Q: Is is safe to use a waterbed while we try to conceive (TTC) and during pregnancy?
A: There are several concerns about using a waterbed during TTC and pregnancy:
- The water in the bed is heated and the heat can potentially increase your basal body temperature. This artificial change in your body's temperature may interfere with the proper interpretation of the basal body temperature curve.
- Some studies show that raising a pregnant woman's body temperature to 101 degrees F or higher for an extended period of time can increase the risk for miscarriage or neural-tube defects, although it is very unlikely that using a heated waterbed would elevate your body temperature high enough to endanger your baby.
- The electricity used to heat the bed may be a concern.