Ask Dr Miriam

Q I’ve read online that hot baths and saunas aren’t safe for pregnant women. What do you think? A Well, guidelines from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists do advise pregnant women to avoid hot baths and saunas as a high body temperature, particularly in the first three months of pregnancy, can increase the risk of health problems for the baby.

However, new research from universities in Canada and Exeter paints a different picture. Researchers calculated that women could exercise in water up to 33C for up to 45 minutes and sit in hot baths (40C) or saunas (70C) safely for up to 25 minutes. They could also do 35 minutes of high intensity aerobic exercise in temperatures up to 25C. The researchers said this may be because women’s bodies get better at regulating temperatures as they go through pregnancy. The study, published in the journal Sports Medicine, found the core temperatures of women taking part in such activities did not exceed the recommended 39C.