How much is too much exposure?? (pregnancy question)

boltsfan19 · March 2011

I work as a therapist in a nursing home and they have recently undertaken a new renovation that I'm worried about. Yesterday they began stripping the wallpaper from the walls and painting with primer, today they sanded the primer down (complete with cloud of primer in the air from the sanding) and tomorrow they will be painting the walls. I wouldn't be too concerned if this was a one time event, but they only did a small portion of the walls because they have ONE employee doing this. In order to do the remainder of the nursing home, I imagine it will take at least 8-10 more reps of this process on the remaining walls/hallways.

I am a bit concerned that this long process will be dangerous for my pregnancy as I walk these hallways all day and really can't avoid them as part of my job. What would you do?? I don't want to be a pain, but a job is not worth putting my baby's health at risk. I have no idea how to handle this or if I should be worried. Planning to call my doctor tomorrow.

Mrs.Kristen · March 2011

is it a well ventilated area? and if it is a hallway etc are you going to be inhaling it all day long continuously? your best bet is your doctor but even when we were painting the kids room and i stripped off the boarder myself while DH was at work. the doctor said well ventilated and don't sit in that room all day long inhaling it for me. If it were me and I was walking that hall pregnant i would just put on one of those face covers for the debris part of it but i wouldn't be concerned if i wasn't sitting in that hall all day long. JMO.

boltsfan19 · March 2011

There aren't any windows, but it's not a closed room. I don't sit in the hall all day, but I end up spending a decent amount of time in the hall with patients and communicating with nursing. Our therapy room is at the end of one of the hallways and we always keep the door open. I probably am overboard paranoid and am hoping the doctor tells me so :-)

Mrs.Kristen · March 2011

Your a mommy paranoia is the norm lol :-)

MrsChelseaP09 · March 2011

Regardless of my OB saying that painting a room as long as it was ventilated was safe, I was not willing to take any chances. DH works at an auto body shop and bought me a respirator mask that the painters use, it was $16. I even use it when painting/sanding outside. If I were you, I would take time off while the renovations are going on or wear a mask when walking through that area. I am sure that it is "safe" for you to a certain extent or they wouldn't be doing this near patients, but it comes down to whether YOU feel comfortable with it or not.

babybchbum · March 2011

MrsChelseaP09:
Regardless of my OB saying that painting a room as long as it was ventilated was safe, I was not willing to take any chances. DH works at an auto body shop and bought me a respirator mask that the painters use, it was $16. I even use it when painting/sanding outside. If I were you, I would take time off while the renovations are going on or wear a mask when walking through that area. I am sure that it is "safe" for you to a certain extent or they wouldn't be doing this near patients, but it comes down to whether YOU feel comfortable with it or not.

This is the most important thing no matter what the OB says.

How much is too much exposure?? (pregnancy question)

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