Benefits of Floating While Pregnant

Pregnancy is a special time in a mother’s life. Creating and sustaining a human life inside your body is nothing short of magic, and those 9 months spent making a baby are are a remarkable journey filled with rewarding peaks and challenges troughs. Maintaining a happy and healthy environment for mom and baby can be tough, especially as you enter into the third trimester.

The good news is that float therapy, with its breadth of benefits are said to be most beneficial to soon-to-be mums! Pregnant woman report feeling more relief from aches and pains, they feel more relaxed, happy and connected post-float. If you’re considering it, have a look at the range of benefits plus the best positions to try while floating (Pro-tip: pool noodles might become your best friend)

(Although pregnant floats are encouraged for a multitude of reasons, you should consult with your doctor whenever you incorporate a new treatment while pregnancy, and we generally encourage floating up to 36 weeks which is then considered full term.)

Are you ready to find relief through floating now? Book in a Float Session Here.

Benefits of Float Therapy During Pregnancy

You might be interested to know that 2/3rds of Australians are deficient in magnesium, something your body needs for a wide range of functions and it directly contributes to over 300 enzyme reactions in the human body. What’s more interesting, is that high concentration epsom salt baths are the most effective way to absorb this vital mineral. Magnesium Sulphate is the key component to what makes float pools such a powerful tool to a healthy functioning body. If you want to learn more about float therapy at City Cave, click here or keep reading to learn more into the benefits of floating while pregnant.

Reduced Swelling

Cankles be gone! Due to the added weight pregnancy puts on a body, you may experience pain and swelling in your joints and muscles. Floating gives you the feeling of weightlessness which has an immediate effect on relieving pressure placed on joints including your ankles. Removing that pressure will reduce pain and edema as well as help control future swelling. Magnesium also reduces inflammation so you will feel relief the moment your body hits zero gravity!

Lowered Blood Pressure

If your pregnancy has proven more stressful or emotional than you had expected, an unintended consequence might be increased blood pressure. Floatation therapy allows the body to completely relax in a suspended state, allowing blood vessels to fully dilate, increasing oxygen rich blood to pump effortlessly through the body which helps to lower your blood pressure. Also, actively engaging in peaceful activities will help to keep your blood pressure at a healthy level.

Improved Mood/Decreased Stress

Pregnancy can be a stressful time for soon to be mothers adjusting to scattered sleep, aches and pains and the ever popular hormonal spikes, (I see you) factors that are only made worse if you already have a young one running around. Float therapy can help reduce stress through a deep state of unstimulated, uninterrupted relaxation leaving you rejuvenated even after your first session.

While you float in a soundless, sightless environment your mind and body can fully relax putting you into a theta brain state - allowing your body to focus inward on rest and healing. Float therapy also lowers cortisol levels (stress hormone) while increasing the feel good hormones that can last days after your treatment. Regular use gives your body and mind a chance to shut off from external stimuli to focus solely inward - allowing for an uber peaceful environment for yourself and your baby. Pregnant women tend to report the greatest boost to improved mood and decreased stress! This might be just what you’re missing.

The “Mirror Effect”

As we briefly discussed in our article “Floating While Pregnant - EVERYTHING you need to know” there is a concept in the floating community that describes the experience of sharing a similar “womb like” environment with your baby. When you’re in the float pool, physical sensations, visual and auditory stimulations are all reduced to near nothingness - you are simply floating in a warm womb-like state, which not only mirrors the environment of the new life growing inside of you, but you can also feel movement and even the heartbeat of the little baby inside you! This creates a special connection as you can tune out all the outside distractions and really tune into to your baby. That bond is like nothing else!

Improved Sleep

One of the top complaints experienced by pregnant mama’s is disrupted, uncomfortable or poor quality sleep. As your baby grows, it becomes increasingly difficult to find comfy positions to sleep in. Getting a good nights rest becomes more of a distant dream, but it doesn’t have to be. The high concentration of magnesium through the epsom salt works as a natural muscle relaxant, while also lowering cortisol levels which both help you to relax and ultimately get a better nights sleep. Many people report better sleep even a few days after floating, making it a great natural remedy to sleep troubles - plus you can finally rest comfortably on your back! This calls for a celebration!

We can go on and on about how float therapy can improve your health and wellbeing: some other benefits you can experience are muscle repair, pain management, improved oxygen consumption, boosted immune system, and it’s even helped people with depression, anxiety and PTSD! The list goes on, but we suggest to try it yourself and experience the benefits first hand.

Positions to try while floating during pregnancy - (with pictures!)

If you do decide to give it a go, there’s a few options to try while floating that may be more comfortable than the traditional positions. During your third trimester, discomfort will be most prominent on the back muscles, so you may want to try any (or all) of these positions to see what feels best for you and your baby!

While our beautiful model shot these images, she said the baby seemed to be loving the float too as she could feel lots of movement and activity - what a wonderful experience to connect with the little life inside of you!

The key thing to floating is to trust your body, it knows what it needs! Try positions, get comfortable and most importantly, enjoy yourself! This is your moment to get back to you and find balance in your world for you and your baby.