Many moms to be wonder if they can paint while they’re pregnant, especially since getting a room ready for baby is often one of the things parents do when they are expecting. The quick answer is that you shouldn’t be in a room filled with paint fumes while you are pregnant, because breathing in those chemicals is not good for you, and what’s not good for you is not good for your baby.
There’s also the concern of getting paint on your skin, and having some of those chemicals be absorbed into your body. Overall, it doesn’t seem like painting is a really good thing to do while you are pregnant. Some people try to draw the distinction between using latex based paints or oil based paints, but really it just isn’t something you want to be involved with, because it is not a crucial thing that needs to be done, and if it even hints at causing problems to your baby, why risk it?
It’s one thing to be cautious, and another to be paranoid, but it really boils down to just not doing anything silly that doesn’t absolutely need to be done by you. While you may feel like you are limited by not being able to do things that you normally would, you’ll just have to get over it because this is a time for you to avoid toxins and be as healthy as you can for nine months solid.
Can I Paint While Pregnant? Answer: Not Recommended.
Even though this is a fun time for you, and painting the room might be considered part of the process of getting ready for your new arrival, it is not something that you want to subject yourself to, unless you have no other choice. If you do find yourself painting a room, be sure that it is well ventilated, and that you wear a mask so that you are not breathing in the fumes directly. But even this is not as good of a fix as avoiding the situation altogether. It is recommended to get someone else to do it, and stick to simply picking out the paint colors, and working on the coordination of the room.
Paint Fumes
The paint fumes are the first offender, because they are known to make even non-pregnant women and men feel nauseous, or get dizzy. This is the first sign that it’s not something that you want to be around if you are carrying a child. You don’t want to subject yourself to anything that can make you feel sick, because these lousy feelings will be transferred to your baby and it’s all about creating an atmosphere of good feelings and well-being, if you get into that sort of thing.
Keeping Things Ventilated
If you do have to paint, for whatever reason you come up with, just be sure to keep the windows open and keep fans going so that the room is well ventilated and you aren’t stuck in a windowless room breathing in the fumes directly. A breathing mask would be nice to use as well, just so there is some sort of buffer between the fumes and your lungs.
Putting It Off
If it’s possible you can just put off the paint job until your baby is born and then you don’t have to worry about it affecting your delivery. If you are painting the baby’s new room, a great time to do it would be when they are too young to be in the room by themselves anyway, and are still staying in your room. By the time they’re ready to sleep separated, their room should be ready, and the paint fumes should have dissipated.
Our philosophy is to err on the side of caution, so you don’t have to feel any sort of guilt or ever wonder that it was you that caused the problems during your pregnancy, if any should arise. By always playing it safe you have the peace of mind that comes with knowing that you haven’t done anything to jeopardize your baby’s start in life. It’s a very finite time for you to be a stickler for the rules, and you can get back to your normal activities once they’ve made it out safely.
