Do Tanning Beds and Pregnancy Mix?

While pregnancy shouldn't stop you from having a normal life, tanning beds and pregnancy can lead to personal discomfort and birth defects.

Women of child-bearing age are concerned about tanning beds and pregnancy, and who can blame them? Bringing a new life into the world is serious business, and every mother wants her baby to be born healthy.

While there is no definitive evidence that tanning beds and pregnancy don't mix, there are some common sense concerns that you need to be aware of:

1 - One real concern for pregnant women is that of becoming overheated or dehydrated while using a tanning bed. Overheating is associated with spinal malformations in unborn babies, and dehydration can lead to premature labor.

2 - Especially during the later months of pregnancy, lying on a flat tanning bed can create significant pressure on the lower back and reduce the blood flow to your heart and to the baby.

3 - The UV rays that give you a great tan can also lead to a folic acid deficiency. This type of deficiency can lead to neural tube defects, especially during the first trimester.

4 - During pregnancy, your skin may be more sensitive to the UV rays, leading to hives, a rash, or chloasma, which are dark splotches on your skin.

5 - Not all pregnant women get stretch marks, but those who do will tell you that tanning can make the stretch marks appear more prominent.

A better answer for expectant mothers may be to take advantage of spray on tanning booths or self-tanning products. These products that are applied to the skin have not been found to have adverse affects on a growing fetus and do not elevate a woman's body temperature.

For many, a terrific tan equates to looking healthy, but when it comes to pregnancy, it is better to sacrifice the convenience of tanning beds than to take a chance on harming your baby. Look for alternative means of tanning or treat yourself to a massage or pedicure to compensate for the stress-relief you may normally feel when using a tanning bed.