To bathe or not to bathe, that is the question!

[CocoDisney]

Thank you to those who responded to my last post regarding gel nail polish before embryo transfer (it may seem a silly question, but I’m sure we’ve all had them at one stage or another during our individual journey) I ended up removing it out of caution, only to find out it was unnecessary, but that’s no big deal.

So embryo transfer was today, and we were informed it all went as it should. We’re still not getting our hopes up, but it’s one step further along than our 1st cycle.

Now for my next perhaps ‘silly’ question. We’ve been told there is no evidence to show that taking a bath is a no no, however reading online, I’ve repeatedly seen that hot baths should be avoided. It is very difficult to know what advice to follow, especially when there is so much information available.

Once again, any advice would be very helpful. Thank you all.

[Hp07]

Hi, my clinic have advised no baths due to increase in body temperature. Wishing you all the best xx

[Allotmenteer16]

I was told I could carry on as normal but to avoid hot baths, showers that could lead to overheating in the first 48 hours.

[Kate-92]

I was advised no hot baths, and didn’t have one until I was 36 wks pregnant as I was too worried which is silly I know. Wishing you lots of luck x

[Kitkat10 in reply to Kate-92]

Same 😂 I didn’t have a bath until after the baby was born and was conservative with shower temp 😂

[Kate-92 in reply to Kitkat10]

Same even in the depths of winter all I wanted was to steep but kept it lukewarm… you better believe I boiled once he arrived 😂

[K_LNB]

My clinic advised no hot baths - I can’t remember if it was for a few days or whole two week wait. 6 months pregnant and taking lots of them now! I think initially the risk of infection/irritation is relevant especially with IVF.

[Aquaharmony]

Heat that raises your core body temperature for I believe 10 mins or more is potentially dangerous so whether a bath or a shower keep the temperature warm but not hot and you should be fine.

[Twiglet2]

nhs clinic advised no hot baths so I would avoid personally. There are 2 reasons not to have a bath one is infection risk after procedure (especially egg collection) for a few days- week and the other is the raised core temp affecting embryo development in first trimester 🤗

[Christianbaby]

My doctor advised against hot baths. t’s great that your transfer went well—fingers crossed for you! xx

[dbrjmb]

Really glad your transfer went well. Regarding hot baths , my nurses told me not to have any hot baths or steam rooms for 2 weeks. Embryos are very sensitive to the heat so anything that raises your core body temperature should be avoided.. My nurses advised 2 minute luke warm showers . I couldn't even stay outside too much in the sun as they also advised against this. Wishing you the best of luck on your journey.xx

[MultiMagpie]

You can become really obsessive with this kind of thing - when they mean you can't get hot, they mean really excessively raising your core temperature for a prolonged period of time. A shower or a short bath is NOT going to do this. During my 2WW there was a heatwave and my core temperature was raised for the entire week, nothing cooled me down, not even a fan. I thought it was over, but still got my BFP.

People saying have short lukewarm showers, don't spend time in the sun etc are getting a bit OTT. There is no reason whatsoever you can't have a normal temperature shower for a normal period of time, just not boiling hot and stood in there for 30 minutes. My clinic said warm-hot showers are fine because you're simply not in there long enough for your core temperature to rise. Baths are also fine to have, just not boiling hot; get yourself a water thermometer and ensure the water doesn't get above 37/38 degrees - it's certainly not hot hot, but it's enough to relax in and clean yourself, and don't spend longer than about 20 mins or so.

It's very easy to terrify yourself about what you can and can't do - but that little embryo is safely tucked in there and nothing you will do will make it come out; it's going to be down to your uterus and the embryo, and whatever science has decided for you this round. Try not to worry and google tooooo much or you'll drive yourself mad.

Good luck - it's not over til that final test day when you truly know.

[Tnthketnf]

I followed this advice and never had a bath in any of my transfers. Better safe than sorry I guess. But before showers were invented all women who just conceived had no option but to have a bath. And unable to check their core temperature.