While pregnancy is often one of the most joyous times in a woman’s life, growing a human being can be uncomfortable, exhausting, and stressful. So pregnant women are often looking for some sort of relief activity they can safely do to feel a little soothing and ease.
Check With Your Doctor First
Taking baths could be risky for some pregnancies, and a professional OBGYN will be able to determine if bathing is a good idea on a case-by-case basis. For one woman, a bath may have been perfectly fine for a first pregnancy, but the second pregnancy might involve some concerns. For pregnant women who enjoy taking baths, make sure that bathing is safe. Ask your doctor during checkup to be sure.
Bookmark your favorite Better Bath Better Body soak, so you can show the ingredients to your doctor, too. Ask about the bath temperature that’s good for you, as well as the ideal duration of your bath. Proceed only when your doctor has determined that baths are safe for you.
How Pregnant Women Benefit From Baths
If you’re pregnant and your doctor gave you the green light to take baths, enjoy some relief with epsom salt soaks. A good bath with epsom salt and all natural essential oils can provide soothing, comfort, relaxation, and even energy. Three specific types of baths that pregnant women find particularly beneficial are:
- Sitz baths – Sitz baths are also known as hip baths, as they provide relieving and relaxing benefits from the waist down. However, you can enjoy Better Bath Better Body Sitz Soak in regular baths. You can also fill your regular bath tub with just a few inches of water, or use a sitz bath device that can be easily attached to any toilet bowl.
HOW TO SOAK: Gently mix with warm water that is comfortable to your touch. If using in a sitz bath, start with 1 tablespoon per gallon of water and gradually increase up to 2 tablespoons per gallon of water. If using in a full size bathtub, use about 1/2 cup to 1 full cup. Enjoy the benefits of soothing Epsom Salt and therapeutic essential oils. Always use plenty of water and start with a small amount before increasing.
- Foot baths – Being pregnant means carrying some extra weight, which your feet are not used to. Foot baths can be an excellent way for pregnant women to relax, providing their feet with the soothing they need. A foot bath, like a sitz bath, can be taken in a traditional tub or a basin meant for them. If using a a foot bath basin, you can sit in a sofa, or in a favorite chair outdoors. Just enjoy the warm foot bath and aromatherapy experience in your most comfortable spot.
HOW TO SOAK: Use Better Bath Better Body foot soaks in a soaking tub, full bath, or in the shower. Always start with a small amount for your first use and gradually increase. For foot soaks, use about 1-2 tablespoons per gallon. For full body bath soaks, use about half a cup to 1 full cup for a full standard size bathtub.
- Traditional baths – Feel the relaxing benefits of a bath in your feet, back, hips, and your whole body. When you soak in Better Bath Better Body bath salts, you will breathe in the soothing natural aromas of 100% pure essential oils, too. Aromatherapy naturally relaxes the senses, so pick your favorite herbs to go with your salts. Make sure your doctor approves them, too.
For normal baths, pour half a cup to 1 cup of epsom salt blend to your bath water. When you’re done, be very careful when you get up. Rise from the tub slowly, exit the tub carefully, then gently pat your skin dry.
Safe and Comfortable Baths
For women who typically take hot baths outside of pregnancy, there will need to be some changes in order to safely take a pregnancy bath. Making sure the water isn’t too hot is important to safe bathing for pregnant women, and water should be kept below 100 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure a safe and positive experience. High temperatures in baths, showers, or saunas during pregnancy has been shown to increase risk of some complications, so keeping the water comfortably warm (but not hot) is important. Pregnant women should ask their doctor about these details before taking a bath.
Along with keeping a comfortable warm temperature, there are a few other things that pregnant women can do to ensure a safe and positive bath experience. Having a handle or help to lift from a bathtub or soaking basin can help women to safely exit their bath without worry of slipping. If exiting a bath alone, make sure to be extremely careful.
After your bath your skin will be soft and delicate. Having a soft, clean, and dry towel ready to pat the skin dry helps to keep the skin soothed during the drying off process. Roughly wiping dry may be uncomfortable, while patting keeps the comforting feeling going outside of your tub.
Choose Your Epsom Salt Blend
It’s not just the warm water that soothes and comforts during a pregnancy bath, it’s also the epsom salt blend and powerful natural aromatherapy that adds to the experience. Pregnant women may find themselves sensitive to certain aromas during their pregnancy, to trying different blends is recommended to find the one (or ones) that work best for you. Some picks popular with pregnant women are:
- Deep Relaxation – With 100% pure lavender essential oil, Deep Relaxation bath salt is perfect for women looking for a soothing and relaxing bath without too many aromas working together at once. Along with lavender essential oil the blend includes USP grade epsom salt and Vitamin C crystals.
- Detox Foot Soak – For soaking feet, Detox Foot Soak features soothing peppermint essential oil, alongside frankincense, lavender, and lemon. This bright and cooling blend is easy to handle and provides an uplifting feeling through aromatherapy.
Sitz Bath – The Sitz Bath blend is made with 100% pure essential oil from lavender, frankincense, geranium, niaouli, and juniper. Formulated with USP grade epsom salt plus Vitamin C crystals, Sitz Bath works to provide a truly relaxing bath.
