well, I'm not really sure whether you can still call it fumes. Here is the deal: we just moved into a new place and the owner had painted it, I don't know exactly how long ago, but it has never been really aired out well enough. I don't know whether it's just my hightened sense of smell (i'm just about 5 1/2 weeks pg) but it really bothers me! Another thing is, could this potentially be harmful to me and the baby?? How can I find out about these things? The living room seems to be worse than the bedrooms, and it hasn't got much better over the past few days, even with leaving the windows open during the day.
Any input is appreciated!
It may just be your sense of smell. Is any one else smelling the fumes really strong? During my first trimester, I was plagued with a strong sense of smell. I could smell things that no one else could smell.
Before I found out that I was preggo, I actually told DB that he was wearing way to much cologne. He insisted that he was wearing no more than usual, but I made him go and wash some of it off because it seemed to smell so strong that it was making me sick with a headache.
I washed the sheets on our bed four times in one week because they smelled sour to me.
It made me sick on my stomach sooo many times because I cought a whiff of something stinky. It finally went away with the all day sickness at about 12 or 13 weeks.
Hope this helps some, good luck with your pregnancy.
I would keep on doing what you are doing - keeping the house well ventillated.
Could you find out if the paint was oil or latex based? Usually house paint is latex based and that kind no longer contains inorganic mercury which is a reproductive hazardous substance.
Working with the paint is definitley different than being exposed to fumes in a well ventilated area. And since you didn't paint and were exposed after the fact, and ventilated the house, I wouldn't worry about it.
thanks ladies, my husband said that he can smell it too, but it doesn't bother him nearly as much as me...so i guess it's just me then... i actually started crying over this last night, because i felt so helpless i'm just not myself these days and the symptoms keep getting stronger by the day! I just have extreme nausea and i keep thinking that maybe if i could throw up it would get better but i'm not even sure of that. maybe i should just walk around with a mask in front of my face, haha.
anyway, dh cuddled w/ me last night after i was so upset and then we looked it up and found out that to blame is: HORMONES! oh well, i'll hang in there, but thanks again dears!!!
Probably partially your heightened sense of smell. Also like everyone else said just keep ventilating the place if possible. Throw some powder onto the carpet or rugs and vaccum, dust everything and light some candles. I usually clean everything and then I smell the cleaness of the room and not so much paint anymore. It will go away. Are you able to re-paint? If so, they have scents pouches you can mix into a can of paint that make is smell, fresh, clean, tropical, whatever scent you choose and they work.
In my prenatal class the nurse told us that latex paint continues to give off fumes for 30 days. As long as you keep ventilating you should be fine though.
Question on paint fumes 
i'm just not myself these days and the symptoms keep getting stronger by the day! I just have extreme nausea and i keep thinking that maybe if i could throw up it would get better but i'm not even sure of that. maybe i should just walk around with a mask in front of my face, haha. 
