.22 rangetime and pregnancy

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I know that doctors, while normally the best source of information on things like pregnant women and not yet born babies, can have a vicious tendency to be anti gun (not talking about the new england journal of medicine at all) and unless they are shooters they may not have much of an idea how mild .22 is. But my fiance is expecting, and I will be out of state for a few months later this year/early next year, and while she told me today she will have one of my guns available while I am gone, she has barely fired any rounds at all and I want to get her out for some practice. Would .22s out of an auto (CZ Kadet Kit) be gentle enough for a pregnant woman? I would feel more comfortable if she were capable of chewing the black out of targets than I am with her skill level right now.


Thanks,

Max
 
I'd be comfortable shooting .22 outdoors with my prg wife. But not if there are other shooters around shooting larger calibers. fetuses don't like loud bangs. The .22 should be quiet enough not to bother it.
 
That's what I had in mind, the two of us on a date every week to put a brick through the Kadet Kit I will be ordering soon. I probably will not stand under the normal firing line at the range I usually use, since it has a cover and the noise under it is way worse than other outdoor shooting.
 
I gotta come in with a dissenting opinion. .22 maybe very well be ok to shoot for a pregnant woman. However, if we're talking about MY pregnant woman, she's lucky I don't have here in an anechoic chamber.

When it's my baby, a 1 in a trillion chance of negative effects is far to great for me.


-T.
 
I never felt comfortable going shooting while pregnant with both lead exposure and noise a concern.

While an airsoft gun will do nothing to help her get used to recoil, learning to sight and aim is learning to sight and aim so it might be the best option as a training device.

To my mind, having to use a gun against an intruder in an emergency is one thing and having regular range time is another. I was always the semi-paranoid sort who took no avoidable risks during pregnancy -- no hair color, no harsh household cleaners, no new paint unless I was outdoors, no caffeine (pre-asthmatic pregnancies) or limited caffeine (asthmatic pregnancies), and so on.

Balancing the inherent risks in life while pregnant is a highly individual choice, but I always preferred to err on the side of caution.
 
Lead exposure and airsoft, good point. I think I'd still like to get her out for maybe 50-60 rounds from the Kadet, after I get an airsoft gun so we can practice lots with that, just so she will have a little bit of trigger time on my PCR. The brick a week together will definitely not be a good idea, I completely forgot about lead.

I will start another thread about a good Airsoft pistol to use for sighting training after I do some shopping.

Thanks!
 
Sound is transmitted through fluid very well... I would not recommend a pregnant woman be exposed to noise levels generated at a range, even if it's only .22rf.

Pregnancy only lasts a little while, I'd save the firearms training for after the baby is born.

Sure, it's just my opinion, but is the benefit (a few months training) really worth the risk, however minor, of a child born with hearing problems? Easy call, for me... play it safe.
 
Unless its a self defense scenario, there is no legit reason for her to go shooting. She can take 9 months off and it won't be an issue. If there is concern, airsoft can be used as can BB guns. Exposure to lead (or even lead free ammo) and the loud sound might not be good. While not scientific, its better to avoid anything unneeded for the woman. One's accuracy skills cannot get that bad in 9 months, so in a self defense situation, she should be ok.

If one cannot absolutely avoid shooting, one can at least use a .22 rifle in an open air range. 22 Rimfire is fairly quiet and might not cause issues, but there is still the entire lead issue. Its better to avoid lead exposure overall in my opinion, since one has MANY many more years of life to go shooting. :)
 
lead is a big issue here. remember, small amounts won't hurt adults that much, but a small amount in a baby/child is a big difference.
 
Ok, the biggest reason I want to get something she can practice even non-firearm shooting with is because she has only ever fired about 9-10 shots in her life, and her aim was not impressive. I think I will just try working on her hand strength with her and get a neat airsoft gun so she can get at least the absolute basics down. I will be gone for most of October, come home and leave again in early November and not be home until February 19th, she is due on the first of February. It's the gap in my presence I am most worried about.
 
Our doctor said shooting while pregnant is completely acceptable while doing so outdoors. I clean the guns for us anyway, so we shoot. Baby doesn't flinch.
 
Don't underestimate how loud gunfire is to a fetus immersed in water, and how severe consequences can follow from being injured that early in life.

It doesn't take a lot to harm a fetus. Look at it like a tree. A little snap of the finger when the tree is young can lead to it missing a large limb later on.

If it were me I'd fire only alone and only with a good suppressor. Never in any other fashion.
 
Better safe than sorry.

She shouldn't be shooting, or be around anybody shooting, while she's pregnant.
 
I'm not a doctor so anything I say here is just my opinion.

Noise and lead are your biggest concerns for sure. If you are firing a .22 outdoors the lead problem will probably be a none issue as long as she isn't loading the mags with exposed lead bullets. Get coated bullets like Remington Golden bullets or something similar.

As for the noise, that a little more of a problem. I wouldn't bring her to a public range if I were you. If you have a place to practice where you will be alone with no additional noise again, you should be fine. I agree since she isn't a shooter she will need practice but be careful.

My final suggestion is for ammo. CCI produces Stinger ammo (Part #0050) which is rated at 1,640 fps but it's only a 32gr bullet. Though 1,640 fps is a good thing I don't care for the lighter projectile. CCI produces another fast .22 round a lot of people don't know about because Stingers are so popular. Their Velocitor ammo (Part #0047) is rated at 1,435 fps but uses a 40gr projectile. I think if you are going to use a .22 as a SD weapon a very fast bullet which weighs 40gr is probably your best bet. BTW, both CCI rounds I spoke of are coated so there is no exposed lead for her to touch.

Good luck and God Bless on the birth of your child.
 
I don't think your main concern should be the "noise" from a pistol affecting the fetus; if anything sound from outside the womb is dampened, not amplified. Liquids transmit sound better than air, true, but you are not firing the gun inside the amniotic fluid, now are you? You have a lot of fat and mucle between the fetus and the exterior atmosphere.

Now lead is always a mayor concern. How much lead is inhaled after shooting 50rnds? I don't know, and I wouldn't want to experiment with a pregnant wife...
 
Blakenzy, solids transmit sounds better than air. You also have sound going through the bones in her arm and into the womb.

Try putting your ear to the table and slam it with the palm of your hand and you'll see. My mom once stabilized a table while my stepdad used a powertool to drill in it. Problem was, she used her elbows to fasten the table whilst covering her ears with her fingers...bad idea.

Basically, noise is to a fetus what a match is to a rag soaked in gasoline, especially when directly connected to the body. But it goes for "outside" noise as well.
 
What's the problem? The impact of lead on the developing brain will only be lifelong, which is the downside, but on the upside, the potential for lowered IQ, lessened memory function, etc., won't be noticed by the child.

The impact of lead on the developing brain can cause cognitive problems/learning disabilities.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/scienc...serid=10&md5=c38ded1d45f07de0b7d277e6ccc86494

http://www.ldac-taac.ca/InDepth/identify_brain-e.asp

http://brain.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/126/1/5

This article indicates that the impact of lead on the developing brain is akin to that of a brain injury, although maybe not as severe as a stroke. There is reduced development of the speech areas (area of study for the article) and that the brain is forced to compensate by developing speech in other areas. So speech development is delayed and is non-normal.
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/118/3/971

Also see all the previous threads on this...

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=23466&highlight=pregnant+lead+fetus

Look at the suggestions by these doctors on the matter...

http://gemini.tntech.edu/~cpardue/pregnant.html

For the woman who must shoot while pregnant, we recommend:

- Discuss this with your doctor, and show him/her this article
- Use lead-free ammo (with lead-free primers)
- Shoot outdoors (to reduce exposure to noise and chemicals)
- Shoot the smallest possible number of rounds
- Wear a respirator
- Wash hands carefully (3 times) with cold water
- Do not drink/eat within 1 hour after shooting
- Use a silencer when possible
- Wear heavy clothing and or soft body armor covering the abdomen
Click to expand...

The bottom line is that there is no reason for a non-LEO pregnant woman to engage in an activity like shooting that has the potential to do harm to the fetus unless she is shooting in self defense. Recreational shooting by a pregnant woman is a BAD IDEA unless you don't want your unborn child to have it fullest potential for development.
 
I gotta come in with a dissenting opinion. .22 maybe very well be ok to shoot for a pregnant woman. However, if we're talking about MY pregnant woman, she's lucky I don't have here in an anechoic chamber.

When it's my baby, a 1 in a trillion chance of negative effects is far to great for me.


-T.
Click to expand...

EXACTLY!

:uhoh: Are we serious? Noise, lead, smoke, recoil, etc........I would not even consider it.
My wife is currently pregnant and although she would never expose our unborn child to such an enviorment I wouldn't allow it.

Nothing says "white trash" more than a noticably pregnant woman at the gun range, not that I've ever seen such a sight.
 
We have had pregnant agents qualifying for years on my job (they can choose to qualify or not). I am not aware of even one who has chosen to qualify while pregnant and later expressed a concern after the pregnancy that her child had been adversely effected by range noise, lead exposure at the range, shock from recoil, and so forth.

As for all of you who are worried about lead exposure, I have to wonder: How many of you have shot at the range while your wives have been pregnant? How many of you have reloaded during the same time? How many of you have handled firearms and ammunition while the wife was pregnant? How many cleaned weapons while the wife was pregnant? The fetus can be exposed to lead, powder residues, cleaning chemicals, and lots of other crud coming off of you, or your clothing and getting onto the wife.

I shot regularly while my wife was pregnant. My son never had any lead issues. He is graduating from High School tomorrow and starting college in the Fall. I hugged my wife many times after arriving home from a day at the range while a range officer while she was pregnant. He is okay. Now wait a minute - now that I think of it maybe that is why he....oh forget it, that was the mercury from the broken thermometer that the docs said was the cause:eek:.

Nowadays though, the range officers preach to make sure to clean up well, and I mean such as in leaving shoes worn at the range outside your door when you enter after being at the range, cleaning as soon or very soon after arriving home in a separate wash load, and so on.

As I said though, I have never heard of an LEO female (or of one's fetus) on my job having lead exposure problems, or sound or shock issues, because of shooting while preggers. I suppose it could happen though.

All the best,
GB
 
With our first child, my wife did everything by the book. She stayed away from caffiene, ate plenty of dark leafy vegetables, did yoga and all of that. For what she did, my son came out fine.

With our second child, she ate tacos, drank soda and every other think that would make Dr. Spock cringe. You know what, my daughter came out fine too.

If you are older than 50, your mom probably had a glass of wine with dinner to get over the morning sickness, and most of you came out fine. Heck, she may have even smoked.

The point is this. She will know if it is fine or not. Nature has a way of protecting future generations. If she is nervous, don't push it. If she wants to go and you are still concerned, get some CB's. Either way, your kid will be fine and will make you broke, sleepless, and age prematurely...enjoy:D
 
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