Toxomoplasmis worry (ocd)

[AOMum14]

Hey guys,

I am an OCD pregnant woman who has trauma in pregnancy. I have A LOT of mental health support for this and am doing all the 'right' things. I just have moments like this where I slip up.

Today, after my daughters swimming, I put her welly boots on which had some soil on the underside. I then went about my morning and we went and had breakfast in a cafe.
I ordered something that did not require my hands.

But I could have touched my lips or had my hand close to my face and not thought about it. I normally wash my hands before eating but this cafe didn't have a toilet nearby.

I'm now terrified that my unborn baby will catch toxomoplasmis. A bit of side story about me, is I lost my son to a genetic condition, at 33 weeks. His brain was not formed correctly and a side effects would have likely been that he was deaf and blind. So scared my unborn baby will now be born with similar things due to my own stupidty!

Any reassurence much appeciated!

I don't know what help we can be OP but I can categorically tell you that I've never heard of a single baby that's had this and I can assure you people aren't washing their hands every time they touch something g that may have been in contact with mud. Do you practice mindfulness or have and CBT techniques to divert your thoughts? Sit with this and it will pass op, keep yourself busy and focus your mind on other things. Catch the thoughts, check them to see if they're rational, (this one isn't) and replace it with a rational thought...its unlikely any harm ahas been done, and repeat until it passes. Your baby will be fine. 💐

I am so sorry for the loss of your son.
This may help put things into perspective for you , i am a veterinary nurse with decades in this field and I have been pregnant 4 times .
I have never caught toxoplasmosis confirmed from blood tests during my last pregnancy .
If someone who handles cats and their faeces on a daily basis hasn't caught it i imagine you are very unlikely to have caught it.
Good luck with your pregnancy .

OP please don't stress yourself out. Like PPs said it's very unlikely any harm has been done. Good luck with your pregnancy x

I got told that the likelihood if being immune was very high when I was pg and worrying about emptying the litter tray

Toxoplasmosis is not as common as many people think - I’m a vet and so got tested through occupational health, and I was negative despite having had a lot of contact with lambing sheep, cats and soil over the years.

I absolutely sympathise with the pregnancy anxiety, pregnancy does funny things to your brain! It’s understandable you would be more cautious given the loss of your son as well.

Thank you so so much everyone for your kind words and reassurence. It is so appeciated! I feel a lot better after relaxing with family and reading your comments x

Sorry for your loss, OP! Echoing the above, I’m a vet and currently pregnant. Handle cats daily and never had toxo.

I am so sorry for the loss of your baby boy💙
I went through ocd in pregnancy last year and my sole concern was toxoplasmosis. I had never even heard of this before until I read the bloody pregnancy book the clinic gave me.
Ocd really spiralled and I was left pretty much disabled by it.... and I don't say that lightly.
Anyway what I am trying to say is that I completely understand your fears, I do and I spoke to so many health professionals about this when I was pregnant, desperate for any reassure and nobody has ever met a baby, man, woman, child with toxoplasmosis. I ate a pink burger before I knew I was pregnant and I didn't contract it.
Keep using your support system and take one day at a time, sometimes that's all you you can do. I will keep you in my thoughts because it's such a difficult situation to be in