So now the latest news is that pregnant women should 'avoid' food in plastic containers in case it could harm their baby. And avoid moisturiser, shower gel, household cleaning products, make up and new furniture. Of course that's in addition to not eating cheese, drinking alcohol and all the myriad other rules imposed.
This latest advice comes from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. They admit that there is 'considerable uncertainty' surrounding the risks of chemical exposure, but say that women should take a 'safety first' approach, which is to 'assume there is a risk present even when it may be minimal or eventually unfounded'.
So, just to be clear, then, that means not eating vegetables that have been packed in plastic containers, not taking a sandwich to work in tupperware, not buying a new cot for the nursery, not moisturising your bump (or your face), not wearing deoderant when you're sweltering in the sun and carrying a little heat creator inside you, not wearing sunscreen... all because there may possibly be a minimal risk to your baby, maybe?
Pregnancy is hard enough without 'helpful' advice like this. And the trouble is, what starts as advice ends up as dogma. And this approach isn't taken with anything except pregnancy. Links have been mooted/substantiated between all sorts of things and devastating illnesses. Sugar, car fumes, hydrogenated fat, food colourings, pesticides. But are we told to avoid them just in case? No, we're told that without any firm evidence, we should just keep calm and carry on.
I totally get that creating life is important and that genuine threats need to be shouted from the rooftops. But advice like this, making women feel guilty if they so much as rub their face with a bit of Nivea?
Really not helpful at all.
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