How to Paint With Acrylic Paint While Pregnant

Although acrylic paints are considered the safest paints for pregnant painters to use, some women might be concerned that any exposure to paint could harm the fetus. If your own research on this question makes you comfortable using acrylic paint, you can further reduce or eliminate risks by following a few steps.

Things You'll Need

• Face mask
• Long-sleeve shirt (optional)
• Long pants (optional)

Instructions

1. Dress yourself in long sleeves and long pants to cover as much of your skin as possible. This will greatly reduce the amount of paint that comes in direct contact with your skin.

2. Properly ventilate the area where you will be painting. Open windows or doors, or have a fan or two in the room to keep the air circulating. Consider wearing a face mask to minimize exposure to fumes.

3. Take extra precautions while painting the area. Bending, stretching and squatting might be more difficult during pregnancy, so take it easy and allow yourself extra time to paint. Take special care to avoid falling if standing on ladders or chairs, as balance can be thrown off during pregnancy.

4. Take breaks. Whenever you feel tired or sore, take a break, especially if the fumes make you feel ill.

5. Avoid eating and drinking in the painting area, as this could increase your chances of accidentally ingesting paint or paint particles.

Tips & Warnings

• While paint containing acrylic or latex is considered safe to use while pregnant, working with any paint containing oil, lead or mercury is not recommended and may harm the fetus.

References

• American Pregnancy Association
• BabyCenter

Resources

• Woman's Health - Healthy Pregnancy
• March of Dimes