Being shocked by an electric fence while pregnant
Shifting breaks had always been routine. Typically, a shock from the electric fence might startle me, but it was nothing noteworthy—until I experienced it pregnant.
When you're pregnant and living on a homestead, lifestyle block, farm or station, the luxury of spending any downtime pottering around indoors isn't always a reality. Whether you like it or not, you will most likely have to haul your belly out of the house and out into the fresh air to complete or help with multiple chores.
During my first pregnancy, we had our steers break feeding in one of our paddocks. They were a couple of years old and big boys, getting ready to head away on the truck come spring. Every morning I'd be out there shifting breaks so they could get some good feed in, and never once did I turn the power off while moving the standards (why would I!?!).
Shifting breaks (verb): A method to manage pasture throughout the winter by using an electric fence to ration off the grass in breaks. The size of each break varies according to the time of the year and the amount of grass available. Learn more here.
Shifting breaks had always been routine for me, a practice ingrained since childhood. Typically, a minor shock from the electric fence might startle me briefly, but it was nothing noteworthy—until I experienced it during pregnancy.
Eek! Cue the first-time mum anxiety.
What made it worse was the shock that I gave myself was not just on the hand, thigh or somewhere usual and harmless, no. Instead, I managed to give myself a shock right across my belly.
Obviously, I still wasn't used to the way my stomach protruded with my little human in there.
I remember the fear once it happened. The colour drained out of my face and my hands instinctively shot down to my belly in a protective way. Dread filled my head but… not for long. Instead, the big boys near me had taken to trying to stretch their necks over the wire to lick or bunt me and remind me that I had only shifted a few standards and they were hungry and needed me to complete my task.
Bloody cows!
As I jumped back on the bike to head home, I couldn't help but hold my hand to my stomach and hope the baby kicked or flipped or got the hiccups just so I could know it was okay.
It didn't kick, of course. Or, if it did I didn't feel it because I was peeling down the lane on my bike back home with my first-time mum anxiety peaking.
As soon as I got home I jumped on Google to see if anyone, anyone at all, had a similar experience to me and had managed to give themselves an electric shock while pregnant.
My search didn't turn up much, as you can imagine. It’s not an overly common scenario to occur.
That evening, I called mum. A farmer who carried and raised my siblings and I on a large dairy farm (with fences a lot stronger than the ones on our little block).
She instantly reassured me and reminded me that she had electric shocks multiple times with all of the kids and we all turned out (mostly 🤣) fine and that in-calf cows also, no doubt, get electric shocks throughout their pregnancy and their calves turn out fine.
Ultimately, a few months later when my baby was born I realised she was okay. The electric shock didn’t affect her (although she probably felt it, poor thing) and in conclusion, while being shocked by an electric wire while pregnant may not be recommended, if it happens to happen to you, don’t stress. More than likely the little jolt won’t harm the baby.
Of course, if you’re worried call your midwife or head to ED to get checked, but from my experience - you’ll be right mate!