Being pregnant doesn’t mean you can maintain a clean house. Like many other activities, you need to change your approach towards cleanliness. Be careful, enlist the help and pay attention, you’ll soon come back to your old routine before you know it.
During pregnancy, you may feel the need to clean up and prepare the house for your future newborn. But if you are having pregnancy complications, you may have to keep safety concerns in mind. Some day-to-day tasks can be laborious to you and the developing fetus.
There are some household chores, that aren’t safe for expecting mums. You just have to stop a few of them and be careful about how to go about with your daily chores. Here are some household chores to be avoided during pregnancy:
Using harsh chemicals: Products such as mosquito spray, oven cleaner, and bleach all have noxious fumes. These could be toxic. If you have to handle the problems of bugs, clean dirty ovens, and toilets while pregnant, you may have to look at some other alternatives.
Ant chalk and fly tape can take care of bugs and try using vinegar, baking soda, and lemons as natural cleaning solutions. Use less amount of cleaning products, wear gloves, and ensure that the room you are cleaning, is well ventilated. Try using safe and natural cleaners as mentioned above.
Lifting heavy weights: Do not struggle with large shopping bags and moving furniture around. The bigger your belly the more strain it puts on your lower back and back injuries is the last thing you need to have. You are already going to have a lot of back strain, just from carrying your growing baby. The way you hold yourself to change is very important because your center of gravity moves forward.
Doctors will always recommend you to avoid lifting heavy weights, as they feel that by doing so, you may sometimes trigger premature labor, bleeding, or a rupture of the amniotic sac in some cases. Get someone else to help you out with such chores.
Cleaning pet litters: Changing the cat litter or cleaning up dog poop can expose you to parasites and germs. The biggest risk to a fetus is toxoplasmosis, an infection transmitted by a parasite that lives in cat feces.
Toxoplasmosis isn’t dangerous to you, but it could be dangerous to your growing baby, if you catch it shortly, before or during pregnancy.
If you must handle pets, wear gloves, and wash your hand afterward. Pregnant women should always thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables before eating, in case they are contaminated with soil where a cat (pet, wild or stray) may have been or with chemicals.
Cleaning curtains and ceiling fans: Try not to do that requires climbing or balancing on chairs or ladders. Pregnant women are vulnerable to fall and the impact could be dangerous. Don’t stand on stools, tables, or climb ladders.
Mopping and sweeping: While these activities are okay in small amounts, mopping and sweeping may aggravate lower back pain and can be strenuous. If you have to sweep and mop takes frequent breaks to rest or sit and do it in intervals.
Cleaning windows: –Be careful while cleaning windows because it’s easy to slip and fall. Avoid harsh glass cleaners and just use damp newspaper to wipe the window clean.
Washing dishes: Always wear gloves before washing your dishes where you may have to use detergents and your skin would be sensitive during pregnancy.
Vacuum cleaning: Carting the vacuum cleaner around the house can be very tiring and try not to change the filter, while you are pregnant. The filters contain dust, hair, and spores which can irritate your eyes and lungs. Moreover, these jobs can lead to sciatica, a painful swelling of the sciatic nerve that runs down the back to the legs, which is aggravated due to weight gain and pressure on the uterus during pregnancy. If you feel sharp lower back pain and numbness, then take a break and get off your feet, to relieve the pressure of the nerve.
If you feel the urge to paint your house. Do not do it, wait until your baby arrives. Paints emit fumes while they are applied and they remain for several hours till such time it is dried. These fumes can have adverse effects on you and to the fetus. However, simple household chores are always recommended during pregnancy as it is a great way to remain active and stay fit which helps in normal delivery.
While it is safe and recommended to do household work during pregnancy, it is important to remember that certain household work may be hazardous to pregnant women and their babies. Always keep in mind the tasks that have to be avoided. Listening to your body is also important. Refrain from straining yourself too much and work out a schedule that includes a good amount of rest along with work.