Painted gloss when wife is pregnant

[Dylan T]

Hi all - bit of a left field question, but I've just been painting my kitchen while my wife is in early stages of pregnancy. I knew that high solvent paint such as gloss is dangerous for pregnant women so I made sure I did all painting and kept her away, but now it's done the house stinks and I'm worried I haven't thought things through. I was hoping someone could tell me how long the solvents are emitted from the paint and it they are different from the typical 'new paint' smell. Right now she's avoiding going downstairs but that's not going to be practical for too much longer. I used Dulux Once for the gloss (door and skirting) plus low-voc emulsion for the walls. Many thanks!

(I've left windows opened and tried a few old-wives' tales such as lit candles etc)

 

[johnny2007]

A day with windows opened would be more than enough.
The residual smell is unlikely to be dangerous, but maybe there are members specialised in this field.

 

[Old Salt]

Cut an onion in half and stick it in a saucer, one in each room. My dad used to swear by it.

 

[CJRatch]

Question: Is it safe for a pregnant lady to paint and if so what paints to use?

Answer: 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 the first three months of pregnancy, using solvent-based (white spirit-based) products could lead to nausea from the smell. Water-based alternative products should be used if possible. If the use of solvent-based products cannot be avoided, maximum ventilation should be used.

When pregnant, excessive exertion e.g. bending/stretching or repetitive lifting to apply paint, should be avoided. Excessive exertion has been linked to problems in pregnancy.

So, the general message is: ventilate the room really well, do a little painting at a time and see how you get on. If OK, do a bit more.

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Taken from the Dulux website. The Dulux Once is solvent based so do as your doing plenty on ventilation and in a couple days the smell will go with no lasting effects.