High VOC Solvent based paint when pregnant

[Paddingtonlovesmarmalade]

I’m hoping someone on here can reassure me... I’ve accidentally allowed our painter to paint all the woodwork in our living room with a solvent based high VOC (25-50%) eggshell paint. We have loads of woodwork including a hatch to the kitchen and a bookcase, and he did the radiator too!

Now I have a living room and kitchen which stinks after nearly a week, despite airing it most of the day and leaving onions all over it (I’ve wasted 6 organic onions so far!!!) I assume all the VOCs and whatever other nasties in the paint will be being let off with the fumes. And we are hosting Christmas for the whole family!

So, while I work myself into a panic, has anyone else used this kind of paint when pregnant/with small children and lived to tell the tale?

Bump? Anyone experience if this?

I'm sure you and your baby will be fine. AFAIK there is no proven link between inhaling VOCs during pregnancy and any harm to the baby but as it's a bit of an unknown, it's best to try to avoid it. With my last pregnancy, we were having an extension built at the start of the pregnancy and I spent much of the last 4 months of it decorating. I did all the water based painting (low VOC) and a small amount ( a door) of high VOC paint which I did outdoors. DH did the rest of the high VOC painting on any interior wood but obviously I was living in the house too at the time. The baby is now 3 and is fine .

Thanks mycarsmellsoflavender. That does make me feel better - you must also have lived with the smell/fumes with no ill effects. I was hoping that there would have been lots of people who'd lived in houses with fresh high voc paint, but seems less common than I'd thought! I assume our parents generation did this all the time as low voc wood paint didn't exist (I think), but internet is strangely sparse on these stories!

I glossed our hall, stairs and landing when I was about 8/9 weeks with my first before reading that it wasn't advised in pregnancy. He's as bright as a button and a bit of a smart arse . I wouldn't worry

Hi @Paddingtonlovesmarmalade, I came across your post during one of very many recent sleepless nights as I realised the paint that was sprayed onto our kitchen cabinets and some bedroom furniture, I situ in those rooms, is actually very high (heading for 50%) VOC polyurethane paint which they made a complete mess of in any case. I'm 35 weeks pregnant and we already have a wonderful 2 year old, I'm absolutely terrified I've done something that will harm those I love the most. How did you get on?

Hi there,
finding myself in a very similar position and panicking. Was everything ok for you in the end?

Last spring was incredibly stressful but relieved to say all well here.