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The Amazing Benefits of Taking Baths During Pregnancy

The benefits of taking baths while pregnant are well known. The relaxation of the muscle, the release of tension, and the loosening of your limbs are all the incredible by-products of soaking in the tub.

When pregnant, baths take on additional benefits, especially when you add additional medicinal soaks. Swollen feet, bulging forearms, and even sore and tender skin and scalps can be calmed with miracle soaks in the tub. It is important to note: do not make the water too hot. Scalding water is not good for you or for your baby and can make you dizzy and even faint if you are not careful.

As you probably have heard, taking an Epsom salt bath while pregnant is a real game changer. Almost instantly, you can feel your stress and tight muscles melt away only to be replaced by a calmer more collected version of yourself. The reasons for that are part scientific and part psychosomatic.

In addition to soothing tight muscles and promoting sleep, Epsom salt is also known to smoothen skin (even pregnancy stretch marks), help with indigestion, and even help with anxiety.

The two main ingredients of Epsom salt are magnesium and sulfate. It is believed the combination of both ingredients stimulates detoxification pathways. Magnesium is a natural substance that aids a variety of bodily functions, including the removal of toxins. Sulfate can strengthen the walls of the digestive tract and make releasing toxins easier. Low levels of magnesium can ease the pain in people with arthritis. Epsom salt contains magnesium and may help the body get rid of toxins responsible for exacerbating inflammation while also reducing swelling, stiffness, and pain. Healthy magnesium levels can also boost brain neurotransmitters that are responsible for inducing sleep and reducing stress. Magnesium may also promote melatonin, a sleep-inducing hormone.

In addition to soothing tight muscles and promoting sleep, Epsom salt is also known to smoothen skin (even pregnancy stretch marks), help with indigestion, and even help with anxiety. It has been shown that magnesium can be ingested through skin, therefore effectively targeting all ailments while taking a bath. Epsom salt also aids in indigestion as constipation is very common during pregnancy. Alongside the weight of the uterus and developing baby, this can increase the likelihood of hemorrhoids. Soaking in a warm bath may help relieve the discomfort that hemorrhoids cause, while the anti-inflammatory properties of Epsom salts may help to shrink the veins.

Epsom salt is the miracle soak of the bathing world. However, bathing alone has its benefits as well. Immersing yourself in warm or hot water does wonders for your muscles especially around your neck and shoulders area. The muscles in that region lead up to your head and down your back, making it difficult to move when too tight. Bathing and loosening those muscles can aid in movement and comfort in everyday living. In addition to the muscle group around your shoulders, the muscles leading to your lower back can be especially tight when pregnant. Leaning backwards in hot water can relax your upper and lower back muscles without intensive massage therapy.

Shoshi S.
Shoshi is a graduate from Stern College for Women in New York City. Her areas of interest include policy, non-profit organizations, and administration. During winter 2018, she was a White House intern. Shoshi has also interned at the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles and at Save the Children in New York. As a millennial, Shoshi brings a young and fresh perspective to the worlds of pregnancy and lactation.

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