Over the last 30 years, we’ve seen a growing number of expectant mothers interested in the benefits and pleasures of floatation therapy, especially for stress and pain management. Floating is an exceptional way to alleviate stress 1 and physical discomfort 1, 2 but it also increases feelings of relaxation and serenity 3. Floating can be a blissful, deeply relaxing experience for body and soul; however, the choice between a float room and a float pod is key to ensuring a safe and comfortable experience.
The Basics of Floatation Therapy During Pregnancy
Pregnancy is a joyous time, but it often comes with increasing physical discomfort and mental strain as the baby grows. The additional weight and pressure on muscles, joints, and the lower back can become overwhelming, and many expectant mothers struggle with anxiety and poor sleep. Floatation therapy provides a sense of weightlessness, allowing for full-body relaxation in an stress-free environment. It helps relieve physical aches while improving mood and overall well-being 2.
“10/10 experience from both my wife and me. I’m a construction worker, and my wife is 32 weeks pregnant, both of us harbour plenty of aches and pains. Neither of us typically into ‘alternate medicine’ or anything of the ‘woo-woo’ variety but we both couldn’t recommend the float baths enough. We booked 3 sessions 3 days in a row after walking passed on our holiday. The staff were all incredibly welcoming. We will be back”
During a float session, the high concentration of Epsom salts in the water creates buoyancy, allowing the body to float effortlessly. This reduces pressure on the joints and muscles, offering the expectant mother a reprieve from the physical strain of pregnancy. Because light, sound and all incoming stimuli are reduced to an absolute minimum 2, the float experience allows the mind to drift into a meditative state and contributes to stress reduction 4.
Is Float Therapy Safe During Pregnancy?
Floatation therapy is normally considered safe for pregnant women. This is especially from the second trimester onwards, although some women enjoy floating during the first trimester.
As with any wellness activity during pregnancy, it is prudent to consult with your healthcare provider, especially if you have a high-risk pregnancy, or any pre-existing medical conditions, or wish to float in the first trimester.
9 Benefits of Using a Float Tank During Pregnancy
For pregnant women, floatation therapy offers numerous health and wellness benefits, making it an ideal practice to incorporate, especially during the second and third trimesters:
1. Stress Reduction
Floating is a very effective therapy for reducing stress and anxiety levels4,5. This is beneficial for expectant mothers in many important ways. A mother’s emotional state may directly impact foetal development. Research suggests that positive emotions can promote healthy brain and emotional growth, while prolonged stress or anxiety can be associated with a slower rate of development over the 1st year and lower mental development scores at 12 months, depending on when during gestation the mother experiences the stress 6.
2. Serenity and Happiness
Floating has been shown to significantly improve mood characterized by increases in serenity, relaxation, happiness and overall well-being 2. This offers real benefits for expectant mothers by enhancing maternal well-being and supporting healthy foetal development.
3. Relief from Physical Discomfort
Anecdotal reports suggest that floatation therapy can provide ergonomic comfort during pregnancy. The buoyancy of the water supports the body, reducing pressure on joints and alleviating discomfort commonly experienced during pregnancy. Many pregnant women have reported relief from back pain and a sense of weightlessness during float sessions.
Listen to Crystal’s first floatation experience in an Ocean Float Room at 26 weeks pregnant. Crystal explains how she felt relief from pressure on her lower back along with experiencing a relaxed mind 💙
“Hi, I’m Crystal, I’m 26 weeks pregnant and I tried floating for the first time today and I heard floating was really good during pregnancy to help release stress and take the pressure off the extremities of the body. Today, I came in with quite a sore lower back, and I was able to release and let go, and allow the magnesium to take the weight off my pelvis and now it feels really great!”
4. Deep relaxation
Floating produces deep feelings of relaxation which are attributed to sensory isolation, or sensory rest, which minimises external stimuli and allows the nervous system to enter a state of profound rest 4.
5. Improved Sleep
Deep relaxation continues after the float, which can contribute to better sleep quality 1 as well as producing a reduction in stress, anxiety, depression, while improving optimism 3 Many pregnant floaters report longer, more restful sleep after a float session, helping them feel rejuvenated and less fatigued.
6. Reduced Blood Pressure
During a float session there are significant decreases in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure 7.
7. Baby Bonding
The quiet and peaceful atmosphere of a float session along with decreased anxiety and increased serenity offers an ideal opportunity to connect with your baby. The environment is perfect for this, with some people reporting that floating feels similar to being in the womb. Anecdotal evidence suggests the experience allows mothers to tune into their bodies and their baby’s movements, creating a unique bonding moment.
8. Relief from Muscle Tension and associated Pain
Floatation therapy can alleviate low to moderately severe pain induced by muscle tension 8, but especially high-intensity muscle pain 9. The combination of sensory deprivation, sense of weightlessness, buoyancy, and warm water immersion creates an environment conducive to deep relaxation, benefiting individuals with muscle tension and related discomforts 10. Floating to relax and reduce muscle pain in one go.
9. Epsom Salts
Bathing in Epsom salts is a safe and easy way to increase sulphate and magnesium levels in the body 10. The absorption of magnesium sulphate (Epsom salts) is effective for mild-to-moderate depression in adults, and it works quickly 11.
Why Ocean Float Rooms Are Perfect for Pregnant Women
While both float pods and float rooms offer the benefits of floatation therapy, the design and features of Ocean Float Rooms make them the perfect choice for expectant mothers. At Ocean Float Rooms, and as passionate floaters, we are dedicated to creating luxury floatation rooms that offer an unparalleled relaxation experience, maximum comfort, and ease of use.
Spacious Interior for Maximum Comfort and Reassurance
Space is a luxury, and the spacious interior of Ocean float rooms allows pregnant women room to move freely, relax, and find a comfortable position without feeling restricted. This is especially important in later stages of pregnancy, when mobility can be limited.
“Best place ever! Employees are easy to be around, very nice and very reassuring for my first time. I have extreme anxiety, and I felt very comfortable once I was settled in. I am also pregnant and absolutely loved being able to lay on my back for once. It was amazing! Will be going back throughout my pregnancy!”
Easy Accessibility with Vertical Door Entry
Ocean float rooms offer vertical door entry, like entering a room, not a horizontal hatch controlled by gas struts. This ensures the easiest access, which is particularly important for expectant mothers who may find it challenging to manoeuvre comfortably when entering a pod and closing the hatch. The Ocean float room eliminates the need to bend, stoop or step over higher thresholds.
Safety and Support with Internal Grab Handles
The easy entry is enhanced by internal grab handles to ensure safety and stability for everyone, including pregnant women and the less abled. Grab handles offer reassuring support when adjusting positions, entering, or leaving the float room, making the experience safer and more comfortable.
Personalised Relaxation with Client-Controlled Music and Customisable Ambience
Expectant mothers can tailor their float sessions to their preferences with the Ocean float rooms’ customisable ambience. A standard float session introduces your float with calming music followed by a period of silence, as the underwater lights fade out, but you can choose to extend the music, choose total silence, or leave on the mood lighting. The experience can be personalised to suit your mood and needs.
Superior Hygiene and Water Quality
Ocean float rooms utilise advanced Quantum UV Filtration and Automated Smartfloat Filtration to maintain pristine water quality. The system ensures the water is consistently sterile, providing peace of mind for expectant mothers who prioritise hygiene.
Gentle Airflow and Temperature Control
The upper and lower ventilation system in Ocean float rooms provides continuous, gentle airflow, keeping the environment fresh without you being aware of it. The uniquely designed, heater ensures the water remains at the perfect temperature, ideal for long, uninterrupted float sessions, while protecting you completely from its electromagnetic radiation.
Clear Communication with 2-Way Intercom
Pregnant women can float with added confidence knowing that help is always available via a 2-way intercom system. This feature allows for immediate communication between the floater and staff if any assistance is required.
Are Float Rooms or Float Pods Better for Pregnant Women?
While float pods provide the basic benefits of floatation therapy, they fall short in several areas when it comes to accommodating pregnant women. Pods have less height, which can lead to feelings of claustrophobia, and some are smaller in size, which may restrict movement, making it difficult for pregnant women to find a comfortable position. Pods also typically lack essential features such as grab handles, easy-access doors, and customisable environments, all of which are key to a safe and relaxing float experience during pregnancy.
“I did my float 3 days before I had my son and it was beyond amazing, I now wish I would have done more. My doctor cleared it she was more concerned about the water temperature, but seeing how it was slightly below body temp it was completely fine. It was so relaxing; I was able to really stretch out (really bad sciatica at the time so that helped tremendously) and also managed to fall asleep at one point….
I have now convinced multiple people to try it out and we are all obsessed now! So Happy floating, you won’t regret it!!”
Ocean Float Rooms, on the other hand, are designed with pregnant women in mind. Their spacious interiors, easy accessibility, superior water quality, and safety features ensure that expectant mothers can float with confidence and comfort, making them the ideal choice for pregnancy floatation therapy.
Experience Weightless Relaxation with Ocean Float Rooms
At Ocean Float Rooms, we are committed to providing a safe, comfortable, and luxurious float experience for all users, including pregnant women. Our float rooms are specifically designed to offer the benefits of floatation therapy in a secure, spacious, and calming environment, ideal for expectant mothers. Whether you’re looking to relieve physical discomfort, reduce stress, or bond with your baby, Ocean Float Rooms provide the perfect floating experience. For float centre owners, our high-quality, thoughtfully engineered rooms are the perfect addition to offer your clients the best in floatation therapy.
Free guide
Setting up a floatation centre may feel a little daunting. We’ve created a helpful guide to help put you at ease and create a stress-free experience for you.
References:
- Study on Floatation Therapy’s Impact on Muscle Pain: Kjellgren, A., Westman, J. (2014) Beneficial effects of treatment with sensory isolation in flotation-tank as a preventive health-care intervention – a randomized controlled pilot trial. BMC Complement Altern Med 14(1): 417. Link.
- Feinstein, J. S., Khalsa, S. S., Yeh, H., Wohlrab, C., Simmons, W. K., Stein, M. B., & Paulus, M. P. (2018). Examining the short-term anxiolytic and antidepressant effect of Floatation-REST. PloS One 13(2). Link.
- Feinstein, Justin S. et al. The Elicitation of Relaxation and Interoceptive Awareness Using Floatation Therapy in Individuals With High Anxiety Sensitivity Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, Volume 3, Issue 6, 555 – 562.Link.
- Float Meditative State: Hruby, H., Schmidt, S., Feinstein, J.S. et al. Induction of altered states of consciousness during Floatation-REST is associated with the dissolution of body boundaries and the distortion of subjective time. Sci Rep 14, 9316 (2024). Link.
- Bood, Sven & Sundequist, Ulf & Kjellgren, Anette & Nordström, Gun & Norlander, Torsten. (2007). Effects of flotation REST (Restricted Environmental Stimulation Technique) on Stress Related Muscle Pain: Are 33 flotation sessions more effective than 12 sessions? Social Behavior and Personality: an international journal. 35. 143-156.
- Elysia P. Davis, Curt A. Sandman. The Timing of Prenatal Exposure to Maternal Cortisol and Psychosocial Stress Is Associated with Human Infant Cognitive Development SRCD Volume 81, Issue1, January/February, 2010. Pages 131-148.
- Blood Pressure Regulation: Flux MC, Fine TH, Poplin T, Al Zoubi O, Schoenhals WA, Schettler J, Refai HH, Naegele J, Wohlrab C, Yeh HW, Lowry CA, Levine JC, Smith R, Khalsa SS, Feinstein JS. Exploring the acute cardiovascular effects of Floatation-REST. Front Neurosci. 2022 Dec 9;16:995594. Link.
- Muscle Tension: Kjellgren, Anette & Sundequist, Ulf & Norlander, Torsten & Archer, Trevor. (2001). Effects of Flotation-REST on Muscle Tension Pain. Pain research & management: The journal of the Canadian Pain Society.
- Laura Witte PhD, PA-CCarlos Santo Carlos Santo, ND, Mark E. Archambault, DHSc, PA-C, DFAAPA, Thomas Colletti, DHSc, PA-C, DFAAPA and Randy Danielsen, PhD, PA-C Emeritus, DFAAPA. Floatation Therapy for Specific Health Concerns. April 7, 2021. Natural Medical Journal.
- Report on absorption of magnesium sulphate (Epsom salts) across the skin. Epsom Salt Council Web site.
- Emily K. Tarleton, Benjamin Littenberg, Charles D. MacLean, Amanda G. Kennedy, Christopher Daley. Role of magnesium supplementation in the treatment of depression: A randomized clinical trial. Plos One, June 27, 2017