Book Review: ‘Shooting While Pregnant’ by Julie Golob

Keeping your unborn baby safe is a priority for every pregnant woman. When you’re also involved in the shooting sports, the topic of should you or shouldn’t you continue to shoot while pregnant is one of those subjects that is very personal and usually a little controversial. Despite few resources existing on the subject, there is a free eBook available from IPSC World Champion Shooter and Author Julie Golub.

The book "Shooting While Pregnant – A Resource for Expectant Moms" is a short read at just 8 PDF pages, which can be downloaded for free from Julie's website.

The content is packed with research ranging from lead exposure to noise exposure and beyond; along with tips, ideas and helpful suggestions to help you make a very personal decision as to whether you should or shouldn’t continue to shoot while pregnant.

Julie is sure to warn that continuing to shoot while pregnant is an individual decision that should be discussed with your doctor and husband/partner. Detailed information including the risks of lead exposure to the fetus and how noise affects your unborn baby are included in this precise, informative, easy to read eBook.

As an accomplished shooter and author, writing books is nothing new to this mother of 2. I discussed with her why she chose to write “Shooting While Pregnant – A Resource for Expectant Moms.”

Range365.com: What inspired you to write "Shooting While Pregnant"?

Julie Golob: Over the years, I've received a number of requests for information about the topic. Instructors wanted to know more about teaching pregnant students. Expecting moms and their partners were curious about my perspective and wondered what I thought on the topic. I did my own personal research when I had my first child and I wanted to share what I learned all in one place.

R365: I know you have young daughters, did you shoot while you were pregnant with them?

JG: I stopped shooting after my first trimester and that was a decision I made with my husband. Having children in my late 20s and 30s, I wasn't comfortable taking any chances. I didn't even eat my eggs over easy or take a bite of sushi! Every woman is different. Every pregnancy is different. It's important to learn what can harm a growing baby and take precautions, but I also believe that after that, the decision is a personal one.

R365: Why did you choose to make the eBook a free download?

JG: I feel there is a lot of good information in the book that everyone interested in researching the topic should know. I feel that offering it for free is just the right thing to do and makes it accessible for all expecting moms.

R365: How many copies have been downloaded?

JG: Truthfully, I have no idea [laughs]. I wrote the book to be an accessible resource, but I don't track the stats. It's received a lot of great press though and it's a timeless topic. People continually reach out to me about it to learn more.

R365: How long do you expect to keep it as a free resource?

JG: Forever. As I mentioned before, I want people to be able to read it and learn more about the topic easily, and for free.

The book covers a wide range of important topics ranging from lead exposure, symptoms of lead poisoning, ways to reduce lead exposure, noise, and contaminants; all factors when shooting, but even more important when shooting while pregnant.

Golob also includes a medical expert opinion from Fabrice Czarnecki, MD, who she interviewed while writing her book "SHOOT."

If you, along with your spouse/partner and doctor, decide that you can continue shooting, whether it be for a portion of your pregnancy, or throughout its entirety, Golob lists suggestions to help minimize the risk and exposure to your unborn baby. The information in the book is clean and concise, making it an excellent reference on lead exposure and other hazards faced by shooters, male or female.

If you decide to stop shooting until after the baby is born, Golob includes recommendations to keep your skills from getting rusty while you await your bundle of joy.

Dry fire practice and airsoft guns round out her recommendations (frankly, great recommendations for anyone involved in the shooting sports who can’t get to the range for whatever reason). Both will keep your muscle memory, gun handling skills and fundamentals fresh until you can get safely back on the range.

Let’s face it, your life changes once you’re expecting. What you continue to do or decide to stop doing while pregnant are very personal decisions; shooting is no different. The only one who can make the right decision for your situation is you, after carefully studying the facts and discussing it with your husband and doctor.

"Shooting While Pregnant – A Resource for Expectant Moms" is an excellent resource and offers many points for discussion to help you make your best choice. You can download your free copy here: https://www.juliegolob.com/product/shooting-while-pregnant.