Many women discover the green lifestyle when they are expecting, or become moms. Wanting to do the best you can for your child includes considerations that you make before your baby is even born – after all, that’s why you’ve given up wine, right? Everyone knows that eating right and getting enough rest will help both mother and baby be healthy, but the green movement has opened our eyes to the effects that the world around us can have as well.
Back in 2005, a frightening study by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) found chemicals in the blood of the umbilical cords from 10 newborn babies. These chemicals were linked to cancer, birth defects, and hormone disruptions, and included lead, mercury and PCBs. Since then, moms-to-be have demanded more information about reducing the impact of the chemical soup that we all live in.
We Are What We Eat
According to most studies, it’s not clear whether organic food has higher nutritional value than its non-organic counterparts. Regardless, one thing is for sure: organic food contains fewer chemicals. Organic food is grown without artificial fertilizers, conventional pesticides, or sewage sludge, and processed without ionizing radiation and food additives. That stuff is gross, whether you’re pregnant or not. To label a food product organic, it must be certified by the National Organic Program, which is run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). A USDA Organic seal indicates that the product contains at least 95% organic ingredients, so look for this label.
Eating the fresh fruits and vegetables recommended for everyone, but particularly pregnant women, may also help you to avoid Bisphenol-A (BPA), a toxic chemical found in the linings of food cans. Most recently linked to plastic baby bottles, it can also be found in canned infant formula, as well as canned adult foods like soup, fruit and soda. BPA has been linked to breast cancer and infertility, and there is concern that exposure can affect fetal and infant brain development. Scary stuff, so try to avoid processed foods and stick to real, whole food whenever possible.
Once you have that food home, it’s important to prepare it carefully. Use cast iron or stainless steel cookware – Teflon and other non-stick surfaces have been shown to emit toxic chemicals when preheated to high temperatures, which can occur in just a few minutes. In fact, these chemicals are a known hazard to pet birds, causing lung hemorrhaging and death, so it can’t be good for us either. Particles of non-stick surfaces are also found in food itself.
Most pregnant women know to eat only low mercury fish, avoiding species like tuna and swordfish. For a complete list of sustainable and healthy seafood, download a Seafood Watch card from the Monterey Bay Aquarium. You should also filter your tap water, as pollutants may lurk there. Check out the EWG’s Tap Water Quality Database to see what your city’s water may include, then take a look at our recent post on water filters to help you decide on the one that’s right for you.
Personal Care and Cleaning Products
Without knowing it, we slather chemicals on ourselves in alarming quantities. Women, on average, use 12 personal care products per day. Look for better choices products in the EWG’s searchable Skin Deep Database. The database includes a rating for each product on its developmental/reproductive toxicity, which includes birth defects and developmental delays for children. Phthalates are particularly harmful for boys, while the EWG recommends that everyone avoid perfume, cologne, or products with added fragrance. The database also has a section for products just for kids.
Cleaning products are another key source of toxic chemicals in the home. Whatever you spray on your counters or floors makes its way into your system and thus into your baby. Check out our selection of eco-friendly cleaning supplies, use plants to clean the air, and open windows whenever possible.
Make Your Nursery a Safe Space
It’s just as important to provide a healthy nursery for your little one! Visit our post on green kids, including green furniture, bedding, low-VOC paints, plus the age-old debate over diapers: cloth or disposable? Be careful when painting or renovating while pregnant, as the chemicals can pass through to your baby.
Let’s Have a Baby Shower
OK, enough of the scary stuff, it’s time to celebrate! Turn your baby shower green by asking for pre-worn clothes and other used goods, or natural products. Check out environmentally-friendly invitations and favors, like those at ecoparti. Request non-plastic items and reusable packaging to inspire guests’ creativity. They can wrap used books in an organic cotton baby blanket, or give a bundle of healthy, eco-friendly baby skin-care products.
Now all that’s left is to actually have the baby!
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