Your body temperature should never be higher than 102.2 degrees F (39° C) for more than 10 minutes. Very hot baths, hot tubs and saunas probably will be at least this hot, if not several degrees hotter.
Check the water temperature with a thermometer before getting in. Pay attention to the warning signs of overheating:
- Feeling too hot, dizzy, faint or clammy
- Having chills, extreme thirst, dry mouth or nausea
If you do feel warning signs of overheating, leave the tub or sauna, and call your health care provider right away.
If you used a steam room, hot tub or sauna before you knew you were pregnant, but didn't feel any warning signs of overheating, the risk to your baby is probably low. Most women begin to feel too hot and get out before their temperature reaches dangerous levels.
If a pregnant woman's body temperature is too high, the baby may have a birth defect. Also high body temperature can cause the pregnant woman's blood pressure to fall. As a result, the fetus may receive less oxygen and nutrition.
For more information on treatments that can raise body temperature during pregnancy, read Hyperthermia and Pregnancy from the Organization of Teratology Information Specialists.
January 2007
