Can pregnant women shoot guns – Check Safety During Pregnancy

Shooting as a profession is a rare sector, especially for women. There are less no. of women who are indulged into the activities like shooting. When it comes to women who are pregnant and still wish to shoot or are shooting are even rarer. So if you are expecting to have an excellent time shooting, especially the pregnant women, then the debate will keep ongoing. Despite this, there are safe ideas we explore for the to-be mothers. Below is an article that will lead you to know that pregnant women can shoot guns according to the experts and their credible information.

is it safe to shoot guns while pregnant?

There is a piece of information that will surely help all the pregnant women to know if they should shoot during her days or not. And if yes then how and if no then why? As said above, the demographic of pregnant women with shooting as a profession is rarer; thus, there is a specific study for this question. 

Well, there is no such risk for pregnant women while shooting as such, but there are two important concerns that can bother them badly. They are:

1. Noise level

 Let first know how noise level impacts fetal development for a pregnant lady:

While shooting a gun, an extreme noise level is created that has a seriously detrimental effect on everyone’s hearing. Thus ear protection is a must. The sound level produced at the time of shooting can cause pain and immediate damage in humans internally. 

If you are a mom to be, then the damage level increases and may lead to miscarriage, growth retardation, and premature delivery, there is a thin layer of protection for the fetus and by the time sound reaches the baby the protection can’t handle it and breaks. It may also cause altered immune response and hearing loss in the babies.  

2. Heavy metal exposure

One must take care of the lead exposure for all the pregnant women. Lead can be a form of poison for the body and internal organs too. High levels of lead can cause muscle and joint pain, nerve disorders, and infertility too. Also, lead exposure is most harmful to the developing baby’s body. When the lead passes the placenta, the impact of the baby’s weight and head can suffer profoundly. Apart from this, a high level of lead may cause miscarriage, infertility, premature baby, pregnancy, hypertension, etc. This risks not only the life of a child but also her mother too. 

Solution for all the pregnant shooters who are willing to continue their shooting days:

The only solution for pregnant shooters is to start reducing the usage of lead and heavy metal. Shooting is such a skill that nine without practicing can lead to loss of proficiency, and thus I will say that it is a perishable skill. To maintain the grip and expertise in shooting, it becomes utterly necessary for a pregnant woman to keep the practice on. But pregnant women should only work with less lead and heavy metal exposure guns. 

Ways to reduce toxic elements on the range:

• Choose lead-free ammunition or choose a dry fire gun.
• Never drink or eat food at the range.
• Stay around adequate ventilation while practicing indoors. 
• Always wear a mask and shooting gloves.
• After shooting, keep a habit of washing your face and hands with soap.
• Take the help of someone else to clean your gun.

Can Pregnant Women Shoot Guns

So after reading this whole article, it has become very clear that pregnant women can shoot guns, but in the end, it is their choice. Make sure that you consult your doctor before taking any step as your condition might not allow you to shoot guns. Even if you decide not to shoot guns during pregnancy, it will not make you completely inefficient. There are several ways you can train yourself without exposing noise and lead to you and your baby. 

Try to practice with snap caps to maintain the motion of shooting. Having dummy rounds will maintain the grip and skills of yours. In fact, I would suggest that Dry fire practice is the best way for all the pregnant shooters to develop and maintain their grip on guns. So as far as you take all the safety measures, you and your baby are safe even while shooting. Remember that nothing else is more important than your baby’s life and yours too. Keep the spirit high and aim your target well!