Interviews with the Community
On this page, you will find interviews with real people who have been pregnant before. We wanted to learn more about the information generally present to pregnant individuals regarding EDC exposure and what doctors are telling their patients to avoid to protect their developing child. Take a look at the experiences of these individuals.
Interview #1
This is the written account of an interview with a working mom in her late twenties with a two year old daughter. She grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and now lives in a small town in central Georgia.
Q: What were the most important things that your OBGYN told you to avoid while being pregnant?
A: My doctor really wanted me to avoid raw food like sushi and also advil and other NSAIDs. I know some doctors recommend staying away from lunch meats but my doctor said that they were okay as long as they were fresh cut. She said the nitrate preservatives could be harmful so she looked at the ingredients to make sure the store bought meats did not include them. Every doctor is different and I have heard that other people were told to avoid different things like caffeine, which my doctor said was okay in small amounts. So I guess it really just depends on your doctor.
Q: Did your doctor ever warn you about environmental exposures?
A: No, we never really discussed anything about the environment; she was mainly just concerned with personal decisions.
Q: Do you ever look at the ingredients of the products you use on your daughter?
A: Not really any more, I was pretty concerned about it when my daughter was little and would put everything in her mouth but I’m less concerned about it now. There was an instance when she was little where she developed a rash that wasn’t going away so I had to try different diaper brands to see which would work best with her skin but that was the only time I was really concerned about the products I was using.
Q: Do you know what Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals are?
A: No, I have never heard of them. * was then asked about BPA* Oh I have heard of that before, the chemical in plastics. I tried to make sure her bottles were free of BPA.
Q: After hearing about what EDCs are, will you try to avoid them in the products you buy?
A: I’m not sure how feasible that would be. Most organic foods or products with “cleaner” labels are more expensive and I don’t have the extra money to spend on those types of products. I probably wouldn’t try to buy different products unless I saw some type of reaction.
Interview #2
This is a written account of an interview with one of our community members. She is 35 years old and currently resides in Lanham, Maryland. She recently gave birth to her first child in October of 2022. She is a foreign medical graduate and practiced emergency medicine for 4 years before moving to the United States.
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Q. As you became pregnant, what were some of your concerns with regards to your health or your child’s health if you had any?
A: Initially when I first found out I was pregnant, I became more cautious of the food I was eating because I knew that a baby was now developing inside of me. My baby’s body was developing based on what I ate, so I wanted to be mindful of my food. I stopped eating fish to limit my baby’s mercury exposure, but I was also worried about antibiotic exposure so I began selecting organic products at the grocery store.
Q. From your perspective, during your prenatal period, what were the most discussed issues your physician was concerned about?
A: I felt that my OBGYN focused primarily on screening, genetic testing and ultrasound tests. We did not have any conversations about environmental exposures. My health care providers focused on discussing findings and health outcomes, but not so much on environmental preventative measures and care.
Q. How did your background knowledge about medicine and more specifically endocrine-disrupting chemicals affect your perinatal lifestyle?
A: As a general doctor, I understood more generally harmful chemicals and how it can disrupt the functioning of our body and affect a developing child. Because of that I made sure to look at ingredient lists and what products are made out of. It heavily influenced what I brought into my house, the types of wipes I would buy and the toys I would purchase for example.
Q. Where did you turn to when you had questions or concerns about pregnancy in general? Your healthcare providers? Google? Organizational resources?
A: My doctor was not as accessible to ask random questions that would pop up in my mind throughout the day. So I would use google and the internet. But I also knew that the internet would have various answers for one question. So I would often turn to one of my good friends who is also a doctor and mother. Having the chance to have an informal conversation with someone who is also a health care professional was extremely helpful in easing my concerns and discussing ways to ensure my baby’s health.
Q. Do you feel that if you were more aware of EDCs during your pregnancy you would have felt more or less anxious? More or less in control?
A: Definitely less anxious. What makes me anxious is not knowing what is considered good or bad for myself or my developing baby. If I am being told by an expert in this field their suggestions and what I can do on my end to protect myself and family, then I would try my best to do it. Also, I would like to hear what the healthier alternatives are to reduce my EDC exposure.
Interview #3
This is the written account of an interview with another one of our community members, a working mom with two daughters, aged 20 and 24. She grew up in Taiwan and now lives in the Bay Area.
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Q: What were some of the lifestyle and dietary recommendations made by your doctor during your pregnancy?
A: It’s been a long time since I was pregnant, but I remember a big focus on foods that I should avoid during pregnancy, like sushi, caffeine, and alcohol. I was also told to take various vitamins and supplements throughout my pregnancy. The doctor also stressed the importance of taking care of myself through getting enough sleep and suggested that I go for walks or engage in light forms of physical activity, but to avoid anything that would be too intense.
Q: Throughout your pregnancy, who did you rely on or reach out to when you had questions?
A: I talked to some of my friends who already had kids, or to my own mom. I also asked my doctors, nurses, and midwives whenever I had my checkups, but at the time, they were not as accessible on a daily basis and the language barrier made it more difficult to communicate with them.
Q: How did cultural factors influence your experiences when pregnant?
A: While the actual pregnancy was important, there was also an emphasis on the month after giving birth. During this time, I stayed at home for the entire month, as this is viewed as a period of time where the mother is weak and vulnerable to sickness after giving birth. I ate lots of “warm” foods according to Chinese herbal medicine, like sesame oil, ginger, ginseng, and chicken.
Q: Have you ever heard of the term, “endocrine disrupting chemicals”?
A: No, I have never heard of endocrine disrupting chemicals. I’m not sure how they differ from other chemicals, but they must not be good for your health right? *talked about examples of common EDCs like BPA, parabens, phthalates* Oh, I never knew that they were called endocrine disrupting chemicals! I’m not sure why or how they are bad for you, but when shopping for things like water bottles and shampoo, I try to pick items with a label that says “name of chemical”-free.
Q: Now that you know what endocrine disrupting chemicals are, how will this impact your lifestyle choices?
A: I think that I will pay more attention to the labels on my hair and skin care products! I always thought that these products were safe for use because they must have passed some sort of regulation before being sold. Even though organic products are expensive, I think I’ll try to buy them more, especially if I’m going to be eating the peel of my fruits and vegetables.
What Did We See?
Through these interviews, we are able to see that there is a lot of varying information regarding environmental exposures and what to avoid while pregnant. We also see there is a general lack of information regarding EDC exposure and the harms it presents during pregnancy. This is why it is important to do your own research in order to gain a better understanding of EDCs so that you are able to make educated decisions and limit your exposure whenever possible. This is also why we created our website and educational program as a resource to individuals struggling to find information about environment exposures and harms in pregnancy. Many doctors do not give information regarding EDC exposure. To start a conversation with your healthcare provider, take a look at our informational pamphlet. To see the perspective of a neonatologist and pediatrician, please click the link below to read our interview with Dr. Sherin Devaskar.
