Breastfeeding and the firing range

[ProZack]

Any pro/cons, experience or just thoughts on ladies who are still breastfeeding and going to the firing range to shoot a shotgun and a 22 rifle?

I think from the other thread that leaving the bambino at home due to sound issues would be a good idea.

Any other safety concerns or practices that should be considered?

 

[dtkw]

Air borne dust from fired cartridge? Loud noise might hurt the babies' ears. Some places have a club house which is away from the shooting area. Maybe feeding the babies in there is better. Otherwise, I'd suggest staying home. Babies don't need any more stress from the loud bangs.

 

[RangerRick]

Have her cover and protect her breast from power burns,RR

 

[lawrra]

I think the lead from handling any bullets (if your 22 rounds aren't copper coated), or airborne lead in a poorly ventilated indoor range would be a problem since it would be passed onto the child through the breast milk.

 

[Bisley Man]

These are my thoughts.

Why would any thinking Mother want to do this?Shooting practice is important, but pales to the AWESOME responsibility of motherhood.The quite time of breastfeeding your child should be just that. I don't take my taxes to the range to fill out during the ceasefire.And I sure wouldn't bring a bucket of KFC either.Shooting is for shooters who can give their full attention to shooting.

 

[Joe Williams]

Why would any thinking Mother want to do this?Shooting practice is important, but pales to the AWESOME responsibility of motherhood.The quite time of breastfeeding your child should be just that. I don't take my taxes to the range to fill out during the ceasefire.And I sure wouldn't bring a bucket of KFC either.Shooting is for shooters who can give their full attention to shooting.

My wife, quite a smart, thinking and competent woman, did it because she didn't feel, unlike some pigs, that having a baby relegated her to being held prisoner in her home.

Baby has to eat. Anybody who can't hack watching a woman feed her kid needs to grow up. Nothing about having a baby means giving up your life. My boy has been hitting the range with us since before he was born. Maybe that's why he likes shooting so much now.

 

[Bill of Rights]

OK, posting seriously this time... I may have misunderstood, but it seemed to me the question was not about feeding the child while at the range, but rather the mom going there, shooting, then returning home to feed the tiny one, the concern having to do more with lead exposure than breast exposure to whomever happened to be present at the range.

That's why I posted the joke I did before; if the issue is lead exposure, she would absolutely need to wash her hands, but I would question if similar precautions would be necessary (i.e. changing any clothing worn at the range or any specific cleansing of the breast or the nipple itself) to remove any deposited microscopic lead particles prior to putting the child on to nurse.

I honestly don't know the answer. I do know that there was and may still be a recommendation that if a parent smokes, they should do so outside and change their shirt on returning inside afterward. I can't imagine that the contaminants would be so different a risk insofar as being either a contact, ingestion, or inhalation exposure risk.

Blessings,
Bill

 

[Joe Williams]

The risk of lead contamination is not appreciably greater than Dad going shooting and handing the kid, changing diapers, giving a bottle, etc.

 

[slacker]

Personally, I don't think that the range is a place for babies. Get a sitter for a few hours and hit the range, or "sacrifice" your range time for the baby until you are ready to to have a a sitter watch him or her for a while.

 

[MountainDewed]

The risk of lead contamination is not appreciably greater than Dad going shooting and handing the kid, changing diapers, giving a bottle, etc.

Sorry Joe but I don\'t eat or even play with my dog until I have at a minimum washed up and changed my clothes, if I have been to an indoor range I also make sure I was those clothes separately from others. No way would I handle a child without doing the same thing.

 

[Joe Williams]

Sorry Joe but I don\'t eat or even play with my dog until I have at a minimum washed up and changed my clothes, if I have been to an indoor range I also make sure I was those clothes separately from others. No way would I handle a child without doing the same thing.

If you are really that concerned about it, you need to make sure you don't bring the clothes in the house. The dust comes off the clothes, and will contaminate your carpets, furniture, etc.

 

[MountainDewed]

If you are really that concerned about it, you need to make sure you don\'t bring the clothes in the house. The dust comes off the clothes, and will contaminate your carpets, furniture, etc.

Good point I imagine once or twice would not create very high levels but with the amount of time I spend at the range accumulated effects could be high, I may have to start removing the top layer in the garage, I would not want to create a hazardous environment in my home. Thank You for pointing that out.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

If you are really that concerned about it, you need to make sure you don't bring the clothes in the house. The dust comes off the clothes, and will contaminate your carpets, furniture, etc.

Yep. And that SHOULD be the practice of all shooters/reloaders if there are:

pregnant women in or visiting the home regularly
infants/babies/toddlers/children/adolescents in the home or visiting regularly
people in the home who are trying to conceive

-J-

 

[ProZack]

... I may have misunderstood, but it seemed to me the question was not about feeding the child while at the range, but rather the mom going there, shooting, then returning home to feed the tiny one, the concern having to do more with lead exposure than breast exposure to whomever happened to be present at the range.

Quite right Bill, the question was of the nature of: mother at the range, baby not at the range.

 

[Wesley929]

I'm not a breast feeding mother but this thread intrigued me as I am an expecting father.

If I were an extreme tinfoil hat wearing person with phobias and conspiracty theories about everything bad that could happen, what would the recommended steps be for me returning home from a day of shooting?

Any links to medical research?

 

[joslar15]

The risk of lead contamination is not appreciably greater than Dad going shooting and handing the kid, changing diapers, giving a bottle, etc.

Although I lack empirical supporting evidence, I'd venture to say "no greater" rather than, "not appreciably greater." That is, unless mom licks her fingers after handling lead bullets or otherwise introduces lead into her system which would then be passed on through her milk.

 

[Bisley Man]

Dear Mr. and Mrs. WIliams...

My wife, quite a smart, thinking and competent woman, did it because she didn't feel, unlike some pigs, that having a baby relegated her to being held prisoner in her home.

Baby has to eat. Anybody who can't hack watching a woman feed her kid needs to grow up. Nothing about having a baby means giving up your life. My boy has been hitting the range with us since before he was born. Maybe that's why he likes shooting so much now.

Quite right Bill, the question was of the nature of: mother at the range, baby not at the range.

... I did not mean to offend you or anyone else. I misunderstood the OP, and thought it was about breast feeding AT the range, WHILE shooting or just after.I don't think having a baby means being a prisoner at home. And I'm not bothered by a mother breast feeding the baby.My apologies to Mrs. Williams if she was offended. And I'm not a pig for having a different opinion.

 

[Zoub]

Although I lack empirical supporting evidence, I'd venture to say "no greater" rather than, "not appreciably greater." That is, unless mom licks her fingers after handling lead bullets or otherwise introduces lead into her system which would then be passed on through her milk.

Actually it is absorbed very quickly through the eyes. Shoot, sweat, wipe off your face or rub your eye, in your bloodstream. So the mother could transfer lead 2 ways to the child, skin to skin or from feeding.

Take hand wipes and have her wipe her hands OFTEN. I do this myself and the only person who even goes near my nipples besides me is my GF.

This kind of poisoning is cumulative so the PPM or percentage in a baby is much higher than in an adult due to size. You might also load the .22 for her and handle any ammo other than shotgun ammo, for her. For sure she should not shoot inside.

A lot of shooters have lead in their blood and/or strees fractures in their in bones. Alomst 20 years ago a friend had high levels of lead in his bloodstream and it was from shooting and transfer from hands to eyes and mouth, take it serious.

 

[Zoub]

The risk of lead contamination is not appreciably greater than Dad going shooting and handing the kid, changing diapers, giving a bottle, etc.

That statement is wrong since the Mother feeds the child with her body and the man does not. Nothing personal, just talking good science here.

This is exactly why she should also not eat predators of any kind. Poisons in the food chain accumualte at the top, so fish like Catfish, Pike, Bass, Salmon have more than a Bluegill does. Check DNR safety info for examples. Here the risk is Mercury, more than anything else, but the rules apply to all poisons in a Mothers' environment.

This is why Eagles became Endangered and DDT outlawed. They were at the top of the food chain, DDT made their shells weaker, they cracked, chicks died. It is cumulative.

Simple math, a Bluegill has 1 unit. A Bass eats 3 Gills, it has 3, a Salmon eats 3 Bass, it has 9, An Eagle eats 3 salmon, it has 27. If you eat 3 Eagles..............you just broke Fedeal laws.

Example: People who shoot and fish handle more lead then a person who only does one.

 

[csaws]

Good point I imagine once or twice would not create very high levels but with the amount of time I spend at the range accumulated effects could be high, I may have to start removing the top layer in the garage, I would not want to create a hazardous environment in my home. Thank You for pointing that out.

Actually if you guys are that concerned about it you should change out of range clothes prior to getting in your car at the range. Kids would eventually be in the car too.

That statement is wrong since the Mother feeds the child with her body and the man does not. Nothing personal, just talking good science here.

This is exactly why she should also not eat predators of any kind. Poisons in the food chain accumualte at the top, so fish like Catfish, Pike, Bass, Salmon have more than a Bluegill does. Check DNR safety info for examples. Here the risk is Mercury, more than anything else, but the rules apply to all poisons in a Mothers' environment.

This is why Eagles became Endangered and DDT outlawed. They were at the top of the food chain, DDT made their shells weaker, they cracked, chicks died. It is cumulative.

Simple math, a Bluegill has 1 unit. A Bass eats 3 Gills, it has 3, a Salmon eats 3 Bass, it has 9, An Eagle eats 3 salmon, it has 27. If you eat 3 Eagles..............you just broke Fedeal laws.

Example: People who shoot and fish handle more lead then a person who only does one.

I actually think that bottom feeders are more important to not eat than predators. I.E. catfish, pigs, lobsters, crayfish, etc...