Thanks for your responses guys.

Went up to the paint shop yesterday. Because it is stained and varnished, we have to first paint it with this sealer stuff - if you buy some make sure it isn't one with the toxic sign on it. That stuff makes the other paint stick, so over it we are just doing an oil based white. Lady said they don't make paints with lead in them anymore and oil based sticks on harder than water based if bub wants to chew (but wouldn't matter too much anyway I don't think)