snake care during pregnancy (of owner)

[drache]

doctors are obligated to tell you all sorts of stuff, covering them for the smallest probability of suspicion of negligence, or their malpractice insurance will have their butts, or simply not cover them
in the case of ob/gyn, their rates are through the roof already, because everybody is already suing their sorry butts for every damn thing that can possibly go wrong in a birth, because in this place and time, if something goes wrong, somebody better damn well be responsible
so yeah - they will err on the side of caution
I can't imagine that they'll make you get rid of the snake, but who knows . . .

[sschind]

doctors are obligated to tell you all sorts of stuff, covering them for the smallest probability of suspicion of negligence, or their malpractice insurance will have their butts, or simply not cover them
in the case of ob/gyn, their rates are through the roof already, because everybody is already suing their sorry butts for every damn thing that can possibly go wrong in a birth, because in this place and time, if something goes wrong, somebody better damn well be responsible
so yeah - they will err on the side of caution
I can't imagine that they'll make you get rid of the snake, but who knows . . .

I know they are obligated to tell you certain thing and unfortunately, in this CYA world we live in, those things have continued to grow in number. They aren't obligated to tell you to get rid of your pets but when it comes to reptiles I'd bet that's what the majority of them would do. Maybe not 9/10 but I'd bet at least 75% would recommend you get rid of the snake.

Personally, I wouldn't worry about cleaning my snakes cage or preparing its meals if I were pregnant, I'd be worrying about plenty of other things if I were pregnant trust me. My point is use common sense and you should be OK but if it worries you get hubby to do it and enjoy the break.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

when I was pregnant 2 months ago (i miscarried) I still planned on going about snake care and snake keeping much in the same way that I do now. I am already very good with keeping myself clean and hand washing and not putting my hands in my mouth. I feel that the people who shelter themselves and their kids from everything are the ones who, when they finally DO conrtact something it can be devastating. Only by constant exposure to new things can our bodies learn to fight them before something serious hits us. if you never get the flu your whole life, and then you do when you turn 80, chances are, it will kill you!

[mustang]

when I was pregnant 2 months ago (i miscarried) I still planned on going about snake care and snake keeping much in the same way that I do now. I am already very good with keeping myself clean and hand washing and not putting my hands in my mouth. I feel that the people who shelter themselves and their kids from everything are the ones who, when they finally DO conrtact something it can be devastating. Only by constant exposure to new things can our bodies learn to fight them before something serious hits us. if you never get the flu your whole life, and then you do when you turn 80, chances are, it will kill you!

im very sorry to hear that

[ephemerata]

Thanks for everyone's 2 cents. I agree with everyone's ideas about the medical community overadvising - exposure to some germs is beneficial to your immune system (actually, in the "Raising Baby Green" book it suggests hanging out at your local farm so your baby is less likely to develop allergies!) - and if you have common sense and wash your hands, all is well.
Someone who knows I have and love a bunch of cats ignorantly asked me even "So are you going to give away all your cats?" right away when I shared my good news.
Don't worry, Sugar isn't going anywhere! All is well, I'm not too concerned anymore - just a fleeting question.
Cheers

[cuillan]

It's probably a small risk we keep alchohol hand cleaner that we use between snakes and then wash our hands thoroughly before touching anything especially as we have a 3 year old. I am four months pregnant and wont handle the snakes because they haven't been salmonella tested (corns anyway) I have heard garters are slightly toxic. I guess I felt it was a decision we had to make as a couple and we personally felt better be safe rather than sorry. The alchohol is probably a good compromise though. You might need a few to try my corns dont like the smell of some.

Hope this helps

[Mommy2many]

I've gone through five pregnancies and had everything from cats, dog, toucan, fish and what not. I think you are apt to get more things from your own kids!

Like everyone has said before, just use common sense and don't be too paranoid. Good luck with the baby!

[drache]

don't forget that the place to pick up the nastiest bacteria is at your local hospital and surrounding restaurants frequented by hospital personnel wearing their scrubs