Is it safe to use a heating pad for sore muscles during pregnancy?

Tekoa King
certified nurse-midwife

A heating pad applied to sore muscles or aching joints won't harm your baby, because moderate heat applied to one area of your body won't raise your overall blood temperature. And there's no evidence that EMFs (electromagnetic fields) pose any danger to developing babies.

Russell Turk
obstetrician

Using a heating pad while you're pregnant is safe. When applied to a specific area of the body, a heating pad can provide relief without raising your core body temperature.

If your core temperature gets elevated early on in pregnancy, it can increase the risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida. This is why women are advised to avoid hot tubs and saunas while pregnant.

Pain can be a sign of potentially serious complications, such as a detached placenta or a uterine rupture, so alert your doctor if your pain is not obviously from overexertion.