Can You Go in a Sauna While Pregnant?

Best avoided (overheating)

It's best to avoid saunas and steam rooms in pregnancy — like hot tubs, they can raise your core temperature too high.

The full answer

Saunas and steam rooms carry the same concern as hot tubs: they can raise your core body temperature above the roughly 102°F (39°C) threshold that, especially in the first trimester, has been linked to a higher risk of neural-tube defects — and overheating can also make you feel faint. Because the heat is intense and you tend to stay in for a while, the usual advice is to avoid saunas, steam rooms, and hot tubs during pregnancy. Pregnancy already makes you more prone to feeling hot and light-headed, so a hot, enclosed room is best skipped. If you want to relax and warm up, a warm (not hot) bath or a swim is a much safer choice.

Safer alternatives

Safer alternatives: a warm bath or a swim
If you're ever exposed to that heat, keep it very brief and leave if you feel faint
Stay well hydrated and cool, especially in the first trimester

When to avoid: Avoid saunas, steam rooms, and hot tubs throughout pregnancy, particularly in the first trimester.

Saunas by trimester

Stage	What changes
First trimester	This is where the caution is strongest. The concern is core temperature — pushing much above about 102°F (39°C) is what guidance advises against, and the first trimester is when that matters most for development.
Second trimester	Still advised against. A second factor matters too: feeling hot and feeling faint are both more common in pregnancy, so heat makes light-headedness and fainting more likely than it would otherwise be.
Third trimester	Same advice, with the fainting risk more pronounced again and less room to cool down comfortably. A warm — not hot — bath is the usual substitute.

Common questions about saunas in pregnancy

How hot is too hot in pregnancy?

The figure guidance tends to use is a core temperature above roughly 102°F (39°C). In practice that means saunas, steam rooms, hot tubs and very hot baths are the things to skip, rather than warmth in general. A bath you'd describe as warm rather than hot is a different situation.

What about hot yoga?

Heated classes raise the same concern: ACOG lists hot yoga and hot Pilates among activities to avoid in pregnancy because they can make you overheat. Regular yoga is generally fine and often recommended.

I sat in a sauna before I knew I was pregnant.

A short, one-off session is less of a concern than long or repeated ones, because the risk depends on how hot you got and for how long. Mention it at your next appointment — routine scans and blood tests can check for neural tube defects.

How using a sauna fits your own pregnancy is worth a quick check with your midwife or provider. The general rules on overheating, falls and exercise are in our pregnancy safety guide, and you can track your pregnancy with the How Far Along Am I? calculator and the week-by-week guide.

Frequently asked questions

Can you go in a sauna while pregnant?: It's best to avoid saunas and steam rooms in pregnancy — like hot tubs, they can raise your core temperature too high. Saunas and steam rooms carry the same concern as hot tubs: they can raise your core body temperature above the roughly 102°F (39°C) threshold that, especially in the first trimester, has been linked to a higher risk of neural-tube defects — and overheating can also make you feel faint. Because the heat is intense and you tend to stay in for a while, the usual advice is to avoid saunas, steam rooms, and hot tubs during pregnancy. Pregnancy already makes you more prone to feeling hot and light-headed, so a hot, enclosed room is best skipped. If you want to relax and warm up, a warm (not hot) bath or a swim is a much safer choice.
Why is using a sauna not recommended in pregnancy?: Saunas and steam rooms carry the same concern as hot tubs: they can raise your core body temperature above the roughly 102°F (39°C) threshold that, especially in the first trimester, has been linked to a higher risk of neural-tube defects — and overheating can also make you feel faint. Because the heat is intense and you tend to stay in for a while, the usual advice is to avoid saunas, steam rooms, and hot tubs during pregnancy. Pregnancy already makes you more prone to feeling hot and light-headed, so a hot, enclosed room is best skipped. If you want to relax and warm up, a warm (not hot) bath or a swim is a much safer choice.
When should I avoid using a sauna during pregnancy?: Avoid saunas, steam rooms, and hot tubs throughout pregnancy, particularly in the first trimester.

Sources

This answer was checked against the following public guidance. Advice can differ between countries; your midwife, doctor or pharmacist can apply it to you.