Home: Tanning beds :: tanning beds and pregnancy

Tanning Beds and Pregnant Women

Being on the family way can be a truly divine state for a lot of women, and some women would not pass up any opportunity that comes their way to display their pregnant bodies, no matter how swollen they may seem. In the summer, it is normal to see a lot of gestating mamas showing off in their cute and sexy summer maternity togs.

But even a proud and pregnant mama can sometimes feel the touch of a horrified shiver at the thought of displaying her very pale and very non-tanned skin. To solve this dilemma, it would not be unusual for her to resort to the fast and easy solution that a lot of non-pregnant women turn to in order to transform that pale skin to a florid, sun-kissed tone. What else would that solution be, other than a shot at the tanning bed?

One would wonder, however, if a session at the tanning bed to get her skin to a golden brown is safe enough for a pregnant woman to take. At this point, there is no existing proof that exposure to ultraviolet rays is harmful to a pregnant woman or her unborn baby, aside from the usual dangers of getting sunburned. The UV rays do not touch the skin of the unborn baby, though - just the mother's.

Obstetricians, however, often advise mothers not to do anything to raise their body temperature while they are still in their first trimester of pregnancy. Activities that can raise their body temperature include using tanning beds. But if the pregnant woman really wants to get a tan, maybe she can work on getting her tan gradually by taking sessions that last ten to fifteen minutes tops each. Not only would short sessions prevent her body temperature to go over, it will also prevent her skin from burning. The skin of pregnant women is more susceptible to burning.

A pregnant woman should also drink a lot of water and to stay cool after she has used a tanning bed to keep her temperature down. Most importantly, if her instincts tell her that she should not go through it, then her instincts are probably right and she should stay away from the tanning bed for the meantime.