What to Inspect When You're ExpectingA handy health checklist for pregnancyThe cause for alarm is real: pregnancy is the most critical time for establishing your baby's well being. It's also the time when you're vulnerable to the alphabet stew of harmful chemicals in the world, which are increasingly
making their way into women's bodies, wombs and
breast milk. But there is good news: Simple measures like eating organic, nutrient-rich foods before and during pregnancy can help safeguard you and your child while being kinder to the planet. And today it's easier than ever to find products that promote healthy pregnancies and peace of mind.
Start by taking a few of the
10 steps below -- along with that all-important vow to seek eco-progress, not perfection. It's a great beginning.
1. Say yes to organic food2. Get pretty without chemicals - Use natural or organic personal-care products
3. Cotton to organic cotton (without pesticides or insecticides)
4. Furnish wisely - Teflon- and Scotchgard-type water-and-stain repellents, which contain harmful chemicals. Also try to avoid furnishings with polyurethane foam, a product that's often treated with toxic fire retardants called PBDEs
5. Meet the new rules (kinda the same as the old rules) - Don't smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, use illicit drugs, guzzle caffeinated drinks -- or clean the kitty litter. Avoid pumping GAS or try NOT to breath it in while near the pump. Avoid changing ink or toner while pregnant. Make your own cleaning agents with these recipes from EarthShare and EarthWays, two nonprofit environmental organizations.
6. Shun mercury - (Here's a
complete list of mercury in fish.)
7. Let bugs and weeds be - Pregnancy is no time to use pesticides or insecticides
8. Pick your pans - Teflon pans are easy to clean, but they're manufactured with chemicals like perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a water contaminant and suspected carcinogen that may also cause birth defects. Use non-Teflon pans with a splash of olive oil instead. Five-cent solution: Shop secondhand for cast iron, glass, or stainless steel pans.
9. Renovate later - toxins like lead, VOC's, and even asbestos can be very dangerous for you and your baby
10. If it stinks, it stinks - When something smells terrible, it often is terrible for you. EXAMPLES: cigarette and cigar smoke, bleaches, conventional household cleansers, refinery smoke, solvents, paints, paint thinners, glues, oven cleaners, air fresheners, vinyl shower curtains and even new carpets!
More green parenting tips from Grist.org:Grist.org
special series on parenting and health.
Easy, affordable
recipes for baby and toddler food.
Advice on kid-proofing your cleaning supplies.
The
danger of plastic baby bottles.
This article was shared from
http://green.msn.com/Articles/article.aspx?aidAtlantaMams's Note: I was told by a friend, who has a masters in public health, that Gerber and Medela do not use BPA in any of their baby products.
And I would also like to add that it is safest NOT TO USE PLASTIC IN THE MICROWAVE, especially while pregnant. Use corning wear or porcelain in the microwave.
We all want to be a Healthy Mama!!!
