Guest blog post by Michael Cordova from Floating Point Centre in Pangbourne. This blog post first appeared here.

Floatation Therapy is great for pregnant women within the 2nd and 3rd trimesters, and only after a medical clearance from their doctor. Floatation Therapy can offer a brilliant level of relaxation and pain relief not found outside of the tank.

Floatation Therapy allows the mum-to-be an escape from the added weight of pregnancy by floating in a weightless environment, thus taking the strain off the body and spine. It promotes excellent sleep, a lovely sense of well-being and can help with all the aches and pains normally associated with pregnancy.

Floating can help the pregnant mum-to-be literally float through the pregnancy with a level of calm and comfort. The Epsom salt solution will reduce inflammation and the pregnant mum will absorb lots of magnesium from the solution in the float tank.

There is often comment about the ‘mirror effect’ of the baby floating in the womb of the mother, the mother floating in the womb of the tank and the spiritual/communal pleasure for the mother in this regard, deepening her connection with her baby.

In the third trimester of pregnancy you are the most uncomfortable. You have all this pressure on your lungs and organs; you may have trouble breathing and sleeping. Imagine if you will a brief respite. If we evolved from the sea it only makes sense to use Floatation Therapy to draw comfort, we are 80% water after all.