Help - High carbon monoxide reading

[MeganMama28]

Hi everyone, hoping for some advice/reassurance. Having a panicy couple of days which feels awful ☹️

I had my booking appointment with my midwife this week and my carbon monoxide reading was 10! We don't smoke and I have avoided any smoky areas. Had gas safe check our house and they capped our hob (apparently it was on its way out and may have been releasing small amounts of carbon monoxide when using one of the burners). I also had used this just before my appointment to make lunch.

I phoned my midwife and tried to ask more more clarification about the reading and at what level would be a risk for the baby. They were really vague and didnt explain much to me at all. They said maybe a weekend out of London to get fresh air but at this time it's not possible.

I know this is a rambly post but feeling crap and worried that a reading of 10 may mean it's been passed on to our baby. Has anyone else had more information? Trying to avoid Google!

Carbon monoxide prevents the red blood cells from carrying oxygen around your body and to your baby. It is dangerous because it deprives the baby of oxygen, slows its growth and development, and increases the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth and sudden infant death. This is why the test done so that you can be referred to smoking cessation services as long time exposure isn’t good for the baby.

The co reading of 10 PPM (parts per million) is high and is probably due to the faulty gas job, and if you were a smoker you’d be referred to smoking cessation services at around 6 PPM.

Try not to worry as it’s likely the high reading was due to the gas hob realising carbon dioxide, if the issue is now resolved your CO level will be lower and as it falls by 50% within 4 hours of exposure, and just 24 hours for the harmful CO to clear from your bloodstream, so the reading will be nothing like that now, and the risks to baby will be minimal.

I’d suggest buying a carbon monoxide detector for your home.

Further info on the test can be found here: www.tommys.org/pregnancy-information/im-pregnant/smoking-and-pregnancy/carbon-monoxide-testing

www.tommys.org/pregnancy-information/im-pregnant/smoking-and-pregnancy/effects-carbon-monoxide

Thank you so much that's really helpful and has explained it all 😊 I wish the midwife had!

I'm hoping it was just that short exposure too - my blood test results came back and had high levels of haemoglobin. From what you've explained I assume that means my red blood cells have still been carrying enough oxygen around my body and to the baby.

My partner's off to get a Carbon monoxide alarm for downstairs too now as we only have one upstairs.

I love that your midwife thinks a week out of London will help

I would t even be concerned tbh, it sounds like you found the cause (cooker) and it's been sorted

*wouldnt worry

@MrsMop7 my OH was amused by that advice too!

Thank you, feeling a bit better already knowing I've probably just worked myself up when I don't need to

I’ve had readings from 1-6 over my pregnancy with no obvious reasons for the fluctuations! We’ve also had everything serviced and the midwives are quite vague about why the readings fluctuate! When I had the reading of 6, I went back a week later and it was a 2. Maybe book a retest with your midwife for your piece of mind?

@Puglover88 you can get a higher reading of you've walked (or driven) through traffic congestion on the way to your appointment.

@MeganMama28 sounds like you've got the source identified 👍

A hospital admission is 40. You and baby will be fine.

That’s good that you’re getting another carbon monoxide detector.

From what you've explained I assume that means my red blood cells have still been carrying enough oxygen around my body and to the baby

No that’s not what it means. Carbon monoxide binds to haemoglobin which is the oxygen carrying protein found in red blood cells. Carbon monoxide reduces haemoglobins ability to carry oxygen, so the amount of oxygen circulating around your body is lowered, as carbon monoxide takes up more space than oxygen. It is normal to have some low levels of carbon monoxide, however increased carbon monoxide levels due to smoking/passive smoking/exposure to carbon monoxide due to a faulty gas appliance ect reduces the amount of oxygen both the woman and baby receive.

The FBC blood test amongst other things checks your red blood cell count and haemoglobin levels (which are the same level) to determine if you’re anaemic which is common in pregnancy and is usually caused by an iron deficiency as your body needs more iron to produce more red blood cells in pregnancy, so that there’s enough oxygen to you and baby. So the haemoglobin levels in your case are good and you’re not anaemic, the test however doesn’t assess the efficiency of the oxygen being carried around your body so having a normal red blood cell count/haemoglobin level just means your not anaemic.

The carbon monoxide test shows the levels in your lungs and doesn’t measure the levels found in haemoglobin, and is used to encourage woman to stop smoking as it can cause the baby to be smaller amongst other things.

Try not to worry about any long term effects of your exposure, you’ll have your dating scan soon and 20 week scan. Your midwife will also measure your bump at each appointment which is a good indicator the size of baby.

I had a higher than normal reading and it turned out to be fault with my (old) car! It seems unlikely in your case, but thought I'd mention it just in case.

Thank you everyone, wished my midwife had been a bit clearer at the time as to what it all means. It's our first pregnancy so still learning.

@Puglover88 hoping to get another test this week 😊

@Blahblahblahnanana yes this is very true. Counting down the days until our scan looking forward to seeing our baby on the screen!

@SenoraSurf thank you - that number really puts it into perspective!

@Weathergirl1 also was in traffic with my windows down in the way to the appointment which may also not have helped!

A similar thing happened to me. On my first test I got a 7 (I'm a non smoker). Panicked and phoned back up to get it done again. It then showed a 0. Then at first scan got it done again and got a 1. I asked the midwife at the hospital for possible reasons for the 7 score and she said it would be because I had driven and had sat in the car for twenty mins prior to appointment. She then said the 0 score is literally impossible! 🤯

Hi Ladies,

Just thought I would add to this. I had the same thing happen yesterday at 26 weeks midwife appointment, I had a reading on the carbon monoxide test of 4. At my booking in appointment it was 1. I was really annoyed as I haven't smoked in two years and was worried this might make it look like I had been. We have carbon monoxide alarms in our house and no issues with boiler it is 4 years old and had been serviced. The appointment was a 2 min drive away and not a busy road and I hadn't been stuck in traffic.
Anyway I asked DH to go and buy a new carbon monoxide detector just to be on the safe said and our house is reading as 0. I brought it in my car to work which read 0 and also brought it into my office and got a reading of 0.
Then in a conversation with DH he said would it be the incense we had burning at the weekend as this is only a new thing in our house. Sure enough I have googled it today and found articles showing that burning incense can cause carbon monoxide.

I'm going to mention this to my midwife but just thought I would mention it here too out of interest to see if this had been the case with anyone else?