My main concern was the fumes. I read anecdotes online that said they were bad (from the stain and finish) for the baby, but zero references or resources. Mother to Baby compiles information on EVERYTHING (chemicals, food, medicine, makeup, etc) from all the major pregnancy research organizations. According to them, smells are NOT a good way to indicate if something will harm the baby. And they said information about damage to fetuses in animals is not reliable - they generally inject the animal with the chemicals or bombard it. They said it's fine to be in the house after the stain and finish has dried. Thought this might be helpful to other folks going through renovations while pregnant!