Floatation Therapy During Pregnancy

January 19, 2021

Everything you need to know

Yes, you can absolutely float during your pregnancy!

Floating allows you to escape the added weight of pregnancy, taking the strain off your body – especially your feet – and spine. For many mothers, the sensory deprivation float tank creates heightened sensitivity and connection with the baby – you may have heard the term “mirroring” used in this regard.

As all women experience pregnancy very differently, the use of float tanks should be discussed with your doctor first.

Floatation therapy can be safely used to help alleviate some of the common discomforts associated with pregnancy, such as:

Nausea and digestive issues
Stress and anxiety
Swelling
Aches and pains especially back aches
Fatigue
Sleep difficulties

These ailments are usually associated with the multitude of changes that are rapidly occurring in your body to support growing the baby.

Your body requires a lot more energy and nutrients to grow your baby alongside everything else that you’re doing during your everyday life. This can take a toll on your body, making you physically tired.
Hormones change as your pregnancy progresses. They are responsible for getting your body ready to deliver the baby. Rising and lowering levels of estrogen, progesterone and HCG can make you feel irritable, moody or depressed.
As the pregnancy progresses your weight increases. In a healthy pregnancy a woman gains a certain amount of fat along with the baby weight – this increases blood volume including the amount of pressure exerted on the body. The additional weight is hard on your back and joints as it’s not distributed evenly – you are likely to feel the imbalance as various muscle groups overcompensate and strain creating the soreness, aches and pains you feel.
As a result of all these changes, sleep can be difficult which of course compounds the discomfort. Being uncomfortable, or in pain and not sleeping well is a vicious cycle.

The good news is that floating can help alleviate many of these discomforts that plague women during pregnancy. It’s also an incredibly relaxing and calming experience.

How does floating help alleviate discomfort?

Floating in a sensory deprivation tank is often described as a feeling of ultimate relaxation.

1. Floating has been shown to alleviate aches and pains.

The unique zero-gravity environment enables your body to lower stress hormone levels and inflammation that often accompany the aches and pains. The weightlessness enables your muscles to fully relax in its buoyancy.

2. Floating reduces stress.

Not only does it reduce the stress chemicals in the body, magnesium in the Epsom salts has been shown to inhibit ACTH, a hormone that drives your adrenal glands to release cortisol, a stress hormone.

Floatation therapy also has the ability to induce a meditative state – a deep relaxation that helps alleviate feeling of stress.

3. Floating improves sleep.

The weightlessness, coupled with complete and utter silence -the total lack of sensory stimulation – is the perfect environment for our bodies and minds to enter into a state of deep relaxation. In this state, and with lower stress levels, we are able to fall asleep more readily.

When you sleep better you improve your immune system and brain function – this is especially important during pregnancy because it regulates growth hormone levels.

Getting quality sleep should be high priority during pregnancy.

If you’d like to find out more about floating safely during pregnancy, our friendly and knowledgeable staff can help.