One group that benefits almost immediately when stepping into the tank are pregnant women. From the comfort of experiencing a near-zero gravity environment to stress relief, improved sleep, managing leg cramps, and finding a deepened emotional connection to their child, moms-to-be find tremendous benefits – both mentally and physically – in the tank. Every mother wants the best for their children so during pregnancy, there’s no better time to take care of mind, body and soul!
*Graphic courtesy of midwives Kirsten Gerrish & Lena Kilic
*While most doctors have no concern with pregnant women floating during their first, second or third trimesters, we always recommend that expectant mothers check with their physician before floating.
Physical Relief/Swelling
As pregnant women come closer to full-term, their entire body is put to the test. Gravity is relentless and in the final stages of pregnancy, there is often no position – sitting, standing, lying down, or otherwise – that can relieve this pressure. Enter the float tank! The sense of weightlessness experienced during float therapy can offer immense pain relief for their lower back, pelvis, and swollen joints. For belly sleepers who miss sleeping in the prone position, float therapy offers the opportunity to float face down. Check out the Float Tank Solutions blog for a variety of comfortable positions.
Magnesium Absorption for Prenatal Health – Preventing Hypertension, Braxton Hicks Contractions and Leg Cramps
Magnesium is crucial to more than 300 enzyme-driven biochemical reactions occurring in the body, and women are often advised to increase their magnesium intake during pregnancy. Magnesium can help reduce the leg cramping that is so common in pregnancy, decrease the intensity of Braxton Hicks contractions, and hospitals will often provide IV magnesium-sulfate to stop preterm labor.Magnesium deficiency is also one of the primary causes of preeclampsia (high blood pressure during pregnancy) which can be extremely dangerous for mother and child. The float tank contains ~1,000lbs of Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate), and although the science is still out about dermal absorption, it’s believed anecdotally that Magnesium is absorbed through the skin, making it an excellent way for moms to supplement their recommended dose.
Insomnia
Many expectant mothers report issues with sleep quality and insomnia, especially towards the end of the pregnancy. 90-minutes in a float tank can offer significant rest and help improve sleep for several nights in a row. It’s a great natural alternative to sleep-inducing medications that many women prefer to avoid during pregnancy.
Stress Relief
Pregnancy is an amazing miracle, but it can also bring a tremendous amount of stress as moms undergo physical and emotional changes. Managing stress is very important while pregnant, and studies have shown that a mother’s stress levels during pregnancy can negatively affect the development of her child, and increase the chances of having a premature baby or a low-birthweight baby. The float tank offers a peaceful environment to relax and relieve stress. This can also be a great benefit for women struggling with conception.
The Mirror Effect – Connecting with Your Baby
Floating is often described as a ‘womb-like experience’ so when an expectant mother floats she is mirroring the experience of her baby. In doing this, many women find that floating allows them to deepen their emotional and physical connection with their child. Some women also report hearing their child’s heartbeat in the third trimester.
Our Experience at Float8 Wellness Lounge
We’ve been lucky enough to float several beautiful goddesses at Float8 Wellness Lounge, and this is one of our favorite reviews.
“I have to share with everyone this new, incredible place I went to the other day that I am giving a huge amount of credit to how GREAT and positive I’ve been feeling these last few days! I want to highly recommend this place to everyone not just expecting mamas! It’s an incredibly unique and cool experience! It’s a sensory deprivation pod that provides all types of health benefits, both physical and mental! Seriously, I LOVED it!
“For my specific situation, I have been dealing with many physical pains and limitations due to adding almost half my body weight on top of previously existing injuries (from prior pregnancy injury, traumatic birth, and car accident.) I have been taking measures my entire pregnancy to manage my pains which have helped me get through -bi-weekly chiropractic, religious application of homemade pain cream, Epsom baths, rubs from hubby, intense therapeutic massage therapy, non-stop ice packs, the pool for weightlessness, the list goes on…. The last month it started getting so, so hard. This last week, nothing was helping. I mean it all helped but I was back feeling immobile again 10-15 minutes after my amazing adjustments and massages. I had reached a point where “stuck” was my life. Then a friend messaged me to try floating and I did….and the angels sang down from the heavens!
“So, I’m 39.5 weeks pregnant and I instantly felt weightless getting in the tank. What a relief! About 30 minutes (I’m guessing because there is no clock….or sound…or light) into my float, I no longer felt pregnant, the pull on my back from my belly was gone so I honestly felt like there was no belly. Just pure relief! Oh and it was fun! People use it to meditate, center, focus, I was just spinning a lot and stretching and moving, just everything I couldn’t do for the last 2 months! (Just talking about this, I can’t wait to go back!) I left there feeling on top of the world! I was expecting an amazing night sleep and it was kinda normal. But the next day, wow, I was like a new person! And honestly, it’s like it keeps getting better! The next day I just felt incredibly happy and positive. So positive! My disposition had changed. My friends commented on this too. That I was completely different from the last time they saw me. Then 2 amazing nights of sleep came! And I’m only using my ice packs (Just 1 instead of 4) when I drive instead of 4-6 times a day. And yesterday, I was dancing… a lot, like I was in a club, lol, when I would laugh at these mamas on you tube videos doing this. Haha. What 40wk pregnant lady says things like this?! I credit it to the float. It’s 1000lbs of Epsom salt in 180 gallons of water. I’m pretty sure absorbing that for 90 minutes reset my body’s entire magnesium levels to how they should be- not depleted like most people. And I take magnesium supplements and use magnesium cream daily. Also, my swelling in my feet and ankles disappeared! So you guys need to try this! I mean it. You’ll be thanking me!! Especially if you are pregnant, achy, miserable, negative, etc. Try it, seriously.” – Nicole S
