Am I Sick Because of Mold?

What you are experiencing is an allergy to mold that isn't good for you. I don't know the effects it could have on the baby other than they could be more prone to allergies due to your regular allergies and the exposure to the mold. I was exposed to mold in an apartment and then had severe allergies to a lot of things for several years (no allergies requiring medicine prior to this). My guess is the mold is growing and when it gets hot/dryer more spores are being released into the air.

There is a lot of mold we are exposed to on a daily basis both in and out of the home that is harmless at normal levels. It sounds to me like there is a high level of mold growing in the carpet. There are some molds out there that are dangerous and could cause permenant health issues. You could take a sample and turn it in for evaluation, I know there are kits out there possibly at a hardware store. The only way to get rid of the mold is to have the carpet removed. Putting a fan on the carpet will help dry the surface but the water under the carpet in the padding could take months to dry if not pulled up.

Is anyone else in the office with you? Is there anywhere you can be relocated to while you are waiting for it to be fixed? I would tell the administrator about your current health issues and ask if you can do your work somewhere else in the building.

I'm not an expert but my husband is in the construction/remediation industry and he is. When dealing with mold the area should be contained before any removal of damaged area to prevent the mold from spreading to other areas. Once contained an environmental company comes in to take samples of the mold and air both in and out of the containment. Once the area is cleaned/scrubbed the environmental co comes back out to test all areas to determine if all the mold has been removed. Once that test passes then the damaged area can be rebuilt. It is a time consuming process but it is better to be safe and know that you are in a healthy environment.

Talk to your human resource or your union rep if you are union about your concerns. Tell them that the carpet is causing you to wheeze etc. because of the mold. It sounds like it is. This is something they have to try to fix. It really depends on the type of mold and if you are sensitive to it or not. Anytime that you are having a hard time breathing is concern during pregnancy. They may just have to rip up the carpet. If you don't say anything they never will and the problems will continue until you say something.

Ask your Dr. what kind of problems it could cause by being in a moldy room. Mold can be toxic... Not sure what, but something needs to be done. Get out of that office asap!

There are companies that do testing and mold remediation.
Victoria

Updated

There are companies that do testing and mold remediation.
Victoria

If you even remotely suspect mold I would definately be calling district.. Yes this can har your baby.. I would definately let your Dr. know what you suspect & they can do test to see if it is in your blood..

Please don't worry too much, although I do understand your concerns...You are doing your best at any given moment...Do consult with your doctor.

As an aside, my home was flooded three weeks into pregnancy. until we found another place to live (after about 5 wks), we lived with mold on the floor, walls, furniture etc. We tried to clean as much as we could, and kept the windows open... i am now with a precious healthy 16 month old baby.

as you are only in an office, do what you can to speed up the drying process aside from the fan. if you are concerned, can you buy a second hand carpet and replace???? or have someone donate???