Pregnancy changes how you weigh risks — and air quality belongs on the list alongside food and rest. Research links higher PM2.5 exposure during pregnancy to low birth weight, preterm birth, and pregnancy complications. You cannot eliminate pollution, but you can reduce unnecessary doses on the worst days.
This is general education, not medical advice. Follow your obstetric provider for personal guidance.
Safer AQI ranges for outdoor time
Many public health guides treat AQI at or below 50 as generally acceptable for light outdoor activity. Through yellow (51–100), shorten walks and avoid busy roads. Orange and above: prefer indoor exercise, reschedule non-urgent errands, and seal windows during smoke or winter smog.
Stroller height sits near exhaust level — choose side streets over idling traffic when air is merely moderate.
- Check AQI before the daily walk; use hourly forecast for afternoon plans.
- Commute: recirculate cabin air in traffic; open windows only when outdoor AQI is good.
- Wildfire season: treat smoke like a stay-indoors event even miles from flames.
- Indoor: ventilate when outdoor is clean; purify when it is not.
Indoor sources matter too
Second-hand smoke, strong solvents, and unvented fumes are indoor risks you control. Cooking fumes spike PM2.5 — run extraction fans. If outdoor air is good, a short ventilation flush beats hours of sealed cooking pollution.
Partners and household members sharing air-quality habits reduces everyone's exposure, including the baby's environment after birth.
Check AQI for your neighbourhood on Aether before outdoor plans when you are expecting.
Check live air quality on Aether