Pregnant GF Shooting A Gun?

[iMoses14]

MODS: Move this if you need to.

I've heard stories of pregnant woman shooting guns before, but, is it bad?

My GF is 5 months (23 weeks) pregnant and she wants to go shooting. But, she's worried about something happening to the baby, as am I. Can the recoil jolt her or jerk her wrong and injury the baby? Can the sound harm the baby too? She'd be shooting 9mm or 22LR. We have definitely ruled out going to an indoor range cause they're much louder especially when the guy next to you is shooting 12G slugs. So, we were hoping to go to an outdoor range.

Any input would be awesome! Thanks!

[FNG19]

Any input would be awesome! Thanks!

I'm not a doctor, nor do I have any medical training. That said, lead exposure seems to be the greater threat to me.

[knight0334]

Its not bad so long as its done in moderation. The baby probably is exposed to more violence while you are giving her a prenatal pickle tickle than what she'd receive from the recoil of most guns. With the 22rf and 9mm that you pointed out, there wont be any issues.

So long as you aren't having her shoot bigger guns like 12 & 20ga, and high powered centerfire rifles, she should be just fine.

[GuyMontag]

Do not let her shoot until the kid is born and she's done nursing if she decides to go that route.

[Steve_NEPhila]

There was a thread on this very topic recently on either THR or the Smith and Wesson forum, cannot remember which.

There is nothing to worry about. The sound represents no major danger to the child (indoor is not louder then outdoor) nor is there any significant lead exposure to worry about as long as you have a light breeze (or the ventilation system is working at the indoor range).

In the thread a little bit ago someone mentioned a study that showed the noise was harmful. However, that study was done using howitzers, the kind that can collapse a grown mans lungs if he is a bit fore of the muzzle at very close range. Small arms fire is not even close to such overpressure. In fact, jet engines at airports are louder (and more damaging to hearing) then small arms fire all day long.

However, I will ask a real physician that I know (who is not anti-gun, like most) this very same question and post an update in a day or two of this exact question. I am not a physician. What I would avoid for a pregnant woman is cleaning firearms, cleaning cat litter boxes (cat poop is very bad for pregnant women), avoid eating copious amounts of sea food, do not smoke, do not get too fat and stay active.

[mollymayhem82]

I asked my OB/GYN, and she said it was okay to shoot as much as I want outdoors. If shoot indoors, she wants me to use a ventilator mask, so I don't inhale lead.

[mingomom]

I asked my OB/GYN, and she said it was okay to shoot as much as I want outdoors. If shoot indoors, she wants me to use a ventilator mask, so I don't inhale lead.

^^^^THIS^^^^ A pregnant woman needs to avoid inhaling/consuming toxic metals. Outdoors, the vibrations of the sound waves are cushioned by the amniotic fluid. It's more dangerous to take a HOT bath, actually. The bonus will be that your baby will likely be unfazed by loud noises such as vacuum cleaners, slamming doors, etc.

ETA: Congrats on the baby!

[eistea15]

If she does go shooting and everything is ok with the baby. I bet the baby's frist words are going to be "give me a gun!!!!" if i was a father of the child, i would be crying my eyes out!!!!!

[streaker69]

If she does go shooting and everything is ok with the baby. I bet the baby's frist words are going to be "give me a gun!!!!" if i was a father of the child, i would be crying my eyes out!!!!!

Yeah, it's funny the words they pick out. Not 5 minutes ago, I went to the wife and said I was going to see if I can find some firearm safety material for teaching the kids, and our 3yr old daughter said "firearms?".

I would trust what mingomom's OB/GYN said about it, and it is kind of surprising to find someone in the medical field willing to say such a thing.

[mollymayhem82]

Yeah, it's funny the words they pick out. Not 5 minutes ago, I went to the wife and said I was going to see if I can find some firearm safety material for teaching the kids, and our 3yr old daughter said "firearms?".

I would trust what mingomom's OB/GYN said about it, and it is kind of surprising to find someone in the medical field willing to say such a thing.

It was my OB/GYN, and she said her husband was a lifetime NRA member. Shooting came up by accident, when she asked about my lead exposure. I made a joke about it and expected her to freak out, but she never even raised an eyebrow.