Detecting While Expecting
Should you or Shouldn’t you?
Guest post by Gene Knight, Director of Sales at KellyCo Metal Detectors.
Metal detecting is a fun and exciting outdoor family activity. In this, the age of video games, smart phones, and computers, it is a great activity to get everyone up and off of the couch. Moms, dad, and kids alike can participate in the adventure together as a family. Everyone enjoys the thrill of the find, and there really isn’t a limit to who can take part in this pastime. If your son or daughter is big enough to swing a detector, they are big enough to take part. How young is too young, though? One concern that younger women detectorists have is whether or not they should keep detecting as their family grows. Should a pregnant woman be detecting? Are there added safety issues that they should be concerned about?
The answer to both of those questions is absolutely! There are definitely things that women should watch out for when detecting while expecting. If they are searching in rocky or rough terrain, there should be extra attention paid to the surroundings to prevent injuries and falls. If they are hunting in warmer climates, they need to be sure to have lots of water, and they need to have some snacks in case they lose track of time, as detectorists are prone to do. As with any outdoor activity, pregnant women must be careful to not overexert themselves physically, and must pay attention to their bodies to know when to call it a day.
One concern that expecting hunters have is whether or not the metal detector itself is safe for pregnant women to use. As you know, metal detectors transmit an electromagnetic field from the search coil into the ground to detect metal. Is that EMF safe for pregnant women to be around? According to experts, the answer is yes. The EMF levels produced by metal detectors are similar to those levels encountered in normal daily environments and they meet U.S. and International standards for electromagnetic emissions, which means they pose no threat to unborn children. So as long as you mothers-to-be are feeling good and energetic, you can still enjoy searching for treasure!
Besides the satisfaction that comes from a successful hunt, there are added benefits to continuing to hunt through pregnancy as well. Metal detecting provides the opportunity for lots of walking, which is the type of low-impact exercise that doctors agree is essential when pregnant. Of course, anyone who is not physically active before pregnancy, should check with her doctor before beginning any type of exercise. Another benefit of detecting is stress relief. All expectant mothers are likely to experience some amount of stress or anxiety during pregnancy. Detecting allows them to get out into the fresh air and to concentrate on something other than their worries. A little bit of fun distraction can go a long way to reducing the stress of pregnancy.
There is no need to let pregnancy stop you from your detecting, just take the necessary precautions and have a good time. And, who knows? You may be contributing to the next generation of hunters!
Gene Knight is the Director of Sales at Kellyco Metal Detectors and an avid treasure hunter.
Happy Hunting!