Has anyone used oil based paint when pregnant?

[EmsyW]

Hi ladies
Just wondered if anyone has used an oil based paint when pregnant (high VOC).
Used a very small amount today and now panicking. Doesn’t say anything on tin about not using when pregnant? Xx

@Milknosugar1 hi, thankyou so much for your response. I used crown oil based eggshell, do you think crown is similar to dulux and is ok? I did see on the dulux website it says this : You should expect no problems for the health of the pregnant woman or the unborn child from using Dulux products, provided they are used in the correct manner i.e. according to the instructions on the can - if it is during the first three months of pregnancy, using solvent-based (white spirit-based) products could lead to nausea from the smell - nothing about causing miscarriages or deformities.
O am hoping crown is the same xxx

I second PP. They're heavily regulated nowadays. The only warnings are not to over exert yourself whilst painting.

I remember worrying about the exact same thing when I was pregnant

All the best!

Dulux gloss and satinwood tends to be water based, where as crown is oil based. I’ve avoided oil based paint due to high VOC content.

If you’ve just done a bit, you’ll probably be okay, but we had a load of work done on our fascia boards outside and have got lots of woodwork to do internally and I’m avoiding it if the brushes need cleaning in white spirit.

No idea how to do links as on mobile, but here’s the NHS advice. www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/2531.aspx?CategoryID=54&SubCategoryID=131

I'm a decorator and worked up until 6 months whilst pregnant recently and we were fine. The medical advice I was given was as long as you have plenty of ventilation and aren't over doing it you should be ok. Paint is a lot safer these days but if you can swap to water based then do so.

@lunatunes, did you use oil based gloss/eggshell then in your profession during the first 6 months?
The tin I used had been opened previously dont know if that means that the VOCs evaporate overtime and become less strong?
Thankyou for all the other comments - I feel abit more relaxed now :)

@jubbablub I didn’t clean the brush afterwards I just chucked it so didn’t come into contact with white spirit. Just the paint x

Of course it's completely ok. Good God, whatever made you think it wasn't?

@Oblomov18 I read something on the internet which said pregnant people should avoid oil based paint - after I had used it of course 🤦🏼‍♀️ So it sent my mind into over drive. Think because of the solvents in the paint but there hasn’t been any definitive testing by done because of ethical reasons. So I was just panicking as didn’t want it to harm my baby xx

Oblomov no need to be rude. It used to be the recommendation and has obviously changed fairly recently. I'm a carpenter and when pregnant with DC1 (she's 4yo now) my work's risk assessment prevented me using any oil-based paints along with a variety of other 'fume-y' products.

OP Dulux will know their stuff, and all products on the market will be conforming to the same legislation on VOCs. Crown will have a very similar formulation to Dulux.
FWIW I found the biggest risk when working was using any kind of ladder etc. I was only allowed to use a low hop-up, but was quickly banned from those too after nearly fainting on one due to lowered blood pressure.

NHS website says to ‘avoid’ solvent based paints. Just wish I had more patience and waited for my husband to do it!
It doesn’t say MUST avoid though and I can’t see anything on dulux website or crown to say anything specific about using in pregnancy, hence why I asked the question if anyone else had used during their own pregnancies. I guess if it’s your profession that it’s difficult to avoid xx

Please just be careful if you are sanding back any Victorian and Edwardia in old paint in order to prep the surface for painting. Order paints tend to contain lead. I have been using oil based paint in my pregnancy, due to work related stuff. But I have been tending to let my husband do majority of it. We work together. X

I heard older paints contain lead. Definitely haven’t been sanding down any old Victorian woodwork - that would concern me.
I guess I just wanted to hear that other pregnant women have been exposed to solvent paints, which by the sounds of it, there have been so surely it isnokbas long as it is in moderation ? Xx

I'd just close the door to the room and open the window. It will be fine OP, there isn't much evidence to say it's actually harmful. All paints are pretty safe these days.