Pregnancy and shooting.
- Thread starter tote4570
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armedaccountant
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An audiologist on a different forum said:
"Pregnant women should avoid steady-state noise levels over 115 dB (that’s really loud and not commonly found outside of heavy industry and the military) and impulses over 155 dB. Consequently, pregnant women should avoid shooting weapons that are more powerful than a .22 caliber rifle or pistol. It makes good sense for pregnant women to avoid loud equipment as well, particularly if their bodies come in contact with the devices. "
Ken Gerhardt, Ph.D., Professor of Audiology
Link to full post
http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?t=103012
"Pregnant women should avoid steady-state noise levels over 115 dB (that’s really loud and not commonly found outside of heavy industry and the military) and impulses over 155 dB. Consequently, pregnant women should avoid shooting weapons that are more powerful than a .22 caliber rifle or pistol. It makes good sense for pregnant women to avoid loud equipment as well, particularly if their bodies come in contact with the devices. "
Ken Gerhardt, Ph.D., Professor of Audiology
Link to full post
http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?t=103012
toiville2feathers
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The other thing to think about is the exposure to lead. They should not use a indoor range. And it is not only the bullet that contains lead but the primer also.
sigman2
Member
Back in January, 1972 my wife went duck hunting at 8 months pregnant. She handled a 12 Ga. Browning A5 just fine. I like to think it caused our oldest daughter to have hunting and shooting in her blood. At age eight she became my regular hunting companion.
She was a great kid and top student. She is now dean of an all girl private school and working on a PHD. She still loves fishing and shooting.
My wife should have gone hunting during her other two pregnancies. Neither kids were good students and neither like hunting!
She was a great kid and top student. She is now dean of an all girl private school and working on a PHD. She still loves fishing and shooting.
My wife should have gone hunting during her other two pregnancies. Neither kids were good students and neither like hunting!
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herrwalther
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My wife was 4 or 5 months pregnant when she went to the range to shoot some firearms that would be used for carry or home defense. Among them was a full size Remington 870 12ga. Most indoor ranges will advise pregnant women not to shoot indoors because of lead. But the once or twice shooting outdoors should not hurt.
JeeperCreeper
Member
If you have to ask, then it's not worth it.
I know women who have smoked and drank during pregnancy, but their babies turned out ok...
People already said it: noise, lead exposure, shock/concussive force, etc.
I wouldn't do it. This is the life of an unborn child, and should not be taken lightly because of someone's "hobby"
At 5 months pregnant, that is when many of the extremities and motor skills begin to develop in the fetus, AS WELL AS ITS HEARING!!!! Can you imagine what a blast of even the smallest gun will do to either of those??
Please, Please, Please play it safe!!!! God Bless
I know women who have smoked and drank during pregnancy, but their babies turned out ok...
People already said it: noise, lead exposure, shock/concussive force, etc.
I wouldn't do it. This is the life of an unborn child, and should not be taken lightly because of someone's "hobby"
At 5 months pregnant, that is when many of the extremities and motor skills begin to develop in the fetus, AS WELL AS ITS HEARING!!!! Can you imagine what a blast of even the smallest gun will do to either of those??
Please, Please, Please play it safe!!!! God Bless
Learn something new every day. I had a friend that said she enjoyed shooting throughout her entire pregnancy and seemed to think the babies (she did this through 2 pregnancies) liked the vibrations. Of course as I recall I only ever really saw her shoot ARs/AKs, not haulin on a 12 gauge. 
HoosierQ
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This is what I would worry about. Lead poisoning is not pleasant for adults. I know a guy that got pretty sick. The guy that went with him every time did not suffer at all...but he stopped using that range. Lead exposure in poorly ventilated ranges is going to be very dangerous for a pregnant woman and the baby.
I cannot imagine that the act of shooting anything but the most brutal long gun (like a super light 7mm Mag or Weatherby or something), very late in a pregnancy would be dangerous at all.
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Ranger Roberts
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There's been a few threads on this over the years. General consensus has always seemed to be that the exposure to lead is the biggest risk factor. Here is a link from an older thread that might be helpful to you guys.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=748498&highlight=shooting+while+pregnant
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=748498&highlight=shooting+while+pregnant
ApacheCoTodd
member
Probably, a fella should err on the side of caution wherever pregnant women are concerned.
The world's full of stories of 8 month pregnant women bringing in the crop after a breakfast of bourbon and cigarettes. Riding a tractor all day till evening where dinner is more hootch and coffin nails.
Really though, what's more worthy of over protection than an unborn baby and it's mother? Seems like the exposure to the shocks and atmospheric debris would be an unwarranted risk regardless of pregnant Russian women riding tanks on the line in Stalingrad or whatever extremes any of us may have survived as fetuses.
Good on you for looking into an activity which many might consider harmless. Cool as internet pics/vids of a pregger firing a gun may be - seems a bad idea all around.
The world's full of stories of 8 month pregnant women bringing in the crop after a breakfast of bourbon and cigarettes. Riding a tractor all day till evening where dinner is more hootch and coffin nails.
Really though, what's more worthy of over protection than an unborn baby and it's mother? Seems like the exposure to the shocks and atmospheric debris would be an unwarranted risk regardless of pregnant Russian women riding tanks on the line in Stalingrad or whatever extremes any of us may have survived as fetuses.
Good on you for looking into an activity which many might consider harmless. Cool as internet pics/vids of a pregger firing a gun may be - seems a bad idea all around.
cat_IT_guy
Member
Amen. Not worth the risks, IMO. My wife isnt a huge shooter, so it wasnt a huge loss to her (more to me, probably as I enjoy her company at the range). She was excited to go with me once baby was old enough to stay with grandma for a couple hours.
dprice3844444
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http://www.amazon.com/Kimberly-Clar...410966459&sr=8-17&keywords=n95+surgical+masks minimum requirement for pregnant women in bad environments.these are also good around folks with tb.
i myself would be very careful with pregnant women in any environment with lead dust in the air.it might not cause a problem now,but it might show up later in life.you also stand the chance of accidental discharge of a firearm that may or may not affect the child.
in that condition,please pick and choose what you do very carefully.making the right choices now,can save a lifetime of complications later.nowadays,with all these new type chemicals/materials being produced,you never know what is going to affect the child in it's development cycle.
i myself would be very careful with pregnant women in any environment with lead dust in the air.it might not cause a problem now,but it might show up later in life.you also stand the chance of accidental discharge of a firearm that may or may not affect the child.
in that condition,please pick and choose what you do very carefully.making the right choices now,can save a lifetime of complications later.nowadays,with all these new type chemicals/materials being produced,you never know what is going to affect the child in it's development cycle.
Sheepdog1968
Member
When I researched it, I came to the same general conclusion. We also skipped concerts and other loud noises.
wally
Member
Back in 1950 my mom had a few drinks and smoked while pregnant with me, I seem to have turned out OK but I still wouldn't recommend drinking and/or smoking for pregnant women!
Shooting brings up two issues lead exposure and noise exposure.
IMHO why risk it? Birth defects are rather common (3+% depending on where you look and what they count), how would you feel if you let your wife do something with a risk factor and God forbid, she had a problem?
When S&W professional shooter Julie Golob was pregnant she did her own research and wrote this free booklet. It is well worth a read. I wish every gunshop & range had copies available. By the way, she stopped shooting when she was pregnant.
http://www.juliegolob.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Ebook_Shooting_While_Pregnant_Resource_for_Expecting_Moms_Julie_Golob.pdf
http://www.juliegolob.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Ebook_Shooting_While_Pregnant_Resource_for_Expecting_Moms_Julie_Golob.pdf
It would probably be ok but why risk it?
My wife and I just had a baby (she's 2 and a half months old now). While my wife was preggo she didn't do any shooting. I bought her a pellet pistol and some lead free pellets, that was the only shooting she felt OK with (and even then I think she only shot that thing once or twice, in hind sight might have been a waste of money).
Now that she can shoot again she is making up for lost time... I'm having to reload like crazy to keep her supplied with ammo...
My wife and I just had a baby (she's 2 and a half months old now). While my wife was preggo she didn't do any shooting. I bought her a pellet pistol and some lead free pellets, that was the only shooting she felt OK with (and even then I think she only shot that thing once or twice, in hind sight might have been a waste of money).
Now that she can shoot again she is making up for lost time... I'm having to reload like crazy to keep her supplied with ammo...
stonecutter2
Member
Fully jacketed bullets may limited exposure to lead, but if you have an exposed base, that lead vaporizes when firing...and primers expel their own junk that you can breathe in too.
It's not the same or as obvious as getting 22LR lead all over your fingers, but it's not much safer either.
I'm right there with ApacheCoTodd.
We have a 4 month old, so this is relatively fresh for us.
We asked our OBGYN, who by the way, is rated among the best of the best and actually travels around the country lecturing to other OBGYNs etc...
The answer, once she got past the initial "if it's a question, why are you even considering it" response was that not enough studies are out there regarding long term effects of those types of sound waves through the amniotic fluids and into the baby. What they do know is that babies do hear things, and do respond to loud ambient noises.
There is also not enough research on how much lead one generally takes in when shooting.
So the official answer was (to paraphrase) "who knows. It may be harmful, it may not be. But what we do know is that no harm will come from avoiding exposure to those extremely loud noises, and to lead. So if you have a choice between a course of action that is potentially harmful to your child, and a course of action that will definitely not be harmful, why in the world are you going to risk your unborn baby so you can have a range day?"
David4516- exactly right. And congrats, papa!
We have a 4 month old, so this is relatively fresh for us.
We asked our OBGYN, who by the way, is rated among the best of the best and actually travels around the country lecturing to other OBGYNs etc...
The answer, once she got past the initial "if it's a question, why are you even considering it" response was that not enough studies are out there regarding long term effects of those types of sound waves through the amniotic fluids and into the baby. What they do know is that babies do hear things, and do respond to loud ambient noises.
There is also not enough research on how much lead one generally takes in when shooting.
So the official answer was (to paraphrase) "who knows. It may be harmful, it may not be. But what we do know is that no harm will come from avoiding exposure to those extremely loud noises, and to lead. So if you have a choice between a course of action that is potentially harmful to your child, and a course of action that will definitely not be harmful, why in the world are you going to risk your unborn baby so you can have a range day?"
David4516- exactly right. And congrats, papa!
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