If you’re pregnant and working on painting furniture for your nursery, you’ll want to know if the paints you’re using are safe or not. Plenty of modern paints won’t harm you or your baby, but it’s always best to make sure before using any.
So, is chalk paint safe to use while pregnant? According to the Annie Sloan company, you can use their chalk paint and wax without risk during pregnancy. However, you will want to stop if the fumes make you feel lightheaded. Overall, their products won’t harm you or your child.
Of course, you’ll want to learn more about using paints while pregnant. This article covers all the essential details, so let’s keep reading!
Is Chalk Paint Safe To Use While Pregnant?
Chalk paint should be safe to use while pregnant. According to the National Health Service (aka the NHS), it’s improbable that “modern household paint” will cause health issues during pregnancy. However, they also say that you’ll want to be careful around old paint since it can contain lead.
Since chalk paint is a modern product, you shouldn’t worry about using it. Annie Sloan, the brand that produces chalk paint, agrees. They say their chalk paint isn’t harmful to pregnant women, and the paint doesn’t make many (if any) fumes.
However, you must be careful if you want to use their chalk paint wax as a finish. The wax produces more potent fumes as it dries, which could make you feel dizzy. The brand recommends having someone else do the waxing for you since you might be more susceptible to feelings of lightheadedness during pregnancy. However, the fumes are not harmful to you or your baby.
Rust-Oleum is a great safe and non-toxic chalk paint brand, that’s safe to use while pregnant.
So, you can safely use chalk paint during pregnancy. This benefit is great for those working in nurseries since you can still use the paints as usual. There are many chalk paint colors to choose from, and they all look delightful in children’s rooms.
How Do I Reduce Paint Risks During Pregnancy?
Even though these paints should be safe for you to use, you’ll want to know how best to reduce the risks even further. Here’s what you can do:
- Wait until week 13 of your pregnancy to paint as the baby begins developing organs before this period.
- Do not use oil-based or spray paints.
- Wearing long sleeves, gloves, and a mask while painting.
- Washing hands immediately after painting.
- Increasing ventilation in the room as much as possible.
Taking these steps helps ensure you stay healthy while working with paints, so you don’t want to skip them.
Does Chalk Paint Have an Odor?
The best benefit of using chalk paints is that it doesn’t have an odor. The fumes are extremely difficult to smell if the color releases any. Most chalk paints you find today will be entirely odor-free.
Chalk paint is also non-toxic, so it won’t harm you even if you accidentally end up smelling fumes. Still, you must have ventilation in your space, no matter what paint you use.
Paint can smell bad when it expires, so you’ll want to throw out your old paints. However, a can of chalk paint can last between one and five years without going bad. You’ll need to store it properly, so no air can get inside the container to prevent the chalk paint from spoiling.
Overall, chalk paint is a water-based, non-toxic product. That means there are likely no ingredients that make it smell bad.
Is Chalk Paint Safe To Use Inside?
Chalk paint is safe to use inside, as long as you ensure enough ventilation. You’ll want to leave the doors and windows to the room open and run a fan if you can. If you’re pregnant, ventilation while painting is critical.
Additionally, pregnant women may want to use a face mask and gloves while painting. Even if chalk paint fumes aren’t harmful, it’s better to reduce the risks of painting as much as possible.
Your chalk paint will take about 24 hours to cure. You’ll want to keep ventilation up because the pigment’s more likely to release fumes during drying. If you’re pregnant, you may want to stay out of that room for those 24 drying hours of drying.
Overall, it’s safe to use chalk paints indoors. These products don’t release many fumes, and what they do release is non-toxic. Still, it’s best to be safe and increase ventilation in your work room.
What Are the Safest Paints To Use While Pregnant?
If you’re painting while pregnant, you should take care to use modern paints only. Any older products can contain lead and other harmful materials.
Water-based paints, such as acrylics and chalk paints, will be safer for you to use than oil-based ones, which contain more chemicals and release more fumes. It’s also best to avoid spray paints as they’re toxic and easy to breathe in on accident.
You should choose low or zero VOC paints, meaning they don’t have “volatile organic compounds.” These compounds are chemicals in paints that can cause headaches and irritation in your throat and eyes. They also are more impactful on pregnant women, and the toxins can harm the baby.
In short, zero VOC paints are the safest options for pregnant women. Chalk paints have extremely low levels of VOC, making them a good choice. Both Annie Sloan and Rust-Oleum have chalk paints that are low and zero VOC.
Final Thoughts
To summarize, most household paints are safe to use while pregnant. Annie Sloan, the company that makes chalk paint, says that their products are safe to use while pregnant. However, they warn that you’ll want to stop if they make you feel lightheaded.
You can reduce the possible paint risk by washing your hands well when done, wearing protective clothing, and only painting in well-ventilated areas. Face masks can also help reduce risks.
Overall, you should be able to paint safely with chalk paints during pregnancy. Many moms appreciate this because they can continue working on decorating their baby’s room and furniture. I’m confident you’ll love the impact chalk paint can have on your child’s room!
Make sure to follow all my tips and recommended products to ensure your chalk paint project turns out great! Also, don’t forget to check out my other articles for all your painting Q&A’s. Happy painting!