Shooting while pregnant?

[John 264]

My wife is 6 months pregnant. She loves hunting and shooting but has done neither yet during pregnancy with a gun. All hunting has been with a bow so far. Rifle season starts here in November 16th. Her pregnancy doctor is not a single doctor but rather a group of 4 doctors. So she rotates between them depending on who is available during her visits. Anyways, every time she goes she asks about shooting while pregnant. We have received 3 different answers. One doctor said it is fine. The second doctor said they would not risk it. The third doctor said an occasional shot (hunting as an example) is fine but range shooting should be avoided. I think we have simply decided to play it safe and just not shoot period but I am curious what everyone's thoughts here are or see if anyone else here has any experience with this. Thanks!

my 23 year old daughter was killing turkeys and 38 weeks no problem I had to take her out hunting first that year so she could have the baby she walked around 5 miles over 2 days and killed 2 long beards take her hunting and have fun good luck

 

[Thescandinavian]

I read some advice on jogging while pregnant.
The advice was that pregnancy is not a reason to stop jogging and it's good for both mother and child. You should however not start jogging after getting pregnant.
I think it's really about what your used at doing.
Lead exposure for firing a few bullets outdoor is so low that I would say irrelevant.
If she use a heavy rifle with light bullets at moderate speeds and adding a suppressor I can't see any damage in this at all, but rather healthy recovery after an normal tough week.
Our closest relatives (the chimpanzee) climb trees while pregnant and human pregnancy has for decades been treated like a serious medical condition. Good it's changing.

 

[JD284win]

My wife shot while pregnant with both our kids. Dr said stay away from the african calibers and it wouldn't be an issue. The noise is muffled by all the fluids the sound isn't an issue.

 

[25WSM]

There's an article at realtree from a women who hunted Turkey's while pregnant. First hand account. Was a good read.
Shep

 

[jrock]

My wife and I went shooting varmints one day while she was pregnant. The varmint guns had no recoil and the baby responded to every shot. We quit after a few shots. We then asked her OB who said no shooting while pregnant. She quit hiking at 6 months too. It's a personal choice and we choose to pass on it.

 

[jacknifejc]

My mother shot rifles when she was pregnant with me. I don't remember it hurting me at all. It just got me addicted to shooting.

 

[DocTahoe]

My wife and I went shooting varmints one day while she was pregnant. The varmint guns had no recoil and the baby responded to every shot. We quit after a few shots. We then asked her OB who said no shooting while pregnant. She quit hiking at 6 months too. It's a personal choice and we choose to pass on it.

I am new to this forum but I have researched this topic since my daughter's pregnancy. There are a few considerations. The sound impulse is actually transmitted better through both fluid and bone conduction than through air. This can be very stressful to the fetus. Lead exposure is also a consideration both as the child is developing in the womb and during breast feeding. Recoil seems to be less of a concern overall. I gave this advice to my daughter and others: Pregnancy and breast feeding are for a brief time so why risk it. Archery and airguns in the meantime.

 

[Joefrazell]

There's no problem unless shooting indoor. Breathing in lead is horrible for babies in the womb. Nothing wrong with hunting.

 

[jacknifejc]

My mother shot rifles when she was pregnant with me. I don't remember it hurting me at all. It just got me addicted to shooting.

The other problem I had was not being able to walk for ten months.

 

[tooth doc]

My wife is 6 months pregnant. She loves hunting and shooting but has done neither yet during pregnancy with a gun. All hunting has been with a bow so far. Rifle season starts here in November 16th. Her pregnancy doctor is not a single doctor but rather a group of 4 doctors. So she rotates between them depending on who is available during her visits. Anyways, every time she goes she asks about shooting while pregnant. We have received 3 different answers. One doctor said it is fine. The second doctor said they would not risk it. The third doctor said an occasional shot (hunting as an example) is fine but range shooting should be avoided. I think we have simply decided to play it safe and just not shoot period but I am curious what everyone's thoughts here are or see if anyone else here has any experience with this. Thanks!

260 rem is also a great, and under appreciated and underutilized cartridge. Hand loaded is much better that 6.5 creed. 243 is also a gr8 deer cartridge with good bullets.

 

[Chase723]

I wouldn't have her lay prone for a period of time or shoot all day but shooting a some should be fine. As far as people saying tissue doesn't attenuate sound, hold your hands over your ears. How well can you hear? It attenuates sound significantly.

 

[lgwatson]

My wife is 6 months pregnant. She loves hunting and shooting but has done neither yet during pregnancy with a gun. All hunting has been with a bow so far. Rifle season starts here in November 16th. Her pregnancy doctor is not a single doctor but rather a group of 4 doctors. So she rotates between them depending on who is available during her visits. Anyways, every time she goes she asks about shooting while pregnant. We have received 3 different answers. One doctor said it is fine. The second doctor said they would not risk it. The third doctor said an occasional shot (hunting as an example) is fine but range shooting should be avoided. I think we have simply decided to play it safe and just not shoot period but I am curious what everyone's thoughts here are or see if anyone else here has any experience with this. Thanks!

My daughter's Dr. told her that the sound is the problem.

 

[SaintforJesus]

My wife is 6 months pregnant. She loves hunting and shooting but has done neither yet during pregnancy with a gun. All hunting has been with a bow so far. Rifle season starts here in November 16th. Her pregnancy doctor is not a single doctor but rather a group of 4 doctors. So she rotates between them depending on who is available during her visits. Anyways, every time she goes she asks about shooting while pregnant. We have received 3 different answers. One doctor said it is fine. The second doctor said they would not risk it. The third doctor said an occasional shot (hunting as an example) is fine but range shooting should be avoided. I think we have simply decided to play it safe and just not shoot period but I am curious what everyone's thoughts here are or see if anyone else here has any experience with this. Thanks!

 

[SaintforJesus]

Just as in gun use and hunting, best to lean greatly on the side of safety. Human life and babies in and out of the womb are so precious to protect.