Pregnancy and Gardening?

[newshootsinsunlight]

I've just found out I'm pregnant with my second....
I wasn't really into gardening last time round, but now I've got a garden, an allotment and I'm studying horticulture and I'm worried about where I go with gardening now??!
I've read some places that you should avoid gardening, other places say wear gloves all the time and scrub hands afterwards (toxoplasmosis from cat poos)......I'm worried as I was doing lots of bare-handed gardening last week before I was pregnant.
The GP was kinda vague (helpful) and said it's your risk, wear gloves.
I''ll be in a pickle if I can do gardening both with my course and my allotment....
Also, be interested to hear other people's experience of gardening whilst pregnant. Did you keep on digging etc???
Thanks!

[Seahorse]

Congratulations!

I did a lot of heavy gardening work before realising I was pg with either of my last two, with no ill effects at all. That said, I'm sure it's not recommended advice! I would wear gloves and try not to do anything overly stenuous, especially for your back muscles. If you find the two really aren't compatible, remember it's only a very short time, relatively speaking, and your lottie and your course can both be picked up again afterwards.

[kethry]

i think a lot of it depends on how used you are to gardening and your fitness levels.. if i remember correctly you can continue doing almost anything you did before you found out you were pregnant, especially early on when your gravity point hasn't yet changed (i.e. before you get a big bump!), the key is not to do anything new. i.e. don't start anything too vigorous. if you're used to gardening and heavy digging, you'll be fine. if you're not, or in any doubt, then give the heavy digging a miss - or do it little and often instead.

HTH

keth
xx

[Snadger]

I think the human race has survived for thousands of years on common sense alone!

[Topaz]

listen to your body, it wont allow you to do too much without objecting. I have had 5 children and continued most things right up to the crucial point.

[nick the grief]

I'm not pregnant but I do have a similar profile these days Topaz is right, Just take it easy and don't overdo it but take care if you come into contact with Manure of any kind and I wear gloves more than ever these days when I'm gardening but mainly cos I cut myself a couple of years back and it went all kinds of colours before it healed up but better safe then sorry.

My wife worried when she found out she was pregnant as she smoke (still does in fact) but she gave up as soon as she found out. I would have thought that Gentle exercise would be a good thing but I'd not do too much rough digging

[megan]

congratulations new shoots your growing your own.do as your body says.plenty time after baby to catch up.enjoy your pregnancy every thing else can wait.

[vicky]

Just to say what everyone else has said - take it easy if you feel you need to, wear gloves, wash your hands before putting them near your mouth, wash veggies well etc.
I work as a gardener and worked up till around 8 1/2 months with my second and only stopped cos it was july and fantastically hot! When I stopped suddenly I found all I could do was sit and take the dog on short walks before the day heated up, so I reckon I stopped work at the right time....saying that I was out in my own garden within a week of having the little blighter. Would recommend a travel cot/playpen that can go on the lottie to constrain an overenthusiastic dirt eating baby.
Good Luck!
Vicky

[lozza_9]

Congratulations, I continued gardening thorughout my pregnancy, found the last few months hard work but the only thing I made sure was to make sure I had gloves, the midwive told me to protect me from Cat poo and that was it.

Just be carefull when you dig, you may have to get on your hands and knees and do things with a hand held items, which I did. It allowed me still to weed and not worry about my back, just have to make sure you have plenty of room to get back up!!!

Also make sure the allotment doesnt have any danager areas, slippery area and any nails in wood. I managed to put a nail in my foot when I was a few months pregnant, no damage but had a sore foot and a few hours in A & E

[newshootsinsunlight]

Thanks for all the top advice.
All good common sense. That's the trouble with some medical stuff on the internet, is that it get things out of perspective.
As everyone has said, women have been pregnant and cultivating the land since well ...a long time ago.
Feel reassured thanks,!

[Flummery]

Congrats New Shoots (literally now eh?) and I'm sure your own body will tell you what and when. Do you have one of those weeding/planting kneelers that double as a stool? For £12.99 it could be an investment. You can work close to the ground by kneeling not bending or stooping and you have two sturdy hand holds to lever yourself upright again. It also gives you a great excuse for a regular sit down on the stool side of things. If you get one, start using it straight away, not when you have no alternative, and then you'll have got into good habits.

[Two_Sheds]

You need to be careful around cat poo ... always wear gloves when gardening, and wash hands afterwards to be sure.

[roitelet]

Congratulations New Shoots. I will just echo what everyone else says, gently does it, little and often and take care.

The day that my second was due I was out sowing Parsnips and she was still a week late!!!!!!

[janeyo]

Hi, I carried on with my flower garden right up til the birth of both my 2. (Didn't have veg garden then). I had an old cushion and sat on the ground to do it. I do remember being so fat I had to wait til OH got home to heave me up once though, LOL.
Both were July babies so it was hot hot hot.

With second pg, I had SPD so it was much harder to do anything, but I still managed a bit, with lots of rests and drinks and a nice bath after! I wasn't goint to let the hard work I had put in pre-pregnancy go to waste!

Just listen to your body and take it easy. At the first sign of an ache STOP!
The garden will still be there afterwards. And to be honest after having the baby I expect the garden will be the last thing on your mind for quite a while!
I am sure when baby comes riends and family will be only too happy to sit with baby for an hour while you ease yourself back in.....

janeyo

[loolootinkerbell]

Hello, i'v just found out i'm pregnant with no 4!!! i'v got big plans for my garden this year, involving digging etc... i'll carry on as normal, just listen to your body. plan things well in advance and in small ,short stages, so if you end up feeling tired you'll still have enough energy to clean up and get onto the sofa!! as long as you take it steady and be aware of any cat poo / manure floating around, you'll be fine. i suggest keeping out of the hot summer sun and drink plenty of water too, pregnant wommen in third world countrys work far harder there than we could in our gardens here, you will be fine, try not to worry.