However, avoiding lead exposure as much as possible is always good. Use steel, tungsten, or copper bullets or shot if you are going to be shooting. Don’t push your limits and do what is best for you and your baby! It never hurts to consult with your doctor if you have a specific question. Just an FYI- I’m a health and safety officer at a shotgun shell manufacturer.
There are a number of things which could be risky, so it looks like some ranges don’t allow pregnant women to shoot. (I think they’re just covering their asses, really.) Once there’s hearing, your belly won’t soften the noise sufficiently, sufficient recoil could knock you around to much, etc. Early on you’re probably OK but you’ll have 950 jdj for sale to check the range’s rules. I had never really considered this being an issue, until my boss told me today that I can’t go shooting with the other employees next month, because I’m pregnant. It’s an outdoor range, so I wouldn’t think any lead inhalation would be a big risk… Is the noise of gunfire a problem to babies in utero?
Our goal is for our courses to be safe and appealing to everyone, even expectant or nursing mothers, so yes, it can be done, but we encourage any woman in these stages to undertake extra precautions. One of the first questions asked once class starts is “Are any of our students here today pregnant or nursing? ” It’s not to be embarrassing to an expectant or recent mother.
Excessively loud noise has been linked to miscarriage, intrauterine growth retardation, preterm delivery, hearing loss in babies and children, altered immune response in the fetus, and hypertension. Extended exposure to loud sounds, like you would experience at a gun range, can lead to an altered immune response in the fetus and potential hearing loss in babies. Is it simply better safe than sorry to not shoot while pregnant? We go over some facts and also cover the noise and lead exposure aspects of shooting.
However, at thispoint, author Fabrice Czarnecki recommends that pregnant womendon’t shoot, and avoid firing ranges. Permit is issued under a two part process. The permit allows a person to carry an unlimited number of handguns statewide (CGS § 29-33b). No permit or other credential is required to possess lawfully acquired handguns in one’s home or at one’s place of business.
If you sign up for any of our courses, as soon as you select “female” as your gender, we automatically add a warning to consult your physician before committing to taking a course or handling firearms. We also don’t know at what point the fetusis most susceptible to noise damage of the ear, whether it’s duringthe first trimester, second or third. Pregnant women , anyone judged to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs , anyone judged to be irresponsible and any restricted person who cannot legally possess firearms are not permitted on the range. The backstop is a rubber berm trap capable of stopping a .50 cal rifle bullet at point blank range. The rubber berm also reduces the chances of ricochet and minimizes lead dust.
The creation of life during a safe pregnancy should be celebrated, but often that celebration is befuddled when pregnant gun owners consider shooting while pregnant. However, doing so at a gun range or elsewhere can pose risks to the safe fetus flourishing in a womb. Confirmation of elevated lead levels is usually through a blood test. If the level in the blood is greater than 5 μg/dL, the source of lead exposure needs to be investigated and reduced. Does your range allow pregnant women to shoot?
I was standing beside him only a couple feet away. I definitely felt the percussion of the shot. That night while sleeping, my water broke.
I can share first hand what may happen if you, or someone close to you as in my case, discharge a firearm while pregnant. I had a completely normal and healthy pregnancy including zero time spent at the range. That is, until my third trimester while working in my yard and a large rattlesnake made its self known. The snake had me essentially trapped where I was. My husband grabbed one of our guns and shot the snake. All of this happened very fast and I did not consider all the details of what was happening despite being a competitive shooter and firearms instructor.
Guns should be cleanedby other people, away from the pregnant woman. Hearing protection must be worn while shooting is in progress on all ranges. Eye protection must be worn when shooting handguns with the exception of air pistols. Gun dealers must be federally licensed and if they sell handguns, they must obtain a local permit to sell them. They must follow specified procedures when selling firearms and meet other criteria in law. Although all the fetus’ hearing structures are in place, hearing sense is not fully developed until approximately 42 weeks of gestation.