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From the moment a woman learns she's pregnant, she must take great care of herself. Thus, her lifestyle must become exemplary if she doesn't want it to affect her child's health. Because over the weeks, everything she swallows, digests, and even inhales will be transmitted to the fetus's body. It's therefore better to eat healthy and balanced meals, and put an end to all consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and narcotics, that goes without saying!
But there are also toxic poisons emanating from everyday products that she will have to be wary of. Indeed, some of these can have very harmful consequences on the health of the fetus. It is therefore wise for a pregnant woman to avoid all contact with any of these chemicals, at least as best she can, given their large number in our homes!
Household products: dangerous during pregnancy?
They flood the inside of our storage cupboards, our kitchen sinks and under-sinks, and have dedicated spaces in our bathrooms, toilets, garages, and garden sheds. These are cleaning products and their many derivatives, which we can no longer do without in our daily lives. From dish soap to limescale remover, laundry detergent, and window cleaner, we come into contact with these more or less questionable liquids and foams every day. At least, that's the case whenever we do any kind of dishwashing, a bit of cleaning, or wash our car.
Fortunately, most household products are now harmless to our health, although it's still best to opt for natural products made with vinegar or baking soda if you're following an organic lifestyle. However, there are many products we should be more wary of, especially if we have a weakened immune system, such as a lung condition, or if we become pregnant, even just a few weeks into the pregnancy. These are easy to identify because their labels clearly state how dangerous they can be to our health.
So, if you have to, you might as well wear a mask. Although a pregnant woman shouldn't have to come into contact with any of these chemicals.
What agents are toxic during pregnancy?
A product is said to be chemical as soon as it is composed of toxic agents. As a pregnant woman, these products should only be used when absolutely necessary, and even then, with the wearing of a mask such as the PP-F2, which prevents the inhaling of the toxic fumes released by the product in question, rubber gloves to limit skin contact, and the windows of the room wide open to let fresh air circulate.
If a pregnant woman needs to take such precautions, it's because these products can be extremely dangerous for her, as they are already not recommended for the general public. This is especially true of bleach and ammonia-based products, which are particularly effective at burning our respiratory system when inhaled too closely. But we will see that even fairly common products that might seem harmless, such as air fresheners, must be used with great caution during pregnancy.
Common Products Pregnant Women Should Avoid
Thus, indoor air fresheners, but also air fresheners containing solvents are the first products that a pregnant woman should avoid because they contain many toxic substances. And these only leave the ambient air of the room where they were sprayed after several hours. Too many hours, therefore, during which these toxic substances, invisible to the naked eye, penetrate our bodies through our respiratory tract. So, without making them a phobia either, it is better to remove them from our homes, and prefer healthier products, containing neither fragrance nor perfume.
It goes without saying that all household products bearing the skull and crossbones symbol on their label should be stored away in the garage during pregnancy! Furthermore, the smoke from a fireplace or wood-burning stove contains numerous pollutants that are not recommended for pregnant women. So, forget the cozy feeling of a real fire; it's better to heat your home for a few months with an electric heater that doesn't emit any toxic fumes. And because the nursery will need repainting, only water-based, latex-based paints guaranteed to have low volatile organic compound (VOC) content should be used. Naturally, exterior oil-based paints, as well as varnishes and other toxic thinners and paint strippers, must be kept out of the mother's respiratory system.
Finally, pesticides and herbicides intended to kill weeds in our paths and gardens should not be handled by a pregnant woman, just like pet care products and cat litter, where toxoplasmosis due to feline excrement is harmful to the fetus.
The very harmful case of lead during pregnancy
In older homes built before the 1970s, wall paint contains lead. And even after so many years, lead can be extremely harmful to a fetus in the womb. So, because you can never be too careful, it's recommended to give each affected wall a fresh coat of paint, using a latex paint with lower VOCs.
Finally, since lead is also present in tap water, it is advisable to have a water filter that can reduce its presence in the drinking water that you will then consume with your family.
So much for the recommendations made to pregnant women when dealing with toxic products, but that shouldn't stop them from doing a bit of cleaning with healthy products if they wish, or from having their husband do it!
