Is It Safe To Use A Sauna While Pregnant?

As exciting as pregnancy is, it also comes with a lot of questions about what’s safe and what’s not. And this also includes your all time favorite relaxation spot, the sauna. 

In fact, one of the most obvious questions pregnant women ask me is whether or not it’s okay to sauna during pregnancy. 

I am sure you’d be wondering about this too and looking for concrete fact-based answers. 
Now, although saunas are known for their numerous therapeutic benefits, pregnancy changes everything. So much so that it calls for extra caution with everything including exposure to excessive heat. 

This is exactly why experts raise alarm over sauna use and advise safer alternatives like warm showers despite the fact that you’re well within sauna age limit. 

But can you sauna while pregnant with safety measures or is it a big no for all your pregnancy months. 

Read on, as I’ve answered this in detail for all the phases of pregnancy along with my tips to keep you and your little one safe. 

Can you use a sauna while pregnant?

Let me start by addressing the elephant in the room, i.e., can you use a sauna while pregnant or not. 

You see, the general advice from medical professionals is that you should approach sauna bathing with caution. That’s because the risk of hyperthermia or a steep rise in body temperature is higher during pregnancy. 

And this can interfere with fetal development, more so in the early stages of pregnancy when your baby’s critical organs and systems are forming. 

Here, the first trimester is especially sensitive with medical experts suggesting avoiding saunas altogether during this period.

But that said, saunas might be safe during the later stages of pregnancy. You’ve to, nonetheless, keep the temperature below 102 degrees Fahrenheit on your Amerec sauna control and limit your session to a short time. 

In short, although you should avoid saunas during the initial months of your pregnancy, you can use them in the later months after consulting with your doctor.
 
What are the risks of sauna while pregnant?

Now that you’ve a rough idea about pregnancy and sauna use, you might be curious what exactly are the risks of sauna for pregnant women. 

To begin with, there are not one but multiple risks of high heat exposure during pregnancy. After all, from risking neural tube defects to chances of fainting in the sauna, there’s a lot to be afraid of. 

Overall, here’s why it’s important to be cautious with saunas during this time: 

Risk #1. Neural tube defects

When you’re in early pregnancy, especially the first few weeks, the neural tube is still being formed as part of fetal development. It is this tube that eventually becomes the brain and spinal cord. 

Now, hyperthermia is a major risk during this period with studies showing that prolonged exposure to high heat can increase the risk of neural tube defects. 

This is particularly concerning because this stage pregnancy happens even before you know you're expecting. And any external temperature increase can interfere with how the neural tube forms.

Risk #2. Excessive dehydration

One thing I always tell expecting mothers is that pregnancy demands more from your body than usual. And this causes more fluid loss even with minimal physical exertion. 

In fact, just a slight dehydration in this case can trigger discomfort or cramps. 

So, when you hit the sauna, it leads to rapid fluid loss and makes your body work hard to cool itself. This is worse than sauna bathing during hangovers when your body struggles to maintain fluid balance. 

Why?

Unlike regular dehydration that causes dizziness and headaches, you are susceptible to fainting and preterm labor in more severe cases.

Meaning as someone already juggling the added fluid demands of pregnancy, sweating it out in the sauna can put both you and your baby at risk. 

Risk #3. Dangerously low blood pressure

As your body works to support your growing baby during pregnancy, the blood volume increases to the fetus to ensure nutrients and oxygen reach there. However, this also leads to a drop in blood pressure to other parts of your body, often making you feel lightheaded. 

Now, as sauna heat dilates your blood vessels, it only makes the low blood pressure situation worse.  

The result: Even though others feel relaxed and calm out of lowered blood pressure, as a pregnant woman you might feel dizzy and even faint. 

In fact, there have been instances when low blood pressure caused falls and resulted in injuries to both the mother and the baby.

Risk #4. Preterm labor 

If you’re in the later stages of your pregnancy, exposure to high heat conditions can cause premature contractions. And this, in turn, can lead to preterm labor. 

How? 

You see, the combination of dehydration, heat stress, and your body’s altered response to high temperature is known to trigger premature contractions. So much so that even if you’re not yet near your due date, your body might still react unpredictably. 

So, as your body is overheated, the uterine muscles get stressed and they start contracting in response. This poses a real risk of preterm labor, especially in the crucial later months when your baby’s organs are still developing. 

Risk #5. Overheating

The tricky thing about pregnancy is that it changes your body’s natural temperature regulation process. 

Here, you’d tend to have a higher baseline body temperature and your body might not cool down as efficiently as it did before pregnancy. 

That means by the time you start to feel overheated, your internal temperature might already be higher than the safe levels.

And this is also why saunas become problematic as they quickly raise your body’s temperature without you even realizing it. 

But what about your body’s in-built cooling mechanisms? 

Well, these are already working overtime to keep both you and your baby healthy during pregnancy. And chances are they will be overwhelmed out of extreme heat, leaving you in a dangerous situation. 
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When can you use a sauna while pregnant? ​

​As I said earlier, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to sauna use during pregnancy. Meaning, although you can use the sauna, there are some caveats for sure. 

For instance, the stage of your pregnancy plays a key role in deciding whether or not you can use the sauna. 

Not to mention, you’ve also factor in underlying health issues and overall well being before exposing yourself to high heat situations. 

All in all, here’s when you can you go in a sauna while pregnant and when you can’t: 

If you are in your first trimester: Avoid it!

It’s best to avoid saunas altogether during the first trimester. That’s because the risk of overheating is especially concerning at this stage, as your baby’s critical systems are still in the early stages of development. 

After all, this is the most sensitive time for your baby. And any heat exposure can interfere with the development of their brain and spine.

If you are later in pregnancy: Short moderate sessions if absolutely necessary

In the second and third trimesters, the risks of sauna use somewhat decreases. 

But that doesn't mean you can fully relax in a sauna without any precaution at all. On the contrary, if you absolutely feel the need to use a sauna, I suggest you limit your session to less than 10-15 minutes. 

Also, the sauna temperature should not be too extreme and you should be well hydrated. 

If you have high-risk pregnancy conditions: Avoid it!

For women who have high-risk pregnancies with conditions like preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, or a history of preterm labor, the risks of sauna use are significantly higher. 

So, if you fall in this category, any form of heat exposure is dangerous for you. And I strongly suggest you avoid saunas altogether. 

Can you do infrared sauna while pregnant?

Although infrared saunas are touted as a gentler option because of their lower temperatures, they still pose risks during pregnancy. 
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One of the major concerns is that they still raise your body temperature, which can lead to dehydration, dizziness, and overheating, among others. And this is also true for far infrared saunas compared to near infrared, even though the former is less intense. 

Moreover, health experts still don’t have enough research to conclusively determine whether infrared saunas are completely safe for pregnant women. And a lot of these experts suggest avoiding them unless you’ve been given the go-ahead by your healthcare provider. 
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Frequently asked questions about sauna and pregnancy

I used a sauna before I knew I was pregnant. Did I harm my baby?

This is a common situation for many women who unknowingly use a sauna before discovering they are pregnant. And this can cause some anxiety. 

Now, if your sauna session was brief and you didn’t experience any discomfort, the risk to your baby is low. 

Early pregnancy is a sensitive time, but a short accidental exposure to heat is unlikely to cause harm.

However, I always suggest you take the time to discuss any concerns with your doctor. 

Can you use a sauna in the third trimester?

By the third trimester, your body is already under significant strain with extra blood volume, increased heart rate, and additional weight from the growing baby. This means your body is more vulnerable to heat stress, dehydration, and fatigue, all of which can be triggered by sauna use.

So, if you decide to use the sauna, it's essential to limit your time to no more than 10-15 minutes. 

Can you use a sauna if you keep the temperature low?

​The idea of lowering the temperature in the sauna might seem like a safer alternative during pregnancy. But most medical experts still recommend avoiding it. 

While it’s true that temperatures below 102 degrees fahrenheit are less intense and might reduce the risk of extreme overheating, they still carry significant risks for pregnant women.

I advise that you check with your healthcare provider and discuss your specific situation before deciding to step into a sauna.

Final words

As you can see, the safest choice is to avoid saunas during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester. After all, risks of overheating, dehydration, dizziness, and potential harm to the fetus outweigh the benefits.

And if you’re missing the comfort of warm sauna ambiance, you can try warm baths, prenatal massages, or gentle yoga instead.

Got more questions or looking to install a sauna in your home? 

Do get in touch with us!

At Steam & Sauna Experts, we are seasoned sauna enthusiasts with over a decade of hands-on experience installing top-of-the-line sauna across South Florida and beyond. Also, we’ve got an extensive inventory with industry leading sauna accessories and parts. 
Simply put, we have all your home sauna requirements covered on a budget.