Massive anxiety and toxoplasmosis

[Alwaysworry]

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April 2020 Birth Club

Toxo anxiety is taking over.
Haras4
Haras4
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Last edited 16 hrs ago
So I have had anxiety most of these last 14 weeks about one thing or another. However this toxoplasmosis anxiety is really taking over.

We have 2 outdoor/indoor cats ages 9. In our old house a few years back they hunted alot and bought us mice and birds regularly. 4 years ago we moved to an estate and they dont hunt as much.
One cat poos in our garden, which DH (dear husband) cleans up daily. The other we have found out, uses a bush at the end of our road. We will now start cleaning this up daily too.
However, there was a big pile of cat poo and it looks like the cat digs to cover this. This has been there a while 😞
I am now worried that the cat has stepped in This and bought it into our kitchen (catflap is in the kitchen door) as I do see paw prints on my windowsill.
Every morning I Dettol antibac the sides and tables aswell as sofa. And obviously wash my hands constantly.
I am so worried about having caught toxo, although I do also think chances are the cats would have had it years back, but I can't help worry that I have caught it and put my baby at risk.
Is this a ligitamate worry? Should I request a toxo blood test? What else can I do to minimise the risks? I'm so worried and even ask my parents to look after the cats for the next few months, they won't and to be honest i would miss them. But I am so so scared.

Sorry for the long post xx

Right. Calm down. Toxoplasmosis is only dangerous in pregnancy if you've not caught it before and catch it for the first time. The vast majority of people have already had it at some point, so odds are you'd be fine even if you did get it.

With four cats, you've pretty much definitely had it before now, so chill.

Secondly, it only transfer orally, so simply washing your hands before you eat will be enough of a preventative measure.

Finally, if you're really that worried, lock the catflap and let them in through another door so they don't go into the kitchen. Mine has primarily lived in the conservatory since I first got pregnant unless we're in the living room.

Hi we also have 2 cats, as long as u wash your hands before eating your fine ,i spoke to my midwife about this.its hard to catch from cats mainly meat and not proper washed veg people get it from. Im now 36wks with a healthy baby so please dont worry.
what i do is wash my hands constant and used baby wipes inbetween to clean my hands. I got over the cat thing it was more veg and meat i got scared to eat.

If your cats are 9 you've more than likely had it already so it doesn't pose a risk to you or baby. As PPs have said, simple hygiene is enough to protect yourself.

It's not routinely screened for but you can ask your midwife to test and it will show if there's a recent infection and if you have the antibodies.

If you're only 14 weeks you might also want to look into some counselling for your anxiety, you still have a long way to go in the pregnancy then a baby to come.

Thank you all, I'm going to speak to my midwife about it when I see her in a couple of weeks, see if I can be tested (although that scares me incase I haven't and it makes me worse lol) Counselling us something I have thought about aswell, anxiety isn't something I have dealt with before, but I do understand how I'm feeling can't be healthy.
Other than keep antibac-ing my kitchen and washing my hands, there isn't alot more I suppose I can do.