New sofa panic

[TheLongestWait]

Someone please reassure me I'm being totally neurotic. We have new sofas due to be delivered imminently and I've recently found out I'm pregnant. Just been doing some innocent googling this afternoon about what to avoid when pregnant and found loads of stuff about harmful chemicals in new sofas and that this should be avoided in pregnancy due to the potential risks to the baby. What are people's thoughts on this? I've gone into a total panic now.

I also won't mention what I read about oven cleaner after remembering I cleaned the oven the day before I found out I was pregnant.

I'm hoping this is me totally over reacting because this is my first pregnancy

You are over reacting 😉

It will be fine. As long as you’re not planning on ripping the sofa apart with your bare hands and inhaling the insides, i very much doubt you will be exposed to anything

It’s natural to worry! But I can’t say I’ve ever heard of sodas being a danger to pregnant women

Sodas? Sofas 😂 Although I doubt sodas will do you much harm either

Totally over reacting. Did you read that in the daily mail by any chance? You can largely carry on normal life when pregnant, with a few obvious adjustments.

Stick with reputable sources of information, I'd suggest going to the NHS first, there are a lot of fact checking articles published by them that disprove most of these bullshit scaremongering websites and article.

Thanks for your reassurances. I've just had a bit of a cry on my husband about it all (bloomin hormones!) who has sympathetically reassured me if I'm that worried we can leave the sofas in the garage for a while. Although I think he thinks I've totally lost it 😂.

The NHS website doesn't really have any guidance. It refers to a study which was undertaken by the royal college of obstetricians and gynaecologists and emphasises that it's a 'safety first approach' as there is a large amount of uncertainty in relation to this and little evidence to support there being any risk but the recommendation from the study is to minimise buying household furniture whilst pregnant. Which feels really vague and unhelpful right now 😂

Minimise buying household furniture when pregnant?

Don't most people furnish nurseries when they're pregnant?

Lol very dramatic and total over reaction

I’d be more worried about the prospect of a sticky toddler and the new sofa in 18 months time if I were you.....

I’m sleeping on a brand new mattress.. it had a very chemically smell for a few days. Second pregnancy & you don’t even think about these things 😂 I’m far too busy chasing after a toddler, dealing with being poorly while chasing said toddler (got a cough that’s so bad it’s making my bump hurt), being jumped on like a trampoline all day long & generally being exhausted. Poor baby no.2.. no such luxuries as baby 1 where I had time to think about everything!

Just enjoy your new sofas!

@Orangedaisy I am also now worried about that too and we may well regret getting rid of our lovely leather sofas that have served us well over the years 😬

I know I'm over reacting and being a complete drama llama over it all. Think I'm having an overly hormonal day. And that's a good point about nurseries. We will be buying all new furniture and probably a new carpet too which will no doubt have the same chemicals 😂 it's going to be a long 9 months isn't it...

These chemicals are in everything, and have been since 1988, so I expect you've inhaled plenty of them. I don't think the newness of the sofa makes much difference TBH. You can't realistically avoid them so other than campaigning for a change in legislation if it bothers you, I would not do anything about it and I would not spend any time worrying about it. Just take it as an accepted risk of life like car accidents.

Bless you op. I get this. It's a worrying time. But it's totally fine.

I remember going to a petting farm and coming face to face with a goat. It was like a horror film. (I think they can transmit something or other that's harmful in pregnancy but not sure what).

@SummerHouse that actually made me laugh out loud. I've never known just living was so dangerous before 😂. The rational part of me knows I'm being neurotic but the other less rational part of me feels I need to avoid all possible dangers. Which I know isn't possible and makes my inner control freak go into complete meltdown.

Definitely don't worry about it. Maybe try and air the room out a bit after they are first delivered.
Perfectly natural to worry about all the little things on pregnancy number 1, and great that you looked into it and then had some rational idea that you were maybe going a bit hormonal crazy about it. (That's a step better than many people would have taken 👍🏻) Xxx

Good luck xxx

I never worried about these sorts of things when I was pregnant but when the baby came we had a new sofa delivered and it smelt awful, I couldn't stand it (chemically smell) I made the mistake of googling which resulted in the new sofa being quarantined in the living room with the windows open until it could be picked up again 🙈 I got a new sofa in the end made from natural materials and no flame retardant (which is what the smell is) ecosofa.co.uk.
x

I think it's just pregnant/lambing ewes which are a danger in pregnancy, not goats.

@holamums I did initially wonder whether to cancel our order but I think we will probably lose the (quite big) deposit we paid.

@BertieBotts luckily I'm definitely not planning on getting a sheep or goat to go with my new sofa so we're good on that front 😂

Like mamapop1 said keep the room aired it can't hurt.

I heard you should avoid goats in pregnancy too.
You will be fine with your sofa OP! I was like you when I was pregnant I was analysing anything I came into contact with and things I was eating! It's such a worrying time! My DS is 16 weeks and been sick on my sofa too many times to count 😂. They were new last year (waited 3 months for them!) imagine all the other stuff that will be over my sofa soon! 🙈 all worth it though!

Your partner sounds like a keeper!
I was eating a peach whilst heavily pregnant with number 2 and as i got to the middle of my lovely no chemically grown peach, a ear wig crawled out. I actually phoned my midwife! I feel so stupid now (5 years ago) I was so worried that i had eaten maybe some of its pooh or its eggs. She was so kind though and did some research and phoned me back very quickly and reasured me i wasnt going to give birth to a half human earwig. (Didnt help the dreams though!)
Your mother instincts are well and truly working. But enjoy your new sofas. And your pregnancy x

I know I never knew I would be such a worrier over really silly things. I'm naturally a bit of a worrier anyway but this is next scale.
My husband was very good about it all but I suspect he thinks I've already turned into a complete hormonal wreck he just doesn't dare say it. I think we have agreed that we will probably leave them in the garage for a week to 'off-gas' and get rid of the worse of the smell before bringing them inside.

Now to clear out the bloomin garage before they get delivered 😂

My Miriam Stoppard book advised to not lean on train doors or eat shellfish from poisoned water and then in brackets it said that you should also avoid those activities when you weren’t pregnant too.

:o Isn't Miriam Stoppard the one who casually advises you to get a sink installed in the baby's room?