STOP BREATHING!!!

[starlover]

I have just heard the most ridiculous bit of scaremongering ever on This Morning.
Apparently the air you breathe during pregnancy can result in your child getting a form of childhood cancer.

We aren't allowed to drink, we aren't allowed to eat stuff... now we aren't even allowed to bloody breathe!!!!!

I want a diamond solitaire, in platinum.
I have pointed out the ones I like to DP... just in case!
Have a feeling it isn't going to be forthcoming though

I dropped a few hints for a diamond platinum eternity ring and sure enough DH turned up at the hospital with one!!! You have good taste Starlover!
As fir the breathing I'm quite concerned now as I did alot of painting when I was PG!

hmmm, in that case then maybe I better get a bit more specific with him...
ie... show him the EXACT one I want!
just in case!

yes, that's a good idea locket... he sometimes gives me some "allowance" in cash (so that I don't use my credit card!) so I could also put down a deposit to secure it.
And e-mail him to let him know to pick it up!

Thats how to do it! Did it with my engagement ring and eternity ring and came up trumps both times!!!
Just cut out pictures of it and stick them all over the house. He'll soon catch on!

Um, I'm pregnant and I think this is very worthwhile research. I think if pollution is causing childhood cancers then this will put pressure on businesses and governments to deal with it - ie working to reduce emissions from cars, factories etc etc. This is exactly the kind of thing I think we should ALL know about and that should be a public health priority.

The thing is, though - would it make any difference - our generation is like a walking science experiment. Our food is full of chemicals, we're surrounded by electromagnetic radiation,and don't get me started about flame retardants. God knows what it's doing to us and how do we prove cause & effect? All we know is that cancer is increasing....but are businesses & government really going to do anyhting as all they listen to is money?
Sorry, am rambling on a bit and I suppose it could all be scaremongering but being pregnant definitely makes you more neurotic about all this!! I'm embarrassed to say I went scouring the shops yesterday for unbleached organic cotton nappies, am turning into a total hippy.

Aloha is right (as usual ). DH is a medic and spent years doing research into enviromental causes of birth defects - not cancer, but the point is it has made us very aware of what I breathe when pregnant - especially in the first trimester when the vital organs are forming. I haven't read this particular research - it may be scaremongering and pointing the finger of blame at mums (as always) - but you do of course have to be careful about fumes and chemical sprays - it's common sense.

Oh, I do too, lockets. And DD is fine so far You just have to practise reasonable damage limitation, don't you?

The worrying thing is that I did all my painting and decorating after I was 28 weeks and my midwife said it would ok!!!
Obviously not!

I agree with Nik72.
The research might be worthwhile but it doesn't change anything, (and i can't see that it ever will tbh - but i am very cynical of late!!).
In my mind all it is doing is worrying pregnant women now and in the future about something over which they have no control, and then they also tell you stress is bad for the baby!!

Starlover, Don't think he'll believe me if I say I'm preganant again after only 8 days since i last gave birth and seeming as i'm not up to that sort of thing yet! And even eastenders coundn't get away with a virgin birth! Maybe have to leave it a couple of months ! then try - just wish i thought of mentioning a ring and getting out of the cleaning couple of months ago!

the thing is, instead of scaring pregnant women, who have no control over where they live and the air they breathe every day they should be doing something about it!
It should be the car manufacturers and people like that that are targetted, not us!
after all, we can't change the air we breathe, but they could make a difference.

hippi.. that's a very good point! you'll just have to leave it a little bit longer! although, maybe diamod rings are also good shortly after birth... to prevent pnd or something????? it'd certainly make me happy!

I was telling dp about this thread yesterday and he said we can go ring shopping on saturday!!!!!!!!

Great idea - a ring to stop pnd. I'll try that!! Congrats on ring shopping.

YEY ring shopping!!! Hope you get a great big whopper!

Starlover, I think the point is that this kind of research is EXACTLY the kind of thing that puts pressure on businesses and governments to reduce pollution - otherwise if pollution had no significant effects on people/the environment why would there be any incentive to do anything about it. Do you also feel 'got at' by research into global warming? Why do you think this is somehow attacking pregnant women? Don't you think it is important to find out if pollution levels do have a significant impact on foetal/child health? Yes, it is scary, but it's not all about us, it's about the whole world and all the children in it being born now and in the future. I personally am glad that this research is being done. The scientists who work on this sort of thing aren't trying to harm you or your children, they are trying to find out the truth of what pollution (and different types of pollution) is doing to the world. How can that be a bad thing?

I'm not saying the research is a bad thing.
I am saying that the way it is put across in the media is a bad thing.
The piece on This Morning was on the health section and was basically saying that pregnant women should be more careful what they breathe.
Well, that may be so... but instead of aiming the findings of the research at pregnant women, they should be using it to pressurise the government and businesses.

WE can't do anything about it... so why are they giving us another thing to worry/feel guilty about?

Well, I didn't see anything on This Morning and of course scientists aren't responsible for how their research is presented. While I agree that scientific research is not always reported responsibly or sensitively, I don't think this means it is a bad thing to do the research. I'm not sure who you mean by 'they" - the scientific team who worked on this, or the producers of This Morning. Maybe 'we' can't actually reduce pollution as individuals (though driving less, using fewer consumer goods etc are a contribution - and I'm not being holier than thou as have a car and plenty of pointless 'stuff'), but you can write to your MP, join Freinds of the Earth and stuff like that to put pressure on our government to put limits on how much pollution is allowed to be emitted from factories etc. And of course, as I said earlier, unless there is evidence of real harm caused by pollution, there isn't the incentive to please the electorate by putting measures in place to reduce it. I really don't understand why people say this kind of research makes them feel guilty - it should make you feel angry! After all, you don't want you or your children to breathe in polluted air, do you? I don't.

Just stop breathing! Then no harm can come of you baby....hmm there's a flaw to that plan somewhere! Oh well. Starlover told dh that if I didn't get a ring i would most definately start suffering with pnd - so he said he'll see what he can do for my b.day which is mid Feb. So fingers crossed. I'm after an eternity ring, as got my engagement ring when 6 week pg with dd, and gor wedding ring at 6 month pg, so an eternity ring 6 weeks after giving birth sounds good!

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And you know what comes after the engagment ring, wedding ring and eternity ring don't you?....
Upgrades!!!!

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ooooh, well done hippi!
i think come saturday dp will have "forgotten" about his promise of shopping trip so may end up dragging him out the house!
haha