| | Lay a Foundation of Health by nourishing your body during Pregnancy & Breastfeeding!
Eat Organic
Pesticides are poisons meant to kill, to impede life. It is counterintuitive to accept their widespread distribution in our world's water, air, and earth. Why would a pregnant or nursing woman expose her child to these poisons if she can afford to purchase organic alternatives not contaminated with pesticides? Yes, it does cost more, but not much more. Force yourself to make the switch to organic foods and focus on eating more fresh, unprocessed meals. It's the processed foods that really drive up your grocery bill. Eat more real foods and you'll find you can afford to go organic.
Pesticides really are bad. Numerous studies have shown that they damage health, including implications in reproductive complications and failure, birth defects, learning disabilities, neurological and behavioral changes, organ damage, and various forms of cancer including leukemia, breast cancer, and brain tumors. The debate is really about how bad they are, not if they are a threat at all. When you're talking about a fetus or a baby, the threats are significant because children consume more liquids and food in proportion to their body weight than adults do and their rapid development and metabolic rates make them more vulnerable. A wonderful resource on pesticides concerns is hosted by the Environmental Working Group. The Children's Environmental Health Network also warns about the dangers of pesticides.
Drink Pure Water
Hydrating your body with clean, pure water is essential. Water allows your body to flush out toxins and creates the base of your life-giving mother's milk. The purity of your water is key, but drinking bottled water is not a green choice. All that plastic packaging and the energy fuels required to transport bottled water are definite negatives. Although local and unpackaged, straight tap water is not your best bet either. Tap water varies, but may be contaminated with chlorine related byproducts, solvents, pesticides, and heavy metals such as lead. Studies have shown that these contaminants can lead to miscarriage or stillbirth. See how your tap water stacks up at the EWG's National Tap Water Quality Database. Most recently, EWG reported that pharmaceutical drugs contaminate the drinking water of 41 million Americans. Drug levels in tap water are unregulated and legal. Often times you simply cannot trust the system to have your best interests in mind.
Regardless of your tap water's proported safety, consider using a water filtration systems, such as reverse osmosis filters, or buying filtered water through your local health food store. Such filtered water is typically local, purified water.
Don't contaminate your own water! Make sure your house is not fed with lead pipes. Drink water out of safe, inert containers, not Nalgene water bottles or any cup made with type 6 or 7 plastics. Stainless steel reusable water bottles are safe, green choice.
Avoid Common Toxic Exposures
Because of the extreme sensitivity of the unborn baby and young children to toxins, try to avoid these common exposures: teflon cookware, vinyl shower curtains (and vinyl of any kind), artificial fragrances (in perfume, cosmetics, candles, etc.), high-mercury fish, and new paint, carpet, or car fumes.
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