Ever since I got pregnant, I’ve become, shall we say, a bit obsessed I mean, more focused on germs. Does that make me a germaphobe? If you ask my husband, the answer is a firm, Y-E-S. If you ask me, the answer is a very resound, N-O, followed by, I just don’t want to get sick, is that a crime?
Here are the facts. Before I got pregnant, I didn’t regularly use hand sanitizer (unless I was flying somewhere). I didn’t have a bottle in my purse, a bottle in my car, and a bottle in the entryway of my home-requiring everyone to use it before entering. I certainly didn’t have a “shoes off” policy in the house. And I didn’t ditch the cotton towels in the bathroom for paper. I did realize germs could be easily be transferred on surfaces the public used and shared. For example, the handrail of an escalator, the crosswalk button and, thanks to Oprah, the door of a public restroom. So, I took precautions when out and about.
But now I think about the multitude of ways germs can be transferred maybe as much as a man thinks about sex.
But I am pregnant and I’d really rather not get the cold or the flu. I have enough other things to deal with (hip pain, Braxton Hicks contractions, nausea), thank you very much. So, because I’ve adopted these new “policies”, does that make me Howard Hughes in training? Or does that make me a mom-to-be who’s looking out for herself and her unborn child?
In my defense, I didn’t actively seek out information about becoming germ-free. Because I excitedly subscribed to many pregnancy related websites, the articles about avoiding sickness were right there for the consuming, almost daring me not to read them. And before I knew it, I was reading stories of the germs could be lurking on the bottom of our shoes, a place some scientists insist can contain more germs than a toilet seat. And don’t even get me started on cell phones…
And because the temperature outside is starting to get colder and the flu season is upon us, these articles have become more frequent and contain more studies, more things to think about. Just today, I read an article about a new study claims that some hand sanitizers have an ingredient called triclosan that may be harmful to fetal development! *sigh*
So what’s the answer? Is it fair that my new-found interest in hand sanitizer and washing your hands as long as it takes you to recite the ABC’s is now forcing my family and house guests to jump on the germ-free bandwagon? Should I just resign myself to the fact that it’s impossible to completely avoid germs and therefore not try so hard? Or am I on the right track-better to be safe than sorry?
I used to be a freak about germs. I’ve tried to take a more natural approach now, focusing on “sanitizers” that use organic, plant-based products instead of chemicals.
Seventh Generation makes a great hand soap.
Maria, I love the organic and plant based product idea. Thank you!