Pregnant in Med School

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I am in my first year of medical school and found out 1 week ago that I am pregnant for the first time(I am now 7 weeks LNMP). I am knee deep in gross anatomy, so my first concern is the danger of exposing the embryo to the formalin/phenol in the air. One of my classmates was 4 weeks ahead of me in her pregnancy (she lost the baby last week), and she wore a respirator in lab. I have my first ob visit this week, so I have decided to wait to inform my professors about my situation until after the visit (to make sure all is ok). What harm do you think could have been caused up to this point, and do you think my classmate's loss could have had anything to do with the exposure in lab? Are there any tests at this point (CVS, etc.) that could be used to detect a problem of this nature). I have been told our lab is within OSHA guidelines, (less than .1 ppm of formalin) but is that level a teratogenic risk? I am in the lab about 10-12 hours a week.

I guess what I want to know is if wearing a respirator will really make a difference. I hate to have to announce my pregnancy this early because I fear losing the baby. Also, I don't want to be treated like the 'pregnant invalid' of the class. However, I will do anything to make sure my baby is healthy.

Any comments would be appreciated!

• Next message: Harvey S. Marchbein, M.D.: "Guidelines for posting to the PREGNANCY-BIRTH forum"
• Previous message: regina: "IVF and Anesthesia"
• Next in thread: William F. von Almen, II, MD, FACOG: "Re: Pregnant in Med School"
• Reply: William F. von Almen, II, MD, FACOG: "Re: Pregnant in Med School"