KEY TAKEAWAYS: It is safe to vacuum while pregnant, but you may want to avoid exerting that much energy and pressure on yourself in the last trimester.
While you might feel okay in the early months to mop and vacuum, you may end up having pain later in the pregnancy. So, when cleaning the house while pregnant, we recommend being more careful with your back and avoiding this task later in your pregnancy, unless lower back pain isn't something you're noticing.
Rest after each chore so you can break them up into manageable tasks, and do one big chore a day (or even week). Focus on the basic daily tasks, picking up items here and there so they don't build up. Hang a chore list so you don't feel overwhelmed, and declutter your home to have fewer things to begin with.
Although what's considered heavy can differ from person to person, experts advise avoiding carrying heavy objects when you're pregnant. Straining to lift something can cause problems with your back and pelvis.
Prolonged standing or heavy lifting can cause an increased chance of miscarriage or preterm delivery (premature birth). Changes in a pregnant woman's hormones impact ligaments and joints in the spine to accommodate the developing baby.
A common recommendation is to not lift objects heavier than 20 pounds during pregnancy.
The quick answer: yes. Most general housework is safe for pregnant women. In fact, light, physical activity is encouraged by doctors. With floor care, concerns are raised with moving heavy objects or putting extra stress on a mother's body.
Even sliding a piece of furniture along the floor might cause strain when you're pregnant. So for now, it's a good idea to let someone else do the furniture rearranging. And if your job requires a lot of heavy lifting, talk to your healthcare provider and your manager.
You can certainly overdo any physical activity during pregnancy, whether it's hyper-extending your joints in a prenatal yoga class or pushing yourself too hard in the lap pool. Even walking too much in pregnancy can incur potential risks, such as shortness of breath, strain and pain.
Avoid spray and aerosol cleaners when possible.
Ingredients that were found to be especially problematic included alcohol, ammonia, chlorine, glycol and glycol-ethylene, sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), acrylic polymers, and terpenes. The increased risk of asthma was not found when cleaners weren't sprayed.
Normally 8:00 am. However if you know that you neighbor has a baby wait until 10:00 or 11:00 am. At 11:00 most babies are awake and having lunch and not sleeping. Standard is usually not before 8 AM and not after 9 PM for most buildings.
When pregnant, you are more prone to back strain when doing household chores. The pregnancy hormones soften or loosen your ligaments and joints. You can reduce your risk by paying attention to your lifting and bending form. To lift, spread your feet apart, one foot a little ahead of the other.
As your belly grows each trimester and hormonal changes cause your joints to loosen up, carrying heavy loads can strain your back and increase your risk of injury. Be aware when carrying awkward or heavy objects, like furniture, large laundry baskets, or heavy buckets.
Bending during pregnancy: the first trimester
If you need to pick something up from the ground, don't bend from the waist. Instead, bend your knees, keep your back straight and pick it up from a squat position. The same method is recommended for lifting heavy objects.
In most cases, sitting cross-legged on the floor during pregnancy is fine as long as it's comfortable. However, if you have health concerns or experience pain, numbness or swelling, it's better to avoid sitting cross-legged.
Pregnant women can consider climbing stairs. However, it should not be done regularly and those with a history of miscarriage or threatened preterm birth need to minimize it to ensure health.
“Climbing stairs during pregnancy poses no harm to the mother or child as long as the expecting woman climbs slowly and holds the railing to steady herself. If she feels dizzy at any point or if the flight of stairs is long and winding, she could stop climbing or avoid the stairs altogether,” explains Dr.
Pregnancy weight gain can cause a marginal shift in the body's centre of gravity and bending during this time can be risky for the sciatic nerve (runs from the lower back to the leg). So, if you feel uncomfortable while performing any task stop immediately.
Early miscarriage
Sometimes something can go wrong at the point when you get pregnant and the baby gets too many or not enough chromosomes. If this happens, the baby can't develop properly. If there's a problem with the development of the placenta, this can also lead to a miscarriage.