Every now and again I would lean against
something and realize oh my belly is in the way, or I’d lift something and have
to reposition it so I didn’t put the weight of the object on my abdomen.
As I paint rooms in my house and various furniture pieces I
realize I have started to take more precautions when I paint. Now some of these
are old habits, but others are fairly new. Whether you are expecting or not,
here are some painting precautions you should follow.
(Before I begin my list I would like to state that each
individual should talk to their doctor before attempting any projects. I am not
encouraging anyone to try painting if they do not feel comfortable. I, myself,
spoke to my doctor about what steps I should take to remain safe during
pregnancy while I paint. Many posts I have read discourage women to paint at
all during pregnancy, which in my case is unrealistic. I want to share my
experiences and what has worked for me, but also understand that not everyone
will agree with painting while pregnant.)
1.
Paint outside or in a well ventilated area.
I paint in my garage with the doors open or
outside when the weather is manageable. If I must paint or stain indoors I open
all windows and put the fan on in the room.
2.
Wear a respirator.
This will make an immense difference I
promise. Before I was pregnant I might wear a dust mask while spray painting or
sanding, but a respirator is the way to go to protect your lungs.
3.
Flip furniture upside down.
I was so tired of bending over to paint the
legs of furniture. Now, I paint the top side, let it dry, and then flip it over
to paint the legs. No more crouching down or sitting underneath the table to
get every spot!
4.
Wear gloves.
This should be a no brainer, but sometimes
I am so lazy. I use a product called TSP to wash walls and furniture before
painting. Wearing gloves makes me feel protected from chemicals and less
worried about what may be hiding under my fingernails.
5.
Use a dolly to move furniture.
My husband insisted on this precaution and
I’m so happy he did. Moving furniture has become increasingly difficult as my
pregnancy progresses. I don’t want to feel weak so I still try to move things
around. Using a dolly allows one person to wheel the furniture to another
location and the other person to guide it.
6.
Take breaks.
You might feel dizzy or achy after working
on a bedroom for an hour or so. I know you want to get it finished, but you
will feel so much better after you take a break! When you rush through and try
to get the job done you miss spots, use too much paint which results in drips,
or make other costly mistakes. You will feel less annoyed after you take a
break and ready to continue your project.
7.
Use no VOC paints.
No VOC means less chemicals for you to
breathe in. An alternative to most name brand paint is milk paint. It’s a 100%
organic, non-toxic product, similar to the type of paint that was used before
chemicals were introduced to paint.
8.
Leave it to an expert.
Some projects are just not worth risking your
health. If something doesn’t smell right, look right, feel right, then call it
quits. When I discovered mold in our guest bedroom/nursery, we called in an
expert. Luckily for us the mold was dormant and just needed to be sprayed with
bleach. However, if you don’t feel comfortable doing something get a second and
third opinion. If it’s something that needs to be addressed immediately, have
an expert take care of it, if not, it can wait until after the baby.
