Pregnant scientist

Hi everyone! I’m currently pregnant with my first and I work in a lab where I handle toxic payloads. I’ve been given the option to do desk work until delivery. I was wondering if anyone here has been in my position and what did you? I handle everything in BSC and fume hoods, but I am exposed to the environment and so is everyone else, pregnant or not.

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Hey!! I was in the same position. I wore a hazmat in the lab on top of my lab coat and wore a mask. I double gloved and wore sterile sleeves on top of the hazmat. Definitely only attainable if the lab is cool enough 😅. I handled hazardous chemicals like methotrexate, etc and it worked for me and my baby!

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I would often work in labs with solvents and some hazardous compounds- as soon as I was pregnant I avoided the lab but this was quite straightforward as the majority of my role is office based/teaching anyway. I’d avoid the lab if possible - not worth the risk.

@Kryana hiii okay thank you! I’m glad that worked and I’ll definitely start doing that! I realllly don’t want to be at my desk all day 😭

I swapped to desk work

I work in a clinical sciences lab and we handle all sorts of nasty chemicals. I tend to avoid the lab unless I'm in my dedicated lab and I know what's going on in there. I actively avoid going in to the shared lab spaces as it's all well and good knowing what you're working with but you have no way of knowing exactly what the 20 other people in there are working with. As a result I'm mainly office based at the moment. On the odd occasion where I do have to go in the shared space I'm wearing increased PPE (chem resistant gloves, face mask / respirator etc) and trying to complete the tasks I need to as quickly as possible.

I work in a radiation lab. While pregnant, i moved completely to desk job. I avoided going to the lab at all cost. Just not worth it!

Hi there! So I am in my second pregnancy as a chemist dealing with many things. I worked with formamide and my last company directed me to not be in the room that it is used in since it denatures DNA. That being said I am not working with toxic chemicals ie toluene and I make sure to wear PPE and I made a point to request respirator masks for everyone and that is a GAME CHANGER! I depend on the mask and I feel so safe and it's worth it. Talk to your EHS department and Im sure they will help! I think everyone should have one period.