Do pregnancy and painting mix?

If you're an expectant mother, chances are you've given some thought to your soon-to-be-born baby's nursery.

You may have already picked out the furniture you would like to decorate it, as well as the curtains that will cover his or her windows.

If you know the sex of the baby, you may even have chosen what colour to paint your bundle of joy's room – a brilliant blue, a pretty pink or something else that will send him or her off to sleep.

Unfortunately, we recommend you get someone else to turn your child's bedroom design dreams into a reality if you want the nursery to be finished before you give birth.

On the whole, pregnancy and painting shouldn't really mix.

It's not so much the paint itself that poses a risk to your health and that of your unborn child.

In fact, Resene's waterborne paints are very low in solvents, and some are even made with no added VOCs, which means your risk of exposure is extremely small.

What could be risky are the movements you make when you're painting. If you're spending a lot of time stretching to reach high places with your paint brush, such as borders or ceilings, you could end up doing yourself and your baby an injury.

So, it's best to wait – or call in a professional to give you a helping hand!

If you have some small, unstrenuous painting projects that you would like to undertake while pregnant, you might be able to do these if your doctor or midwife says its fine.

Just make sure to only use waterborne paints, and only work in areas that are extremely well ventilated. Resene testpots can be ideal for these sorts of small projects as you can get a wide variety of readymade colours, the container is nice and small so can be easily held or placed next to what you are painting and they contain low VOC Resene paint. Make sure you are comfortable and not stretching too far or too high. We also suggest not eating or drinking while painting.

Or, you could give Resene's EzyPaint virtual painting software a try. This will let you paint your baby's room virtually, allowing you to see the finished product from the safety of your computer chair!  Instead of a baby shower ask friends and family around to help you decorate the room – you’ll find most will be keen to help you get organised for the new arrival.

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