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Pregnant and painting?

trulydivine139@yahoo.comtrulydivine139@yahoo.com
in 2nd Trimester

I'm sure that this has been discussed somewhere on this website but I can't seem to find it so ladies any help you can give is great.

We just bought a new house and will be moving in 15 days. The house needs a little touch up paint and we obviously want to paint the nursery.

The question is.... is there a special kind of paint that I need to use so that it is safe for me to help out, do I need to wear one of those mask things?

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Re: Pregnant and painting?

  • krwys10krwys10

    I plan on wearing one of those little masks.  But I know many pregnant women who did not wear one and painted while they were pregnant.

    I have never heard of there being a special type of paint.  Just make sure there is plenty of ventilation and you step out for a while if you feel light-headed at all.  JMO.

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  • buboobuboo
    I painted DS's nursery while pg with him. I kept the windows open and the fumes did not bother me. I am pretty sure there is a zero odor paint you could buy....or just have your husband do it and blame it on being pregnant!:)
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  • AmyMcD1AmyMcD1 member
    Oil paints are super strong, if you could I would use acrylic paint. And obviously paint with lead in it isn't a good idea to use. We are planning on painting too (our whole house inside needs another coat!) but all our paint is acrylic so I'm not too worried. As PP have said, if you are worried open windows and wear a mask and you'll be good to go! :)
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  • pixieprincsspixieprincss member

    The concerns with painting are lead, VOCs, and falling. So, don't scrape or sand paint any old enough to be lead paint. Use low-VOC paint in a well-ventilated room, or better yet use zero VOC paint. Use care when climbing on ladders or avoid them all together.

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  • lovemytannermanlovemytannerman
    I just got regular paint from Home Depot.  I opened the window in the room and kept the bedroom door open so I would have a nice breeze through the room.
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  • ManiacMcGeeManiacMcGee

    I got Natura zero VOC's from Benjamin Moore paint. It is a little more expensive (ok a lot), but it was worth it to me.

    It is good quality (if a little thin) and the lack of odors is a great change.

    Most commercial paints are low VOC already.

    But ditto on the no-scraping old paint thing. Lead is not something to fool around with.

    Don't bother with a face mask though, unless you buy a respirator you aren't stopping the microscopic paint fumes from entering your breathing passages. Those masks are only good for keeping large particles out of your air (like dust, pollen, etc). 

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  • EnigmaJCEnigmaJC member
    I'm using a low VOC paint called "The FreshAire Choice" from Home Depot in the nursery and keeping windows open while I paint.  I did our guest room and dining room with it several months back and it works great and has some really nice colors.  If you do decide to use regular paint that is not low VOC (hint: if it smells like paint it is NOT low VOC.  I disagree with PP who said most commercial paints are already low VOC.  That's not true.) wear a mask - one that is NIOSH rated for fumes/vapors.  A regular dust mask will not protect you.
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  • pixieprincsspixieprincss member

    imageEnigmaJC:
    I'm using a low VOC paint called "The FreshAire Choice" from Home Depot in the nursery and keeping windows open while I paint.  I did our guest room and dining room with it several months back and it works great and has some really nice colors.  If you do decide to use regular paint that is not low VOC (hint: if it smells like paint it is NOT low VOC.  I disagree with PP who said most commercial paints are already low VOC.  That's not true.) wear a mask - one that is NIOSH rated for fumes/vapors.  A regular dust mask will not protect you.

    Some of your information is incorrect.

    FreshAire is a zero VOC paint. Additionally, FreshAire is unique in that it also has zero VOC pigment. Most zero VOC paints still use pigment with VOC. Pigment can actually double the amount of VOCs in a paint, so FreshAire is a rare breed of paint with the zero VOC pigment.

    Paint smell does not equal volatile organic compound. Odor and VOCs are not the same thing. For example, Olympic is a zero VOC, low odor paint.

    Label againt label--most latex paints are low VOC, they just don't all choose to all label themselves as such. A label of "Low VOC Paint" is not defined by the EPA in a way that makes it anything other than a green-washy at this point. That said--while labeling guidelines are hazy to non-existant (I have never seen any definition from the EPA), anything under 50 grams per liter tends be considered low VOC for latex paint. Oil-based paints, on the other hand, contain much higher amounts of VOCs and even a "low VOC" oil paint like Kilz Low-VOC still has 150 g/l.

    Unless a paint is labeled zero VOC, your best bet to determine if it is low VOC or not is to read the MSDS sheet or the back of the can. The amount of VOCs per gallon can be found both places. Honestly, I just ignore the marketing flash/labeling on the front of a can--though something like a Greenguard Certification is an attractive quality--and go straight for the meat on the back.

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