Household Hazards and Pregnancy

Some women ask " When I'm Pregnant, what do I do about using Bug Sprays, House hold cleaning products and water, Yes Household Tap Water" is it safe to drink? I will answer these questions for you shortly.

Yes, there are Hazards to consider but with modern medicine they all pale in comparison to when medicine was not so advanced.In fact, Pregnancy and Childbirth have never been so safe. But while you won't have to trade in your home for a sanitized room, their are precautions you should watch out for.

Household cleaning products have been around for many years and there has not been any correlation between a clean home and birth defects or pregnancy problems. I don't think that cleaning and disinfecting your toilets or sinks will compromise the well-being of your little dearest. But actually, may help, by killing any harmful bacterias that may be unsafe for your baby. Their has not been any studies that proved that occasional inhalations of ordinary cleaning compounds have had any detrimental effects on a developing fetus. Just clean with a little care and let your nose and the following tips be your guide to ruling out any hazardous chemicals.

• If you are indoors, DO NOT USE a product with strong odor's or fumes, Only use it if you are in a well ventilated area or do not use it at all.
• Use cleaning products with pump sprays, not aerosols. They are better for you, the baby and the environment.
• NEVER when you are pregnant mix an ammonia product with any chlorine based products; this combination produces DEADLY FUMES!
• Avoid any products that are labeled with warnings about toxicity.
• Always wear rubber gloves, not only do they protect your soft hands and help from drying them out, they also stop any potentially toxic chemicals from being absorbed through the skin.

LEAD

Lead, pregnant or not, is very dangerous and should be avoided and always watched for. It has been shown that children ingesting lead (such as paint chips) had a reduced I.Q. than those who did not, It can also be very dangerous to the mother and a developing fetus. Heavy exposure to this dangerous mineral can put a mother at high risk of hyper tension and pregnancy loss.

Fortunatley, their is an easy way to avoid lead exposure and it's dangerous side effects.

• If your home dates back to 1955 or earlier the odds are that is has lead paint, if it has to be repainted, stay away from the home until the work is done, (Tell the workers you want the old paint removed before they apply the new paint.)
• Avoid any dishes or pottery that dates back to the 70's or earlier, the FDA did not set standards on lead in dishes until around 1970-1.

TAP WATER

Here's a common question I hear often hear from pregnant women, "Is it safe to drink Tap water ?" the answer to this question is YES, Tap water is safe to drink with todays filtration systems and treatment plants, but it is true that water once posed a threat for carrying deadly typhoid and other diseases.

Although water is safe to drink there are occassional lapses even in the U.S. Water can become contaminated by passing through old lead pipes or newer pipes that have been soldered with lead. Also water that comes from wells can be contaminated from river or streams. If your unsure if your water is safe to drink you can do the following:

• Contact your local environmental protection agency (EPA) or health department about the purity of your community drinking water or well, if that is your source, Or check out the EPA Water Saftey Hotline at (800) 426-4791.
• Do not drink the water if it has a strange color or odor.
• If you are unsure of the purity of bottled water ( yes, bottled water can contain more impurities than tap water) call the National Sanitation Foundation at (800) 673-6275 or visit www.nsf.org for more information.
• Avoid any distilled waters as most if not all of the beneficial minerals, such as flourides, have been removed.
• If your water smells or taste like chlorine you can boil it or let is stand uncovered for 24 hours, this will help remove (evaporate) most of the chemical.

BUG SPRAYS (Insecticides)

Most insects are harmless and it is generally safer to live with them than to try to eliminate them through the use of chemical insecticides (I know you won't do that) some which have shown to have been linked to birth defects. Here's a few things to you can do if you or someone close to you is using insecticides.

• ALWAYS use in a well ventilated area, Try not to breath the fumes.
• If your home is being sprayed for roaches etc. be sure that all your cabinets are closed and any food surfaces covered to prevent contamination, open your windows and doors if you can.
• Clean all your food preparation areas after the chemicals settle.
• ALWAYS Wear Gloves if using any kind of insecticides.

By following some of the steps provided you should have no problem keeping you and your little one safe during your pregnancy and beyond.

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