Yes, and both you and your baby will benefit.
Photo provided by Float Dreams
With so many changes occurring all at once and many you are not even aware of, a pregnant woman needs all the help she can get to support her journey in growing a baby to full term generally thought to be 40 weeks gestation.
There is a lot of energy required to grow another human that effects each woman differently. Floatation therapy is not new to the health care community but unfortunately, it is not well understood or recommended enough, especially when it has so many benefits.
Floating in a sensory deprivation tank addresses the 7 major issues that many women go through while pregnant, insomnia, leg cramps, swelling or oedema, hypertension, Braxton Hicks (contractions in practice), lower back pain, and stress. Stress is the biggest contributor to the other complaints and with the bonus of relaxing in one of our dream pods, most women report a deeper connection that develops in the silence with their baby, hearing their heartbeat and more easily feeling their movement really helps calm both mother and baby. The deep rest the mother experiences helps with the growth of the baby and according to the most current research on sleep by Dr Mathew Walker, sleep allows the body and brain to process information and regenerate.
The experience of weightlessness has a profound effect on our mind and body as 90% of neural activity is taken up with spatial awareness, one is truly experiencing the deepest level of relaxation humanly possible.
Swelling /Oedema in pregnancy
Swelling/Oedema is the number one issue which occurs mainly in the 3rd trimester. We often get to the end of the day and just want to put our feet up or have a soak in the bath with some essential oils and Epsom salts. Epsom salts are already known to reduce swelling in aching joints. So, soaking in over 600kg of magnesium sulphate in our float tanks has an even greater beneficial effect as you are combining this with the weightlessness only achievable in a floatation tank.
You come out of your float feeling more comfortable in your body with less aches and pains and with the added benefit of less swelling in your feet. There is an increased blood flow to all your extremities including your growing baby, and you can safely lie on your back without the worry of nerve pressure on the spine, and you have the option to lie on your front too.
Hypertension in pregnancy.
Towards the end of pregnancy, blood pressure can rise, and the recent results from research by Dr Justin Feinstein, indicate that floatation therapy can normalise blood pressure.
Removing stress from the body (and the mind) by releasing all tension from the muscles, the blood flow increases around the body and to the developing foetus.
Braxton Hicks/ contractions in practice.
The uterus is one of the strongest muscles in the body and needs to be powerful enough to push a baby out in labour. Floating can help relax this muscle, reducing the likelihood of having Braxton Hicks. In fact, magnesium sulphate is what is used in hospitals to stop preterm labour. So, soak it up in our floatation tanks with over 600kg of Epsom salts.
Insomnia in pregnancy.
This can often be brought on by stress from day-to-day life, especially if the mother is working full time or has other children she is caring for. Anxiety may be generated from “how am I going to cope with this major life changing experience and the new addition to our family”? And let us not forget the constant changes in hormone levels that occur throughout pregnancy, even trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in, can all contribute to effecting sleep and sleep quality. Research has already proven that floating in a tank can and does improve our sleep and sleep quality. Floating can affect our hormones in a good way, simply by removing stress for the 60-90 min from both body and brain. The warmth of the water, the silence one experiences, the darkness and zero gravity, all work together for this unique experience which have amazing results.
how am I going to cope with this major life changing experience and the new addition to our family?
Leg cramps in pregnancy.
Magnesium supplements are known to help with leg cramps and the same has been said of using topical magnesium oil. So, relaxing in a floatation tank not only increases blood flow helping relax the muscles, and reducing tension. But the feeling of weightless, increases your sense of peace and calm.
Lower Back Pain in pregnancy.
Thought out pregnancy there are many changes that occur to your body,
gaining weight natural occurs as your belly grows to accommodate the baby, stretching abdominal muscles towards the end the baby growths, and it sits on the pelvic floor muscles, increase the stretching and discomfort. At the same time, your centre of gravity shifts effecting your balance and increasing pressure on back muscles. Sitting for long periods of time can reduce blood flow to the lumbar and increase inflammation. Poor sleep quality can also play a role in back pain, as finding a comfortable position becomes harder. When you lie in a floatation tank all pressure is remove from the spine, and blood flow is improved immediately, magnesium aids in relaxing muscles and reducing inflammation and any tension.
Stress in pregnancy, both physical and mental
First time pregnancy can cause stress to any woman, the unknown can create anxiety in the best of us!
• How are we going to be as a parent?
• Will my baby be healthy?
• Will labour go smoothly?
This is a life changing experience. For the mothers that have already had their first or second child, floating gives you that time out you really need and crave. It really is the most valuable and important “me time” that you are giving to yourself on the deepest level, and it is 100% safe for both you and your baby.
Below is a video from Float Conference 2016. Birth Centre and float centre owners Kirsten Gerrish & Lena Kilic talk about the benefits of floating for their pregnant clients.
Bonding with your baby.
This is one of the most wonderful experiences of floating, because you are basically mirroring what is happening for your baby, you are weightless, and not trying to find a comfortable position. You are relaxed and calm and you are in your own cocoon, deepening your connection to your baby, often being able to hear your baby’s heartbeat as well as your own.
So, there are several medical advantages to floatation therapy and as more research results become available, we will update our site.
Float aids used while pregnant.
Water temple has float aids to help you feel as comfortable as possible, neck halos, neck pillows, pool noodles: these can all help you lay back and rest in one of our Dream Pod floatation tanks, even allow for you to lay on your stomach.
Remember the water is set at skin temperature, which for some may feel too warm as hormones and stress and poor sleep can affect this throughout pregnancy too, just call ahead of time so we can adjust the temperature for you.
