Comments on: Pregos in lab (Unedited)

By: Sugandhi

Sugandhi — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 15:37:55 +0000

Working as an organic chemist while pregnant is a big risk.I am 18 weeks pregnant working in chemistry lab,my manager assured me lab enviornment is perfectly safe and i should have no problem working but otherday one of fellow chemist opened the bottle of pyridine on bench………..can anybody tell me how safe is it now?
I guess best way to avoid any hassel with anyone is to stay at home utilise all possible leaves and holidays and finally take your maternity leave because no employer will admit there flaws on there health and safety system.
Chill and use ur mind and holidays wisely afterall we are scientists who knows better than us what is good for us.

By: jane lox

jane lox — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 15:22:25 +0000

Hi im currently 16 weeks pregnant and working with H1N1 and to be honest I am petrified of contracting the virus! I have spoken to the Lab manager who told me that I was more likely to catch it on my way to work in the bus rather than in the Lab, which I realise is true if I follow all protocols to the letter. Yet I still have that fear and I dont actually think proper research has been done to establish all hazards to us pregnant ladies! So it is at our own risk we continue to work in the lab but what else should we do give up our careers?

By: Che

Che — Mon, 04 May 2009 07:56:44 +0000

I am a graduate student under a government scholarship of a foreign country. My field is analytical chemistry and I deals with strong acids,buffer and low levels of metals such as Al,Ni,Mn,Fe,Zn,Pb,Co,Cu and Cd. I am now 9 weeks pregnant and unlike working scientists, I am not sure about protection/benefit that I can avail while pregnant. I am under supervision of a strict man who do not have a children. I am not sure how he will react if ever I will tell him about my situation. I am carefully doing my experiments, making sure that I am protected such as no skin contacts with the acids, wearing mask, gloves all the time and avoid unnecessary experiments. It is not easy and makes me worried all the time but at least I do not deal with organic compounds which are more dangerous to my me and my baby.

By: Alice

Alice — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 23:56:59 +0000

My first pregnancy was in a lab doing I125 studies. The second time I worked in a microbiology lab dealing with Pseudomonas everyday. Fortunately my two daughters are healthy so far. But I was in constant stress during those time, and I’m still afraid of bringing infection back home. No matter how careful, there is uncertainty and worrisome.

I feel very sad for myself and other freinds in the same situation. We simply can not quit. The next day we quitted the job, we’d be illegal immigrants and facing tremendous trouble in future. You think this is a free country, but in real life there is not much freedom if you want to be responsible and provide better future for the children. I’m not blaming anyone. I just feel deeply hurt when somebody referred to “stupid woman” in microbiology lab. In my institution, there are many legal immigrants working in animal facilities. They are scared of HIV and MRSA, but they have to keep the job for the family. And part of our tax money generated in this dangerous environment goes to support lazy people hanging on the street.

By: C. Bailey

C. Bailey — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 06:19:11 +0000

While I agree that working in the lab while doing organic chemistry work is irresponsible (I mean, I’ve spilled chloroform on myself while running a column and thought “oh well, free dry cleaning”. If you can’t ingest coffee while pregnant, you certainly can’t inhale buckets of organic solvent and spill crap that penetrates your completely ineffectual nitrile gloves), I think the main issue is allowing women interested in pursing organic chemistry a chance to take a leave for their entire pregnancy without smashing their academic career to smithereens. Since being a daddy isn’t a problem with the health of your child in the lab, this puts women interested having an academic career in organic chemistry at a huge disadvantage. I’ve heard of grad programs that afford maternity leave of six weeks, but exceptions (that allow for longer leaves) should be made in programs where you can’t just keep going to work throughout your pregnancy because it’s frickin’ dangerous.

By: Retread

Retread — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 02:13:17 +0000

Look at Kyle’s original site, for some lengthy postings of yours truly and a female chemisty department chair (posts #71 – 75). No point in ‘reproducing’ them here. We all think our children are beautiful, and our posts interesting. I find the comments as interesting as the progeny. Have at it.

By: Kyle Finchsigmate

Kyle Finchsigmate — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 17:25:32 +0000

That last comment was linguistically atrocious.

By: Alpha-Omega

Alpha-Omega — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:40:05 +0000

WOW!!!! So I am the only WOMAN…who has worked with WOMEN who were pregnant and working in a laboratory environment and those women had the common sense to take “Maternity Leave” when it was appropriate and/or witin the realm of good judgement and/or common sense!!!!

Are you thinking they have a dual death wish and are going to dive head first into a vat of APIs…….

Really, I think most pregnant women are aware of the hazards in labs if they are chemists/biologists/scientists. They are pregnant. They are not mentally ill!!!!! And educated enough to use sound judgement!!!!!

Try teaching HS Chemistry with 4-5 pregnant girls in each of your sections…..Even they have enough judgement to know when they can no longer function in the lab/school environment…..

I guess you must all feel quite LUCKY y’all made it to this earth in one piece!!!!!!

HHHMMMM Interesting!!!!!! So I am guessing that women just do not have time to write about any of this since they are busy working and being pregnant…Assisting in perpetuating the hman race is a big job/responsibility….

Nice to see you credit women with the ability to make a judgement call regarding their own health and well-being!!!!!

PEACE OUT!!!!!

By: David Bradley

David Bradley — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 20:06:11 +0000

I just happen to have written on this very issue in the previous incarnation of my Alchemist column on ChemWeb – I’ve posted the unedited item from my archives as an item entitled An Expectant Air in the Laboratory. Hope it’s of interest.