Natural insect repellent for 10 week old preggy??

[MotherofZ]

Ok - so I can't use anything containing DEET, but what products out there can I use? I've found a few websites which say they are alternatives to DEET based products but they don't say suitable for pregnant women. Been to Asda and Boots and they can't recommend anything.

According to the link below, Citronella oil is a safe natural alternative, and it's very effective as insect repellent (and doesn't smell as toxic as chemical sprays!) I'm going camping at the weekend and hope to get some to take with me, so will report back after the weekend to see if I get bitten to shreds (am normally quite popular with the mozzys!)

www.babycentre.co.uk/pregnancy/isitsafeto/insectrepellantexpert/

I use citronella and it really does work.

Boots should stock a product called 'Mosi guard' or some similar name. It's recommended by the London school of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine iirc.

An independent pharmacy may stock it or will order it for you.

Mint is a natural insect repellent.

not sure what you mean by natural, but an unlikely product, and one that really works, is Avons Skin-so-soft body oil spray in woodland fragrance.

My DH is allergic to midge bites, coming up in nasty puss filled blisters, and he swears by it.....and it has the advantage of making him smell nice.

OK, so it's not exactly "natural" but it doesn't have nasty chemicals in!

Eat lots of garlic!

Cover bare skin with light clothing. Don't sit outside after dark. Get some citronella candles or the plug-in mosquito repellants are very good.

My mum went into Boots yesterday to buy me some citronella bug spray (bless her she's lovely!) and the pharmacist told her there has been some recent controversy about whether citronella is safe in pregnancy after all. Even though it is a natural product, it is thought to possibly have some negative effects. Don't mean to worry anyone who has been using it, and am sure the advice will change again but just to let you know.....