Incense sticks and aromatherapy in pregnancy - first time mum worries

[Sophia1984]

Hi everyone,

DP has finally quit smoking - yay! He has been stopped on and off thoughout my pregnancy (mostly off) and has been smoking outside/ has never smoked around me. I know there are still some risks of thirdhand smoke but am trying not to fret about this, as he's done so well giving up.

But, one of the things that has really helped him is burning incense sticks. Not so the room is a fog, and they're not very powerful ones. So, of course I did some googling and came up with lots of horror stories, mainly seeming to link back to a 1987 study finding a link with childhood leukemia. Great :-( Has anyone heard a more recent medical perspective on this? Do you reckon it's ok if he uses them in his office and not the rest of the house?

I also thought an oil vaporiser might be a nice alternative as long as we used 'safe' oiils, but have read mixed advice about whether it's ok to use aromatherapy if you have placenta previa, so not sure about this either!

How do parents avoid being nervous wrecks about all the potential risks to our precious little ones?

[Standard note that, yes, I have an anxiety disorder but am on waiting list for CBT!]