Is Mopping The Floor A Good Exercise During Pregnancy?

Is mopping the floor a good exercise during pregnancy? Low impact activities and workouts are generally considered safe during pregnancy. Since most housework is low impact and is done in a safe space, it’s mostly safe for you and the baby.

In fact it can be a form of exercise, and some women who have never used a spray mop or steam mop before, buy a new one just for this.

As you bend over, you’ll feel the weight of the baby shift from your back and pelvis. This provides some relief and can help with a sore back.

Bending over as you mop also helps widen the pelvis and hips, which reduces the risk of delivery complications.

Precautions

The most important thing is to listen to your body.

If your pregnancy is generally healthy and you feel no strain when you bend, it’s okay to mop.

But if you feel pain or any other unusual symptom when mopping, stop immediately and rest. Talk to your obstetrician before you try to continue with any other household activity.

You should also be extra careful if you have a high-risk pregnancy. If you’ve already been diagnosed with certain complications, you are better off avoiding activities like mopping or talk to your doctor first.

As the end of the pregnancy approaches, many women experience a nesting instinct. They want to clean and scrub and make the place perfect for the baby.

It may be tempting to start pushing furniture around or taking on major cleaning tasks.

Don’t.

Lifting or pushing heavy objects can cause problems and so can straining your body with constant cleaning work.

During this period you should be resting more, not busying yourself with endless work.

Household Chores To Avoid

As I said, most chores are generally safe. As long as you are healthy and not straining your body, you can do the dishes, mop the floor, vacuum, fold clothes and so on.

But there are certain chores you should try to avoid or exercise extra caution when dong them.

1. Changing the cat’s litter box

This is a low-risk chore but you should nevertheless be careful when doing it.

Cat’s litter can cause toxoplasmosis, an infection that results in flu-like symptoms in adults and children. It’s normally a mild infection that most people don’t actually notice.

But in pregnant women, it can be dangerous.

An expecting mom with toxoplasmosis can pass it on to her unborn baby. This could cause serious birth defects including eye and brain damage.

The risk of catching the infection is very low especially with indoor cats. But don’t take the risk.

Ask someone else to empty the litter.

If you have to do it, wear gloves and empty the litter everyday (it takes 24hrs before the litter becomes infectious). Remember to thoroughly wash your hands afterwards.

2. Painting

It’s generally a bad idea to paint or be near pain fumes when you are pregnant.

The problem is the solvents found in most paints. Some studies have shown that they can cause several problems including an increased risk of miscarriage. The baby may also be born with learning and developmental problems.

So it’s best you stay away from painting or any freshly-painted area.

If you really have to paint something, use paint marked as ‘low-VOC’ or ‘zero-VOC’.

Use proper nose and mouth protection (respirator mask), have gloves and protective clothes and make sure you work in an area with good ventilation.

On the same note, you should also avoid any DIY furniture finishing.

Most finishes contain the same dangerous solvents that could harm your pregnancy.

3. Spraying pesticides

This one is an obvious one. Most pesticides will even have a warning for pregnant women to stay away from the fumes.

We don’t know exactly how pesticides like roach spray can affect pregnancy but researchers suspect that the mix of airborne chemicals can cause miscarriage and other pregnancy complications.

If the house needs to be sprayed, have someone else do it and get out of the house for a few hours until the fumes dissipate.

4. Moving heavy furniture

Your doctor has likely warned you against this one.  Even if you are in the first or second trimester, you should avoid lifting or pushing heavy objects. The third trimester can be especially risky if you strain your body.

If you need a sofa or table moved, ask someone else to do it.