Following the folk tradition and going to the bathhouse on December 31 or organizing women's gatherings with natural scrubs is undoubtedly useful for every woman. Cleanse the body or remove a couple of extra pounds, inhale healthy essential oils or steam with a broom - everyone has their own goal. But what about your favorite hobby while breastfeeding? Is it possible to go to the bathhouse during breastfeeding? Will warm air harm women’s health? What is better to choose for a nursing woman - a traditional Russian bathhouse or a sauna?
Baths and saunas during breastfeeding are permitted procedures if the woman was familiar with them before pregnancy and childbirth and tolerated them well.
Misconception about the dangers of the procedure
The main reason for concern is the statement that under the influence of high temperatures in the sauna, milk loses its positive qualities and can completely “burn out.”
However, experts say that a bath during breastfeeding does not harm the lactation process. On the contrary, such an event can strengthen it.
If a young mother is in good health, follows all the precautions when visiting the sauna and does not forget to drink enough liquid (to prevent dehydration), the procedure will not harm her.
When to feed your baby: before or after the steam room
You can avoid milk leakage during bath procedures not only by expressing. Before going to the sauna, you should feed your baby. And only after feeding, express the remains into a clean container. For those who like to take a steam bath, the bath takes from 2 to 3 hours. If the baby is breastfed tightly, he will be able to cope without his mother during this time.
After the sauna, you need to rest a little and give the breast to the baby so that the milk does not stagnate in the breast. It will be released abundantly, and the child will have enough of it for a long time.
Features of the female body after childbirth
In Rus', the bathhouse was the cleanest room. In addition, there were no drafts. This place was considered the most favorable for mother and baby. Therefore, the girls were in the bathhouse during childbirth. In addition, the first days of a woman and her child passed there. In this way, family members tried to protect the young mother and baby from infection and hypothermia.
However, modern girls often ask the question of whether it is possible to go to the bathhouse during breastfeeding.
After all, while in a sauna, a woman is exposed to very high temperatures. Doctors believe that the first days after childbirth are not the best time for such procedures. It is necessary to wait until the young mother’s body has recovered sufficiently to withstand such a load.
The benefits of bath procedures for a woman’s health after childbirth
After such a shake-up of the body that a woman receives during childbirth, she needs:
- remove waste and toxins from the body;
- improve metabolic processes;
- strengthen the immune system;
- increase muscle tone;
- rejuvenate the skin;
- lose the weight you have gained.
All this can be achieved by visiting the bathhouse. Hardening procedures are carried out in the sauna to prevent the occurrence of unwanted colds. But you need to steam wisely, because at high temperatures, long stays indoors, hot and humid, there is a danger of decreased lactation. And not everyone can withstand the conditions of a bathhouse.
Other Important Aspects
Visiting a bathhouse during breastfeeding is safe only six to eight weeks after delivery. During this time, the young mother usually stops bleeding and the mucous membranes of the reproductive system heal.
In addition, it is necessary to remember that the baby consumes colostrum for the first day of his life. The milk becomes mature only after ten to twenty days. Its full production is possible provided proper nutrition and absence of stress on the body. Therefore, visiting the sauna is not advisable during this period.
Is it possible to wash?
Washing is a mandatory procedure , especially with conjunctivitis.
It is worth noting! The disease is characterized by the accumulation of purulent discharge on the mucous membrane of the eyelids, so for convenience and hygiene you need to get rid of them.
If you have conjunctivitis, you can wash your face only in boiled water..
The use of any care products (soap, lotion, milk) is not allowed , as well as care products after washing (cream, mask).
The eyes need to be rinsed very carefully, using saline solution : a few drops are dropped into the inner corner of the eye and gently rinsed from the temples to the nose.
If purulent crusts and accumulations cannot be eliminated, you can use a cotton swab dipped in saline solution and gently walk it along the edge of the eyelids.
After washing, you need to carefully wipe your face with blotting movements with a clean personal towel made of natural fabrics .
Important! In some cases, the doctor can give individual recommendations that will help a person survive the disease easier and cure it faster.
Features of the effect of the procedure on a nursing woman
To answer the question of whether it is possible to go to the bathhouse during breastfeeding, it is necessary to take into account the effect of high temperatures and humidity on the body of a young mother.
In general, heat increases milk production. However, alternating heat and cold (for example, visiting the pool after a steam room) can provoke spasms of the mammary glands. This process can cause lactostasis, dysfunction of the immune system and even mastitis.
In addition, a negative aspect of this procedure is the long separation of the woman from the child. After all, during lactation it is important to regularly feed the baby. A visit to the sauna can take several hours.
It should also be remembered that exposure to high temperatures leads to copious secretion of milk and sweat. These processes can provoke dehydration and deterioration in the well-being of the young mother.
How does high temperature affect lactation?
A woman should not be afraid to attend bath procedures during breastfeeding. The quality of breast milk will remain the same after you go to the bathhouse. It has been proven that lactation increases in hot weather, so sometimes it is useful to go to the steam room. But if the glands are weak, then the milk will spontaneously flow out. This must be anticipated before visiting the sauna.
It is advised to express milk before going to the bathhouse. This will help reduce the release of colostrum from the breast. The procedure is especially necessary if the sauna is public.
There will be a decrease in milk production when a woman gets carried away with staying in the steam room. Increased sweating leads to dehydration of the body. This results in a shortage of mother's milk for the baby. Drinking plenty of clean water and juices will help avoid this.
Useful tips
When a woman’s body has sufficiently recovered after childbirth, she can afford to visit the sauna. However, this procedure will be beneficial only if the following rules are followed:
- Girls who have never been to a bathhouse should not go there during lactation.
- Before visiting the steam room you need to feed your baby. Then the mammary glands do not overflow with milk, and the woman does not feel discomfort.
- A young mother can go to the bathhouse during breastfeeding only if there are no health problems.
- It is better to take the baby with you and ask a relative or friend to stay with him in the next room. After all, after a steam room, milk production increases.
- Experts advise drinking enough fluid. This can be herbal tea (with the exception of mint) or plain water at room temperature. Then the amount of milk will be normal, and the young mother’s well-being will not worsen.
- If, when visiting the steam room, a woman feels unwell (accelerated heart rate, dizziness, lethargy), she should leave the sauna as quickly as possible.
- This procedure should be carried out no more than once a week.
- Using a broom is not recommended.
- You should not swim in the pool after the steam room.
- You should not go outside in rainy or cold weather immediately after the sauna. It is better to get home by taxi or car.
If these rules are followed, the answer to the question of whether it is possible to take a steam bath during breastfeeding is affirmative.
Is it possible to wash your hair and take a bath and shower if you are sick?
If you are sick, you can wash your hair and take a bath and shower only if the body temperature is not elevated (sometimes this happens with conjunctivitis), but we must not forget about the safety rules:
- for washing, it is allowed to wash only with boiled water of moderate (not hot!) temperature;
- It is not permissible to get shampoo or rinse into the eyes ;
- for hair you need to use a separate clean towel , which should then be washed immediately.
Reference! An exception is the allergic form of conjunctivitis of unknown nature, because the allergen may be the chemicals contained in the shampoo.
Conjunctivitis can last for several weeks, so you certainly shouldn’t neglect personal hygiene during this time.
What should you take with you to the sauna?
A nursing woman is allowed to use quite ordinary items for this procedure:
- Headgear (to protect against overheating).
- A towel (to wipe up milk if it starts leaking from the breasts).
- Slippers.
- First aid kit. Be sure to take medications that lower blood pressure and ammonia with you.
- Clean and ironed sheets.
Before visiting a bathhouse during breastfeeding, a young mother can purchase a special set of things for this procedure in a hypermarket or cosmetics store.
What should not be done in the bath during gw
Many avid bath attendants will not recognize a steam room without a dip in an ice hole, a cold pool or a scalding rubdown with snow. But when breastfeeding your baby naturally, you can forget about such hobbies. Because due to the impact of a sharp temperature change, a nursing woman may experience blockage of the milk ducts, which can later develop into lactostasis. To cool your body a little after a steam room, a warm shower is enough. You can replace it with a contrasting one, while carefully ensuring that streams of water do not fall on your chest to avoid hypothermia.
What symptoms should not be ignored?
The body of a nursing mother may react negatively to visiting the sauna. Lactation is an unpredictable process. Therefore, a woman should be extremely careful about her health while in the steam room, especially for the first time after childbirth. If a girl feels unwell (weakness, ringing in the ears, attacks of nausea, dizziness), she needs to avoid visiting the sauna for several months. After all, these symptoms indicate that the young mother’s body is not yet ready to withstand the effects of high temperatures and humid air.
In addition, a woman needs to pay attention to the volume of milk. If it decreases after the procedure, it should be postponed for about six months. After visiting the sauna, you should dry your hair well and dress for the weather to protect yourself from hypothermia. If the condition worsens, the answer to the question of whether it is possible to take a steam bath during breastfeeding is certainly negative. In this situation, the woman is recommended to postpone this event until the end of the lactation period.
Classification of sinusitis disease
By duration:
Acute (lasts up to three months)
in turn is divided into:
- Catarrhal (without pus);
- Purulent;
- Recurrent (2-4 repetitions of acute sinusitis within one year).
Chronic (lasts from three months)
divided into:
- Catarrhal;
- Proliferative (polyps are formed);
- Atrophic;
- Exudative (serous, purulent).
By location of inflammation:
- Sinusitis (maxillary) - the mucous membrane in the maxillary sinus becomes inflamed;
- Ethmoiditis (ethmoid) - inflammation occurs in the ethmoid sinus;
- Frontal sinusitis (frontal) - when the process affects the frontal sinus;
- Sphenoiditis (main) - inflammatory changes in the sphenoid sinus;
- Polysinusitis is simultaneous inflammation of several sinuses;
- Hemisinusitis is inflammation of all sinuses simultaneously on only one side;
- Pansinusitis - the process extends to all paranasal sinuses.
Depending on the severity of sinusitis, it can be mild, moderate or severe.
What body care cosmetics should you take with you?
As a rule, women use several products during this procedure. They apply lotions, masks, scrubs, and creams to the surface of the skin. However, during the lactation period, a young mother should limit herself to cosmetics made from natural ingredients. The fact is that under the influence of high temperatures, chemicals can penetrate into milk through enlarged pores. Experts recommend using products intended for children. These are baby creams, soaps, lotions and foams. Such cosmetics are natural and safe. In addition, it can make the skin soft and smooth.
During lactation, a woman is recommended to use natural remedies based on honey and decoctions of medicinal herbs. Ideally, this should be cosmetics made at home (masks made from yeast, kefir and yolks, scrub made from coffee grounds, chamomile lotion, a mixture of cottage cheese and carrots). In addition, a nursing mother can buy luxury body care products before visiting the sauna. Such products are of good quality and contain safe components that will not harm either the woman or the baby.
Today, many experts give an affirmative answer to the question of whether it is possible to go to the bathhouse during breastfeeding. Komarovsky, for example, recommends visiting the sauna for young mothers who lack breast milk. Exposure to high temperatures enhances the lactation process. However, doctors warn women who have recently given birth that if they have chronic pathologies, they should consult a doctor before deciding to undergo such a procedure. After all, a young mother, whose body is subjected to serious stress, should take care of her health.
Cosmetic procedures in the bath
People go to the bathhouse not only for a healthy mind, but also for a healthy body. The pores on the skin are maximally open and are most susceptible to the components of cosmetic products. For a young mother who cares about her body, this is especially important, because you want to get in shape faster and remove any stretch marks that have appeared. During lactation, traditional medicine recipes will help solve the problem. Before going to the steam room, you should prepare your own masks, healing scrubs or creams. Natural ingredients are considered more beneficial than products from well-known cosmetic brands. In addition, a nursing mother should not use highly active ingredients; they can enter the mother’s body through open pores, then into the milk and then into the baby’s milk, causing an allergic reaction.
Making bath products with your own hands, for example, scrubs or masks, is very simple, and the effect from them will be no worse than from purchased products.
Often nursing mothers use a scrub made from ground coffee, sugar, sea salt, and cinnamon for flavor. Add olive oil, cream or honey to the mixture. As an alternative, you can make a face mask from the same olive oil, sour cream and the yolk of one egg. A kefir mask will help strengthen and restore the hair - apply it to the hair, leave it for half an hour, then rinse it off.
To prevent the development of allergic reactions, you need to use only proven ingredients. First, you can try some products on a separate area of the skin, and if there is no reaction, repeat the application.
Conclusion
Bath procedures for mothers are useful and enjoyable!
But in order not to create a bunch of new problems for yourself and your baby, before visiting such a hot establishment you need to sensibly assess the capabilities of your body.
The cost of carelessness during the postpartum period can be too high! And in the video presented in this article you will find additional information on this topic.
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Precautionary measures
Anyone should maintain their sanity when visiting a steam room (especially a nursing mother). After all, any most useful thing can cause harm if it is abused.
It is important to know that the maximum safe temperature in the steam room for a dry sauna is from 77 to 90 °C, and for steam baths - from 43 to 49 °C.
The hammam or Turkish steam room is considered the most gentle in all respects, while the Russian bath and Finnish sauna can cause harm to a nursing mother if the temperature regime is not observed or the duration of the session is increased.
