NSBR: Nail polish during pregnancy

[WalkersMommy]

Hey mommies- did you paint your nails or get a manicure/pedicure during pregnancy?

I was pregnant mostly during the winter with DS#1, so I never really felt the need to paint my toes, but this time, I would love to go and get a pedicure not only to relax, but so that my feet look nice in all the sandals I'll be wearing until I'm due I plan to ask my dr at my next appointment on Monday, but I've been doing some research and seem to be getting very mixed reviews on what is/isn't safe, so I thought I'd ask for your opinions too. TIA!

[MandaT]

I had pedicures, acrylic nails & had my hair dyed...(all 3 times)

[Jengerbread88]

I've been painting my nails pretty regularly... I was painting my toenails up until I couldn't reach them anymore...

[AmberK]

The only thing I was told is not to have people do massages on you because it could send you into labor.

[mrsmbm]

I got three pedicures in the last 12 weeks of my pregnancy. They were perfectly safe. Although, the last one, I told the girl to push really hard when she was rubbing the lotion on my feet and ankles...and I had the baby the next day. (at 39w4d)

[nun69]

I did what Amanda did with all 4 of mine lol

[color of my heart]

Originally Posted by mrsmbm

I got three pedicures in the last 12 weeks of my pregnancy. They were perfectly safe. Although, the last one, I told the girl to push really hard when she was rubbing the lotion on my feet and ankles...and I had the baby the next day. (at 39w4d)

there's a pressure point in your ankles that induces labor.

nail polish is totally safe. (: i'm a nail tech, i promise it's safe.

[WalkersMommy]

Thanks ladies! My dr with my first DS totally made me paranoid about a lot of things. She seemed paranoid herself and always had something new to tell me not to do or to aviod lol. I figured many women had done it, but I like hearing your opinions anyways

[newfiemountiewife]

I always did mine (until I couldn't reach my feet any more), and dyed my hair too.

[rachaelsscraps]

I never really painted my nails (except clear nail polish) but I know my OB warned me to not paint them at the very end of pregnancy because they can use nail bed color as an indicator of if you have enough oxygen in your blood or not- I had to have a C-section and we knew that ahead of time, so it may just be a C-section thing?.. (like they push on your nail until it looks white underneath and let go, making sure it turns pink again quickly.. sounds old school to me in the days of those red-light oxygen detectors. lol. but I think they still use the fingernail method in a pinch)

[mummytothree]

While this never personally happened to me when, I was pregnant with my first son (back in 2004) there were about 3 ladies on my baby board that had sons born with hypospadias (they all claimed they painted their nails religiously). After doing some research on it I found lots of articles and journal postings about phthalates contributing to that birth defect and one of the most commonly used product that contains phthalates is nail polish. It's also found in most perfumes and some deodorants too.

I also encountered one while pregnant with my 2nd son (in 2008) and one while I was pregnant with my 3rd son (in 2009).

I'm sure those ladies could have all been coincidence and while I'm not sure if anything has actually been proven or tested it freaked me out enough that I never painted my nails again while pregnant.

[mummytothree]

Oh and I wanted to add that I'm sure everything is moderation is OK....it's just like anything you do or consume. Hell when my mom was pregnant with me (in the 70's) she lived on cigarettes and pepsi and I turn out just fine. But I know woman who have smoked during pregnancy and has extremely sick babies. It's whatever you are comfortable with, as long as you are well informed and feel like you can make a sound decision then it doesn't really matter what other people think or say.

[Jenn Barrette]

I found a great non-toxic nailpolish that I use on my girls. There is a line called Hopscotch for kids, and then the adult one called Scotch. I buy mine here - http://www.lavishandlime.com/Scotch-...sh-p-1109.html

Primary ingredients: water, water-miscible acrylic polymer emulsion, and non-toxic colorants (no fd&c). There is no formaldehyde, phthalates, toluene or other harmful petrochemical solvents found in traditional nail polish formulas.

It is a tad expensive, but so are most eco/health products so I am used to it. I am really trying to decrease the amount of chemicals my family comes in contact with.

[sprauncey1]

I painted mine myself (if I could) or I went to a spa place to do it. I would not go to the typical mall place. The smell coming out of there makes me nauseous now and VERY chemically smelling, so I'd be more nervous there.

[kscwgirl]

I painted mine but there is also another polish line out like Jenn mentioned.. www.zoya.com and i am in with their polishes! Zoya Nail Polish is a nail polish free of toluene, formaldehyde, DBP (phthalates) and camphor.

Jenn.. try them.. there's a TON more colors, they are $8 a bottle and they ship to Canada! They also do run promos on their facebook page.. around earth day i got the polishes for half price when you bought at least 6 bottles and it was free shipping.

[glumirk]

DH painted my toenails while I was in labor. Right after I cut his hair. We are crazy...

[Stacey42]

I did my nails all the time when I was pg. I didn't get them done in a salon because the smells of various lotions, chemicals, etc made me ill. I was very sensitive to smell for all of both of my pregnancies & had to hurry by hair & nail salons in malls or I'd get all queasy.

Bummed me out because I really wanted a pedicure.

But I did manage to get my hair highlighted when I was all congested from a sinus infection.

[hollyxann]

I did manicures and pedicures during my pregnancy. I'd either go to the salon, or my aunt & friend who are nail techs would come do my nails for me.

I even had my 12 yr old SD do my toes a few times.

[Jenn Barrette]

Originally Posted by kscwgirl

I painted mine but there is also another polish line out like Jenn mentioned.. www.zoya.com and i am in with their polishes! Zoya Nail Polish is a nail polish free of toluene, formaldehyde, DBP (phthalates) and camphor.

Jenn.. try them.. there's a TON more colors, they are $8 a bottle and they ship to Canada! They also do run promos on their facebook page.. around earth day i got the polishes for half price when you bought at least 6 bottles and it was free shipping.

I will totally try them, thanks!

[WalkersMommy]

Thank you guys so much for your input!

Stories like that scare me too, Elizabeth. That's why I like to ask you guys So I can get a variety of opinions/experiences. I haven't painted my nails at all this pregnancy, I'm 32 weeks now. If I do get a pedicure it will probably be the only one before I'm due, and I don't plan on going to a stinky mall place lol. I can't stand those normally, so I wouldn't want to sit in one pregnant for sure! I will definetly check out Zoya, it sounds great! I would really like to use less chemicals as well. Thanks again, girls!

[sczos911]

Pedis were the highlight of my pregnancies. I was so ginormously huge with DD #2 that I could not reach my toes and well, summer flip flops meant pretty toes! And I would have them painted obscenely bright and bold colors. I had day-glo orange when I went in for my last pedi right before Evie was born.