OT/General Pregnancy and Dolls

honestly I really wouldn't do any of the casting. The resin I use has a birth defect warning on it... as do the sealents & such you would use when painting. I'm not sure if the primer does ar not since I havenot used it before. I would say you could at least safely do the scultping part. I would suggest air dry clay though since I have hear there are insignificant amounts of toxins released with baking clays and I have no idea if that would harm the baby or not... and deffinately wear a mask when sanding.

 

Yea I agree. Sclupting and planning are the best to do, so if You're planning on casting have someone you know do it for you *thats what my husband said he would do if I ever got a bun in the oven XD*
But try to stay away from anything that has any sort of fumes, even baked clay I would presume. And if you start to get stressed over the doll take a break

 

First off; congratulations!!! I am very excited for you. I've never thought about the effects that this whole process might have on a mom-to-be and now I'm very curious.

Now I'm not sure if you're going to be using a polymer clay such as Sculpey or an air-dry clay like Ladoll, but I did some research on polymer clays and pregnancy.

Here's the link to the article: http://www.uspirg.org/home/reports/...rds-health-impacts-of-toxins-in-polymer-clays

So in summary; I would stay away from those OR use safety gear such as gloves when handling polymer clays "just to be safe," and stay out of the room as much as possible when baking; just like you should stay away from catboxes "just to be safe." It doesn't seem like the risk is shockingly high, but the chance is still there, and that should be enough.

 

Wow, thanks for that information, katsuu! I've been into women's health and have known about phthalates for a while, which has always scared me about casting, but I never made the connection with polymer clay (even though I think I knew it contained plasticizers, doh). Another thing I should stay away from, blah. I used Sculpey all the time as a kid and and I am almost positive I have excess estrogen levels now (which is what phthalates do - they are estrogenics - bad for any woman with hormonal problems!), I wonder if that could have contributed.

I would avoid anything plastic that you can, especially when you are pregnant. I'd say casting is definitely out, even with obsessive safety precautions - any resin you find isn't going to be safe. I don't think paper clay contains anything bad though, it is a pretty natural product. Making molds with silicone probably isn't too bad; on smooth-on they make a mold of a pregnant woman with a special, safe rubber (I forget the name) but I an not sure if regular silicone would be good to use (of course you wouldn't be rubbing it all over you though). I am going to be so anal when I get pregnant, I'd even be worried about painting with acrylics :dead. I hope I can teach my man to do everything for me by that time.

Oh, and this isn't really on topic but since it is kind of closely related and there are a lot of women on the forum - I'll take any chance I can to spread the word - if any woman has a lot of feminine health problems and would like some information on the side effects of either tampons and birth control and some good alternatives most people don't know about, pm me since I probably shouldn't post it all here.

 

It was a fascinating find, to say the least!
I was researching to see if there are any known effects on pregnant women with air drying clays such as Ladoll, or any other clays for that matter, but haven't turned anything "new" up yet. Right now it looks like just the polymers should be avoided or handled with care.
There are a few sites saying to avoid all clays while pregnant, though they don't specify any particular reason; which leads me to believe that it is probably just an unbiased but reasonable precaution based on the findings of the polymer clays.
I'm sure that as long as you use gloves of some sort, it is fine, since the clay particles will not have the opportunity to touch your skin and therefore, enter your bloodstream.

 

It's so easy to scare people into thinking that "so and so" are not safe... XD
Precautions like wearing gloves and using masks are all good. But one should also read the counter review. There are write ups with scientific backup that say that the level of phthalates entering the body at said time is negligible, since the amount that enters the body will pass out of the body fully. Handling the clay exposes one to actually a very small percentage of Phthalate needed to poison a human. Unless that is, if one actually ingest the polymer clay that amounts to more than what the body can flush out.Then that would just be stupidity.

There is a brand of polymer clay from Germany that uses beeswax or something. It is guaranteed to be safe and high quality. You have to pay extra though.

 

yikes that would really make anybody paranoid.
The only problem with oil based clay is that you can't do some things to it depending on room temperature. I do my smoothing out when it is cool, otherwise I use airconditioning.

 

Fingers crossed everything will be just fine and you'll sail through this pregnancy safely and deliver a healthy baby. I am not surprised you are very careful, I would be too if I was you.

I would totally avoid anything that has an even remote chance of being toxic. It might be a good time to think creatively and come up with safe materials to work with, such as papier-mache. Another thing is, protect yourself from fumes and dust - if you really have to sand ANYTHING, use a good mask and make sure your working area is well ventilated.

I know a lady-sculptor who worked with all sorts of things, including resin, while being pregnant, but protected herself and the baby as much as she could and both of them are fine. She got a special mask that was pretty expensive, but worth every penny and took other safety precausions. I'm sure you'll be fine as well. Just use your common sense and reduce the risks as much as possible.

Best of luck!

 

I know that with some sculpting clays that you fire (mainly porcelain since I like using that) the dust from the clay when it's dry before firing is toxic. I dono if other fired clays other than porcelain are like that but might as well be safe and you a really good mask in a well ventilated area, preferably like a garage or a room you don't frequent often since even though it's ventilated it may take a little bit to air out.

I would also stay away from any mold making and casting. I may be wrong but I think the silicone molds make bad fumes while curing as does resin.

Hehehe.. I was overly paranoid with everything while I was pregnant and still am now even though she's a year old now.u_u;;

Anyways wish you the best of luck and a happy pregnancy. Have fun and be safe.XD

 

I took a break from casting my dolls for about a year while I was pregnant and then with the new baby. I have just started up again recently I do suggest staying away from the fumes of casting while expecting.

 

I'm glad I'll never have to deal with pregnancy ever.... not being a woman and all....

I'm happy for you! It sounds like this baby is going into a safe, creative home. I sometimes wish I lived in a more artsy household, but my parents appreciate my art so I'm happy. I wonder if it will become a dollmaker like you someday. Whenever I hear about babies I get very curious about what they'll turn out like as adults.

I've always slightly hated babies. My brother's girlfriend had a baby from a previous relationship, and it disgusted me frequently; they smell funny, vomit, and poop a lot. I could never picture me having one. It'd probably die, I can't even take care of a ferret. I hope I'm not offending you :XD

well, anyway, congratulations!

 

Well, Bad news...that new car smell everyone likes is your interior off-gassing everything from PVA's to Chlorofil, benzine, lead and other harmful toxins. There currently are no regulations regarding this.

In your home, carpet off-gasses formaldehyde, shower curtains PVA, wood finishes, glues, paints, cleaners and sealants give off all kinds of toxins.

Flame, wrinkle and stain retarded fabrics off-gas and leach toxins, so your flame retardant childrens clothing is poisoning your child.

Plastic toys for children including teething rings contain toxins such as PVA and formaldehyde.

All non-stick cookwear contains toxins that leach into food when heated, plastic wrap and plastic containers leach into food especially when microwaved.

Microwaves realign the structure of most foods, eliminating the nutritional value and adding free radicals which can cause brain growth functions in children under seven.

All sweetened soft drinks can affect brain development in young children, diet sodas being the worst as they are loaded with free radicals that interfere with your body's metabolism and brain functions.

Processed foods contain many preservatives which are dangerous.

Tap water in most areas is Flouridated ... Flouride is a very deadly toxin that is a byproduct of coal burning....tough to dump and dispose of, the industry with full cooperation of our Government disposes of it in our water supply under the guise of healthy dentistry.

That smell when you use a new electric appliance... that is Ozone being put off by the electric brushes in the motor. Ozone is heavier than air so it hovers around the lower areas were your children crawl and play.

Electric cars put out massive amounts of Ozone as well as having nickel in the batteries which devastates the mining and disposal areas... oh, and batteries off gas too....right under your driver compartment in most cases.

Those cheap dust masts that everyone uses are totally worthless...the air goes right around the sides.
The proper masks all start at around $30, have canisters and adjustable straps, while your at it, the dust is getting in your body through your eyes too so sealed safety goggles are needed. The kind that car painters use.


Hope this helps....I'm gonna go play with some Sculpey now.

 

Congratulations! That's wonderful news!

 

Art Materials Hazards

I hope everyone takes the time to read safety sheets and use appropriate safety precautions.

 

Material Safety Data Sheets are usually available for most products. Sometimes they are somewhat difficult to find. It is worth the time to try and find them, and read them.

 

Cute kiddo, glad to hear you are back to sculpting again!