is important, but also what you pour into it. Theoretically, there are no contraindications for you to use the same washing lotion or gel as before pregnancy. In practice, however, you may find that its smell is now unbearable for you. In this case, look for a liquid in the drugstore that you tolerate the smell. However, do not buy one that you cannot smell before - such a purchase may turn out to be a total failure. Only unscented bath cosmetics for allergy sufferers or babies are now completely safe. They are also recommended when regular lotion irritates your skin. If you tolerate odors well and you are comfortable with pregnant skin, you can use colored effervescent tablets for bathing. They smell beautiful, and when thrown into the bathtub, they dissolve, releasing thousands of bubbles that massage the skin. They have only one disadvantage: it happens that they dry the skin, so after bathing you need to moisturize it well with a lotion. During pregnancy, it is better to give up the daily use of colored s alts with minerals. They contain minerals that are very valuable to the skin - calcium, iodine, magnesium - but they usually dry it out a lot. This can be a problem because during pregnancy, the sebaceous glands slow down their work due to the excess of estrogens, so the skin automatically becomes drier. However, if you do not want to completely give up s alt, use it sparingly and only once in a while. If your skin becomes dry, add moisturizing bath oils (available in pharmacies). They rebuild the epidermal lipid barrier and soothe irritations - most of them, however, do not have cleansing properties. Therefore, you should wash in the shower beforehand. When using such cosmetics, remember that the bathtub becomes slippery after using them. So it's worth redoubling your caution when leaving it - it's best to hold on to something or ask your husband for help. Before you go out withput on your pajamas and a warm bathrobe. The temperature difference between a warm bathroom and a cooler room may not be too great, but it is enough to make you catch a cold.
"M jak mama" monthly