Household chores to avoid when pregnant

IT’S perfectly safe for expecting mothers to carry out some amount of their everyday chores. However, aside from the usual stresses that may be associated with these, obstetrician-gynaecologist Dr Robyn Khemlani said that you might want to delegate some tasks to another member of the household, or enlist outside help because of the potential danger they carry for you and your developing foetus.

Unsure what tasks to strike from your to-do list? Dr Khemlani shares a list of chores to avoid, below:

Don’t use harsh chemicals

Many household chores, such as cleaning your kitchen and bathrooms, require the use of harsh chemicals. These include the use of the spray for pests, which when inhaled, can enter your bloodstream and pass to your baby via the placenta. This can increase the risk of congenital disorders or future health problems. If you think that you must do these chores choose organic-based products or create natural cleaning agents using everyday household products such as baking soda, vinegar, and lemon juice.

Don’t wipe/mop the floor

When wiping the house there is a risk of slipping and sliding on the wet floor, and you want to avoid any situation that could cause a fall.

Avoid cleaning up after your cat

Give up cleaning the cat’s litter box as soon as you suspect or confirm that you are pregnant. This is very important because your cat’s litter may contain a harmful parasite called toxoplasma gondi that can cause an infection that may lead to problems with pregnancy, including miscarriage or stillbirth. If you must handle a litter box you should use gloves, wash your hands thoroughly with soap, and make sure to rinse them well.

Do not lift or move furniture around

Strenuous manual labour is the last thing you want to do when you are pregnant, for obvious reasons. Not only do you want to avoid straining yourself, pulling a muscle or even developing a hernia, but you also don’t want to risk premature birth.

Avoid painting the nursery

Naturally, women want to be in charge of preparing the nursery for their baby, and sometimes this includes painting, even if they are only assisting. However, after selecting your choice of paint, Dr Khemlani said you should leave the job to someone else. This is because some paints contain chemicals that emit fumes and some, usually oil based, have more harmful solvents that some studies suggest could lead to pregnancy complications such as miscarriages.

Avoid any household task that involves climbing

We all know how gravity works, and since it is a known fact that pregnancy alters a woman’s centre of gravity and therefore her ability to balance, any household chore that requires climbing — such as cleaning windows, ceiling fans or dusting furniture — should be avoided. Once the ability to balance is altered, this increases the possibility of a pregnant woman falling. This can, of course, cause harm to both the expecting mother and her foetus.