Heat

Heat can affect your body and well-being. Heat can change a person’s menstrual cycle or affect sperm. There are some things to avoid when trying to conceive a baby.

Heat

People react to heat differently. If you have heart disease, high blood pressure or uncontrolled diabetes, then heat may have a stronger effect on you.

Effects on Women

During pregnancy, a hot tub or sauna can cause you and your developing baby to get too hot. This can affect your baby's development.

Effects on Men

Men should avoid hot tubs and saunas when trying to conceive a baby. The heat can reduce the amount of sperm and change the sperm's ability to move.

What effects can heat have on my ability to become pregnant or conceive a baby?

Your body functions best at an internal temperature of about 37˚C. If your body heats up in a hot environment, it can change how well you function and feel.

Working in a hot workplace can affect your overall health. More research is needed, but for some, it looks like heat can affect the menstrual cycle. Talk with your health care provider about heat in your workplace.

To be their healthiest, testicles need to be cooler than the rest of the body. Any increase in the temperature of the groin can affect how the testicles work and this can affect sperm.

This can include:

working in a hot workplace (e.g., factory or bakery)
jobs that involve long periods of driving
using a hot tub or sauna

Heat can affect the amount of sperm, the ability of sperm to move and the shape of the sperm. Any of these changes could reduce the chance of conceiving a baby.

Are hot tubs or saunas risky for my reproductive health?

People react to heat differently. If you have heart disease, high blood pressure (hypertension) or uncontrolled diabetes, then heat may have a stronger effect on you.

During pregnancy, a hot tub or sauna can cause you and your developing baby to get too hot. This can affect your baby’s development. Don’t go in water hotter than 38.9°C. Limit the time in hot water to no more than 10 minutes. Keep the water level below your shoulders. Make sure someone stays with you in case you feel dizzy or faint.

When trying to conceive a baby, avoid hot tubs and saunas as heat can reduce the amount of sperm and change the sperm’s ability to move. Research shows that this effect is temporary. Exactly how long it might last could vary.

Where can I get help?

If you are concerned about heat in the workplace, talk with your employer or health care provider. Changing your work tasks or limiting some of the heat related tasks may be possible.

Heat

Heat

Effects on Women

Effects on Men

What effects can heat have on my ability to become pregnant or conceive a baby?

Are hot tubs or saunas risky for my reproductive health?

Where can I get help?

What is My To-Do List?