The Truth about Housecleaning and Pregnancy

The pregnancy is one of the hardest periods a woman's body goes through. The hormonal and physical changes often make simple-looking tasks like vacuum or dusting impossible to perform. Women tend to get tired easily and become overly sensitive when it comes to overpowering smells and sounds. The truth is that all pregnant ladies should hold back on house cleaning and there are serious reasons for that. We have gathered different opinions from doctors to domestic cleaning professionals and thanks to their expertise we were able to list the top reasons housecleaning can be dangerous for all expecting women.

Let’s Address the Cat in the Room

Cats are among the most widespread and loved pets. However, having a cat is not exactly safe when you are pregnant. We are not talking about you being unable to serve your feline master as well as before. No, the reason is actually quite different and serious. Cats can often be carriers of an intestinal parasite called Toxoplasma. It can’t cause significant problems to your cat, but your pregnant wife is another story. This parasite is known to cause malformation to the foetus with ultimately results in the delivery of children with various birth defects. During the last trimester of the pregnancy, the unborn baby is at most risk of infecting with the parasite, so you need to avoid all contact with cats. However, the earlier in your pregnancy the infection occurs, the more serious the outcome for your child.rnAvoid changing your cat litter box, as the parasite can be found in the stool of your feline. You may also consider relocating your purring friend for a couple of months just to be on the safe side.

Eliminate the Irritating Strong Smells

The once pleasant aroma of the multipurpose cleaner transforms into cleverly designed torture devise for most pregnant women. As their sense of smell sharpens, all those artificial fragrances can cause severe migraines and nausea. And we are not talking merely about your laundry detergents, all ammonia and chlorine-based cleaners are out of the question. It is time to say goodbye to the widespread detergents and find some a little more suitable alternatives. Most expecting mothers prefer to clean with DIY solutions containing lemon juice and baking soda or with products labelled appropriate for pregnant women. However, not all products have the best washing and sanitising qualities, hence the next obstacle before the soon to be mothers.

Allergies, Skin Irritations and Dangerous Chemicals

During the pregnancy, the body becomes more susceptible to external factors and due to the change in the hormone levels the immune system may also weaken. This means makes it easy for the human body to get easily susceptible to allergic reactions. The skin becomes more sensitive which often imposes the need to change your regular household cleaners. Strong degreasers, oven and toilet bowl cleaners contain a lot of already dangerous chemicals, that can cause numerous problems during the pregnancy. You need to avoid the following substances:

• Phthalates - found in everything from nail polish and air fresheners to cleaning products these chemicals can cause serious changes in the unborn child. The US’s National Institutes of Health conducted various researches and concluded that there is a link between parental exposure to Phthalates and the development of ADHD in children. Babies exposed to those chemicals are usually born extremely underweight or prematurely.
• Triclosan- This chemical is used in antibacterial soaps and it is known to be a serious hormone disruptor. It causes a disturbance in the metabolism of estrogen, a hormone vital for the development of the brain and genes of the baby. When enough of this chemical gets through the placenta it starts to disrupt the estrogen levels which results in less oxygen reaching the baby.
• Glycol Ethers - found both in cosmetics and in most cleaning products these substances can be easily absorbed by the human skin. Overexposure to this chemical can lead to anaemia or predispose the unborn baby to develop asthma and/or allergies.
• Chlorinated Solvent- one of the strongest chemicals used in most degreasers, and multipurpose cleaners. Research shows that pregnant women exposed to this type of solvents are 13 times more likely to have a baby with major birth defects. The risk of miscarriage, foetal distress and even prematurity also increases significantly.
• Toluene - used as a metal cleaner this chemical can cause serious neurological damage. It can also affect the respiratory and digestive systems. This chemical is proven to slow the mental and development of unborn babies.

Cleaning Your Home Is More Tiring Than You Think

There are no two views about it, cleaning can be a tuff job especially when you are carrying another human being in your belly. A lot of the chores become a mission impossible for pregnant women. rnDuring this period not only that the body grows and changes, but your centre of gravity also shifts. This makes lifting, carrying and stretching extremely hard. You can no longer spend hours bent while hovering the entire house. Chores that require squatting or climbing ladders are also out of the question. rnAltho you can still do some basic tasks, the further into the pregnancy you go the harder it becomes to keep up with everything. Professional cleaning experts advise doing a couple of basic changes in order to make home cleaning a little easier:

• Purchase mops, brooms, dustpans and dusters with a longer or telescopic handle. This way it will be easier to clean the floors and shelves and you won't put so much pressure on your back.
• Make a new cleaning system and try to do your chores in 15 minutes segments. This way, you can save your strength for longer periods and won't get tired so fast.
• Do not try to attempt speed cleaning, do everything slower and don’t get too frustrated.
• Consider hiring a maid or a cleaning company to help you with the maintenance of your home. Especially during the last trimester, you will need all the help you can get.