Is it safe to sauna, cold plunge, or get a massage while pregnant?

Short answer: It depends on the practice. Saunas and hot tubs deserve real caution, especially in the first trimester: ACOG says it is best not to, because some studies link them with birth defects, though Finnish research disagrees. An infrared sauna is still a sauna. Cold plunging and red light have almost no research in pregnancy. Float centers mostly welcome pregnant guests, often with a doctor’s OK. Prenatal massage is usually fine after the first trimester with a trained therapist, if your provider agrees. Of 48 US sauna studios that state a pregnancy rule on their own sites, 15 say don’t and 33 say ask your doctor first.

The practices split differently, so it is worth taking them one at a time. Saunas and hot tubs deserve genuine caution, particularly in early pregnancy, because raising your core temperature too high has been linked to real risks. Cold plunges are understudied in pregnancy, so the sensible stance is careful and conservative. Prenatal massage is usually fine once you are past the first trimester and your provider agrees, when done by a therapist trained for pregnancy.

This is general information, not medical advice, and pregnancy is exactly the situation where the honest move is to defer to your own doctor or midwife. They know your specific pregnancy.

What follows is the reasoning so you can have a better conversation with them, not a substitute for it.

Why are saunas and hot tubs the real caution?

Because overheating in early pregnancy carries a documented risk.

Raising your core body temperature substantially, hyperthermia, especially in the first trimester, has been associated in research with an increased risk of neural tube defects and other problems during the period when the baby’s neural tube is forming. This is the heat caution with the strongest evidence behind it, not a vague worry. MotherToBaby says several studies have reported a small chance of neural tube defects when fever or hyperthermia happened before the 6th week of pregnancy, and that high body temperatures after that week are not expected to raise the chance of those defects.

It is not the only heat caution. Cleveland Clinic’s Dr. Alison Stalzer explains that a hot tub lowers your blood pressure, so you might feel lightheaded or dizzy when you stand and could fall or pass out, and that a fall in the second or third trimester “can injure the fetus, cause contractions or lead to amniotic fluid loss.” She adds that saunas can also lead to dehydration.

Asked whether you can use a sauna or hot tub early in pregnancy, ACOG answers “It’s best not to,” because some studies link their use early in pregnancy, especially for long periods, with birth defects. Our guide to hot tubs while pregnant sets out those studies and the CPSC’s 100°F rule, and our guide to hot springs while pregnant applies them to natural springs. The research signal is stronger for hot tubs, though ACOG’s answer covers both, and our sauna vs hot tub comparison sets out the numbers.

Official advice runs from avoid to limit. Ireland’s HSE lists saunas, jacuzzis and hot tubs among things to avoid during pregnancy. Cleveland Clinic’s OB says anything designed to heat you up, including a steam room or hot yoga, is not safe during pregnancy.

MotherToBaby says: “Hot tub or sauna use during pregnancy should be limited.” Treat a steam room the same way, and clear any heat with your provider first. Our sauna and heart guide covers how saunas raise core temperature and heart rate in general.

The research is not one-sided, and it is worth knowing where it disagrees. In Finland, where sauna use in pregnancy is routine, Saxén and colleagues in Teratology in 1982 interviewed the mothers of 100 babies with central nervous system defects and 202 with orofacial clefts, and matched mothers whose babies had neither. Almost every mother (98.5%) had used the sauna regularly, sauna habits did not differ between the groups, and the authors concluded that the sauna’s “relatively mild, temporal hyperthermia” should not be considered hazardous for the embryo. A 1988 Finnish review by Vähä-Eskeli and Erkkola went further: “Healthy pregnant women may safely have sauna baths throughout their pregnancy.”

Those studies are decades old and come from a population with lifelong sauna habits; ACOG’s advice to US patients still says it is best not to, especially early. Part of the difference is how people use the heat: in a 1981 study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, none of 20 women (not pregnant) stayed in a sauna at about 81°C (178°F) long enough for their core temperature to reach the study’s threshold, while some did in a hot tub. When the experts disagree, the decision belongs with your OB or midwife, and this page is for that conversation.

Infrared saunas while pregnant

Cooler air, the same question.

An infrared room runs cooler air than a traditional sauna, but it still warms your body and makes you sweat; that is what it is for. ACOG’s answer is about saunas in general, and the studios themselves draw no line between the two: infrared studios appear on both sides of the table below. Pause in Las Vegas puts it plainly on its infrared page: “The only people who should not use the sauna are those who are pregnant, have pacemakers, and (although rare) have an inability to sweat.” GOAT Wellness in Chicago asks pregnant guests to “consult your physician for advice to see if infrared sauna therapy is safe.” Our infrared vs traditional sauna comparison covers how the two differ.

What US studios tell pregnant guests

Most say ask your doctor; a large minority say no.

We read the websites of 433 US sauna, cold plunge, float, red light and cryotherapy businesses in our directory in October 2026. 135 mention pregnancy somewhere, and 68 state a rule for one of these services. Counted once per business:

Service	Businesses with a stated rule	Say don’t	Say ask a doctor first, or that it may not suit pregnancy	Welcome pregnant guests
Sauna and infrared	48	15	33	0
Cold plunge, contrast, cryotherapy	6	2	4	0
Float tank	13	0	0	13 (6 of them ask for a doctor’s OK)
Red light	6	1	5	0

Not one of the 48 sauna businesses says a sauna is fine in pregnancy without checking first. Royal Standard in Miami: “If you are pregnant, or have any of the medical conditions listed below, do not use the sauna.” Sauna House in Charlotte recommends “consulting your doctor before visiting.” A studio’s rule is not medical advice either way, but it tells you what to expect at the door, and a studio that asks you to check with your doctor is asking you to have the conversation this page is for.

Does that mean all heat is off-limits?

Not necessarily, but this is a doctor conversation, not a self-judgment.

The risk is tied to significantly raising core temperature, so a warm bath that does not overheat you is different from a hot sauna. Cleveland Clinic’s OB suggests a warm bath no higher than 99 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius) instead, and says soaking only your feet and calves at the edge of a hot tub is generally safe.

Published advice differs beyond the early weeks. The CDC says: “If you are pregnant, talk to a healthcare provider before using a hot tub.” Cleveland Clinic’s OB says hot tubs are still not a good idea in the second or third trimester.

The most permissive US advice we read is ColumbiaDoctors’ health library: it says experts do not forbid hot tubs or saunas, but not to stay more than 10 minutes in a hot tub or 15 in a sauna, and to get out if you feel too hot. Which of these fits depends on you and your pregnancy, so it is your provider’s call.

What matters is not guessing. Because the stakes are high and the evidence is real, this is precisely the topic to raise explicitly with your OB or midwife rather than relying on a general article or a studio’s reassurance.

If you do get any clearance, the usual signs to stop immediately, feeling faint, dizzy, or too hot, apply with extra seriousness.

A fever raises your core temperature too. MotherToBaby says to talk with your healthcare providers to learn if a fever needs treating, so call yours and stay out of the heat in the meantime.

If you used a sauna or hot tub before you knew you were pregnant, tell your OB or midwife. MotherToBaby says prenatal ultrasounds and a blood test for alpha fetoprotein (AFP) can screen for certain neural tube defects, and our hot tub guide covers this case.

What about cold plunges and cold water?

Understudied, so err conservative.

There is far less research on deliberate cold water immersion during pregnancy than on heat, which itself is a reason for caution rather than confidence. The cold shock response raises heart rate and blood pressure sharply, and being pregnant changes your cardiovascular baseline, so the effects are not well characterised.

There is also the practical risk of the plunge itself: slipping, getting in and out of a tub with a changing body and balance, and the intensity of the cold shock. In pregnancy “you are less stable and more likely to lose your balance,” says ACOG, and American Heart Association News warns that cold shock can make a person “drown within seconds if they involuntarily gasp while their head is submerged.” None of this is well studied enough to call clearly safe.

The research really is thin. We searched PubMed and found no trial or cohort study of cold plunging or cold water swimming in pregnancy. The closest are a 2020 hypothesis article in Medical Hypotheses, which proposes, without data, that habitual cold water swimming might improve obstetric outcomes by blunting the stress response, and a 2025 qualitative study in Health & Place in which 13 pregnant women who sea-swam through a UK winter described the benefits they felt and the risks their midwives raised. Neither tests safety.

The businesses that offer plunges mostly say ask a doctor first. PLUNJ in Phoenix: “Pregnant individuals should consult their doctor before participating.” Soul Plunge in San Diego does not recommend contrast therapy for those who are pregnant, and Cryo1one in Dallas lists pregnancy among the conditions that rule out whole-body cryotherapy, which is cold air in a chamber rather than a plunge.

The sensible stance is to treat cold plunging as something to avoid or to clear carefully with your provider, rather than assume it is fine because it is not hot. Our cold plunge safety guide covers who should generally be cautious, and pregnancy belongs on that list.

Float tanks while pregnant

The one service most businesses welcome, and still a question for your provider.

All 13 float centers in our count that state a pregnancy rule welcome pregnant floaters, and Infinity Float Center in Houston even provides “a special pregnancy kit” of supports for a comfortable position. The conditions vary:

• six ask you to check with your doctor first;
• City Cave in Fort Lauderdale says floating is “safe to enjoy with your doctor’s approval (up to 36 weeks)”;
• My Place Float Therapy in Henderson says to skip floating in the first trimester;
• Float On in Portland lists being in the third trimester without having checked with your doctor among reasons not to float.

We found no study of flotation tanks in pregnancy, so the enthusiasm on these pages is the centers’ own experience, not evidence. Tell the center you are pregnant when you book, and ask your provider, especially in the first trimester or a high-risk pregnancy. Our float tank guide covers what a session involves.

Red light therapy while pregnant

Little to go on, so most studios defer to your clinician.

Of the 6 red light businesses that state a pregnancy rule, 5 say ask a doctor first, and Sacramento Red Light Therapy explains its rule: “Because research is limited, we do not recommend RLT during pregnancy.” Our guide to your first red light therapy session covers what the session itself involves.

Is prenatal massage safe?

Usually yes after the first trimester, with your provider’s OK, a trained therapist and some sensible adjustments.

Cleveland Clinic says prenatal massage, done properly, is safe and effective, that its risks are minimal for most healthy pregnancies, especially after the first trimester, and that research suggests it may reduce stress and ease back and leg pain. That depends on a therapist trained in prenatal massage, because there are real adjustments involved.

The adjustments start early. NewYork-Presbyterian’s health library says to avoid lying on your belly after your third month, or much earlier with twins or more, and on your back after your fourth month. Cleveland Clinic says it is generally safest to have a prenatal massage lying on your side, and Ireland’s HSE says to avoid any spa treatment that involves lying on your back or pressure on your tummy.

The pressure stays light, no more than firm to medium. If you have blood clots, “deep pressure can potentially dislodge them,” Cleveland Clinic’s therapist warns, so tell your provider and therapist about any clot history. Calf pain or swelling is on ACOG’s list of warning signs, so call your provider rather than having it massaged.

NewYork-Presbyterian also says: “Firm massage of the pregnant belly could cause serious pregnancy problems.” Ask your doctor or midwife before aromatherapy oils, since some essential oils may be unsafe in pregnancy. Our first massage guide covers the basics of communicating during a session.

Cleveland Clinic says most pregnancy providers usually recommend waiting until the beginning of the second trimester (12 weeks pregnant and beyond), and that your provider may not recommend massage if you have pregnancy concerns like gestational diabetes or high blood pressure.

Some spas write that limit into their rules: Olympus Spa says “We are unable to schedule massages for individuals in their first trimester of pregnancy.” SoJo Spa Club books maternity massages between 13 and 36 weeks.

Tell the studio you are pregnant when you book, ask specifically for a prenatal-trained therapist, and check with your doctor or midwife first. Our practitioner credentials guide covers checking qualifications. For the abdominal separation most pregnancies produce, our diastasis recti guide covers what helps afterwards. Our postpartum guide covers massage, sauna and hot tubs after the birth.

FAQ: sauna, cold plunge, float and red light while pregnant

Can you use a sauna while pregnant? ACOG’s answer to using a sauna or hot tub early in pregnancy is “It’s best not to,” because some studies link them with birth defects, especially with long sessions. Finnish research found no link, and your OB or midwife makes the call. Of 48 US sauna studios with a stated rule, 15 say don’t and 33 say ask your doctor first.

Can you use an infrared sauna while pregnant? Treat it as a sauna. It runs cooler air but still raises your body temperature, and the infrared studios that state a rule either say don’t or ask you to check with your doctor first.

Can you cold plunge while pregnant? There is almost no research: we found no trial or cohort study of cold plunging in pregnancy. The cold shock raises heart rate and blood pressure, and getting in and out of a tub is a fall risk, so clear it with your provider first. Most plunge studios ask you to.

Can you float while pregnant? Most float centers welcome pregnant guests, often with your doctor’s approval, and some set limits such as not in the first trimester or not after 36 weeks. We found no study either way, so ask your provider and tell the center when you book.

Can you do red light therapy while pregnant? Research is limited, so most red light studios ask you to consult a doctor first, and at least one does not recommend it in pregnancy.

What is the safe general approach?

Ask first, disclose always, and default to gentle.

Tell any studio or therapist that you are pregnant before booking anything, so they can advise or decline appropriately. Raise saunas, hot tubs, and cold plunges specifically with your OB or midwife rather than deciding yourself, given the heat evidence and the lack of cold data. Lean toward gentler options like prenatal massage, gentle prenatal yoga, and rest.

Stop immediately if anything feels wrong, get out of the heat or cold, and call your OB or midwife. ACOG’s warning signs during exercise in pregnancy are a fair guide: bleeding from the vagina, feeling dizzy or faint, shortness of breath, chest pain, headache, muscle weakness, calf pain or swelling, regular painful contractions, or fluid gushing or leaking from the vagina. Call them after any fall too and, as Cleveland Clinic’s OB advises, if in doubt get immediate medical care.

Call 911 if you faint. MedlinePlus lists being pregnant among the reasons to call 911 for anyone who has fainted, along with chest pain or not becoming alert within a couple of minutes. Pregnancy is the right time to be more cautious than usual, not less.

When in doubt, the answer is not this article. It is your provider.

The bottom line on pregnancy and these three

Saunas and hot tubs, infrared included, warrant real caution, especially early, because overheating carries documented risk, even though Finnish research disagrees. Cold plunges and red light are barely studied, so stay conservative. Float centers mostly welcome pregnant guests, often with a doctor’s OK. Prenatal massage is usually fine after the first trimester, with your provider’s OK, a trained therapist and the right adjustments.

Above all, disclose your pregnancy everywhere and let your own doctor or midwife make the call. This is the one area where deferring to them is the whole answer.

To find studios near you to call and ask, start with our city wellness maps, which do not show whether a studio takes pregnant guests.