Would you go to a petting farm.

[hmmSleep]

My daughter's end of year pre-school trip is to a petting farm, so there will be sheep, pigs, cows, rabbits, chickens etc. They need one adult per child, which basically means if I don't go she can't go.

I never considered not going and put my name down (I'm 25 wks pregnant). I know there is a risk of toxoplasmosis and that I shouldn't touch any sheep in particular because of a virus sheep can carry when lambing, but figured so long as I washed my hands well it would be fine.

I was helping at pre-school today and one of the play workers asked me if I was going, when I said yes she told me she caught toxoplasmosis from pigs when pregnant and her daughter is now blind in one eye. Not sue if she was insinuating I shouldn't go, but made me think. Would you worry?

I would only worry as what happend with the farms last year, but saying that surely if you dont actually touch them and keep a handwash close it should be fine. Also maybe say to your DD before you go, she can have a good look at them but just dont touch, maybe make an exscuse say that they are tired/not well today or something, just keep washing your hands even of you dont touch them

The main risk re farms is around lambing (in Feb/March) and comes from having contact with ewe's afterbirth.

If you stick to usual hand hygeine (maybe take some anti bacterial gel and obv wash your hands a lot and before eating etc), I think you'll be fine.

If you don't touch the animals yourself, so much the better. There is probably more risk of toxoplasmosis for people who clean their cat's litter tray, I should have thought.

As far as I know the risk is only from the lambs just after birth. I went with DS to see the lambing and just didn't touch any of them. I have been a couple of times since with the children I mind, I take the hand gel to use as soon as they've fed/touched the animals as they tend to put fingers in mouths before you get chance to wash them and then wash them thoroughly at the hand washing stations.

Most people have had toxoplasmosis anyway from playing in dirt as a child and as long as you wash your hands before you eat I really wouldn't worry. If it is bothering you could your partner or another relative go?

tae some hand gel, and dont touch ANYTHING after youve touched any animals.
Oh, and dont touch any children after you've cleaned your hands - by that, I mean they will still be covered in the same germs, not that they are unclean...

I took my daughter in april to a petting farm. I did not touch the sheep/lambs and washed my hands well. I was suprised to see I was one of seemingly hundreds of pregnant women that were there that day. Like anything else when pregnant, just be sensible about it!

I would go and have done whilst pregnant a few times.

Do not touch the animals and have others have said wash hands thoroughly.

The risk is from Listeria (a bacterium) from sheep during lambing, also E.coli O157 from infected faeces and toxoplasmosis from faeces as well but you are more likely to come into contact with that in your garden.

Yes there is a risk but you are probably more at risk of catching something from the lettuce in your sandwich.

I did, but didn't touch anything or go in the lambing shed and made sure I washed my hands and used the alcohol gel.

Still maintainingI can't change the cat's litter tray because of the risk of toxoplasmosis though

Thanks all, puts my mind at rest, I did actually go in previous pregnancies but think the care worker today just made me stop and wonder for a second. I'll take a big bottle of alcohol gel and scrub everyone down with it at regular intervals .