The Green Pregnancy

courtesy stock.xchng, bjearwicke

Are you pregnant? Congratulations! One great thing (out of many) about being pregnant is that it gives us an added motivation to be green. What is good for the earth is also good for our babies! Here are some tips to help you stay as green as you can for the next 40 weeks!

• You will probably need some maternity clothes, but this doesn’t mean you need to buy them new. Because women only wear maternity clothes for a few months, they are often quick to get rid of them via consignment shops and thrift stores. I found nearly everything I needed at a local consignment shop. Your maternity wardrobe doesn’t have to break the bank.
• Splurge for organic. Now is the best time to eat organic. Use your baby for an excuse to treat yourself and your planet well! Pesticides have been linked to miscarriage and birth defects. Yes, organic is a little bit more expensive, but you are truly investing in the future with those pricey apples!
• Pregnancy often causes a nest-building hormone to kick in and many women find themselves on their hands and knees scrubbing obscure corners of their homes when they go into labor. If this is you, be sure to have some natural cleaners to use. You can do wonders with lemon juice, vinegar, and good old-fashioned hot water. Avoid the stinky conventional cleaners.
• Pregnancy can often bring with it a monstrous thirst, but try not to reach for the bottled water. Depending where you live, these bottles might not be recyclable, and the energy and resources it takes to harvest, bottle, and transport this water can put a damper on your drinking experience. Even reusable plastic bottles might not be the safest bet. The phthalates found in some plastics are suspected of causing shortened pregnancy. If you are going to use a plastic water bottle, look for #1, #2, #4 or #5 plastics. And if possible, don’t put your plastic water bottle in the dishwasher.
• Phthalates also show up in beauty products, though they are usually ambiguously labeled “fragrance.” You might consider giving up perfumes for the next several months.
• Beware of cosmetics. Anything you use on your skin could potentially make its way to baby, and many cosmetics contain harmful chemicals. Not surprisingly, the ones that are bad for us are often also the ones that are bad for the earth. If you don’t recognize an ingredient in a product, you might think twice before putting it on your skin. (This applies to the products you rinse off as well.)
• Once you tell people that you are pregnant, they will start buying you things. Don’t be afraid to make your needs known. For me, it was plastic toys. I didn’t want plastic toys, and I told everyone that my baby didn’t need them. For you, it might be something different, but if there is something that you don’t want your baby to have, spread the word! That’s what Facebook’s for!
• There’s a whole market out there of pregnancy and baby products that you don’t need. Please believe me when I tell you that you do not want to buy a baby wipe warmer or a diaper genie. As always, be discerning with your shopping.

Robin

Robin Merrill is a freelance writer who blogs at uBaby, a site dedicated to helping every woman have a happy and healthy pregnancy.