![]() One of the things we teach and emphasize throughout the class series is the avoidance of harmful
substances. I feel that falls under the
category of Consumerism, which means that parents take responsibility for all
the choices that they make that will affect their pregnancy, labor and
childbirth. As expectant parents, we
need to be aware of everything in mom’s environment that might be potentially
hazardous to her or her baby’s health. After our children our born, it continues to be our responsibility to keep them out of harm's way. We are living in an age where there are many chemicals
around us – they are in our food, our cleaning products, our skin, body and hair
care products, cosmetics, in the air…the list is seemingly endless. Per the March of Dimes link listed below,
“There are more than 83,000 chemicals used in homes and businesses in this
country, yet we have little information on how most of them may affect you and
your baby during pregnancy.” Chemicals make things last longer, taste better, suds
better. They allow many items to be
produced more economically at the manufacturing end so that companies can
realize bigger profits. I am not against
profit in general, however, I am strongly opposed to companies who trade
profits for our family’s well being. Chemicals can enter your body in three ways: you can ingest
them, inhale them, or absorb them through your skin. This could mean that literally everything
around you is suspect! First of all, take
a deep breath…we are still having normal looking children and if we limit
chemical exposure, one hopes we can limit the impact on our and our children’s
body chemistry and functions. The concern to limit exposure is not exaggerated if you
consider the fact that the incidence of many childhood diseases and childhood
health issues continues to rise: obesity, ADD, ADHD, autism, leukemia, and
cancer to name a few. Among the adult
population, Alzheimer’s is just one of the many diseases on the rise. There are no clear reasons as to why this is true. I look at it as playing it safe. Since we do not know how all these chemicals
affect our body, then we choose to limit their exposure and thereby decrease
the opportunity to be affected by them. What can you do to protect yourself? You can read and research as much as
possible. Since there is already a
wealth of information out there, I have compiled a short list of sites that
offer information on pesticide and chemical content. If you do an internet search for pregnancy
“…and toxins” or “..and pesticides” or
“..and chemicals” you will find many more.
The challenge is always to discern the ones that are reliable and the
ones that are sensational and alarmist. I also have a link to the Arm & Hammer web page that
gives you recipes for making your own cleansers and deodorizers. You can clean your whole house with baking
soda, vinegar and water. Yes, it takes a
little more time to prepare them, however the time is minimal in comparison to
the benefits of chemical restricted living. I encourage you to do what is reasonable for your lifestyle
to limit your chemical exposure. Here
are some ideas for you: 1. Maximize your grocery budget. Eating organic can
be more expensive. Instead of going straight
to higher priced specialty stores, hit your local farmer’s market to do some
comparison-shopping. Or, use your
grocery dollars to buy organic for the foods you like that are high on the
pesticide list and buy conventional-grown for the foods that are low on the
pesticide list. 2. Have your partner
pump your gas and clean the cat litter box while you are pregnant. 3. Eat foods that are
in as close to their natural state as possible.
One of the things I learned is to shop around the perimeter of the store
– the foods in the middle are the ones that are processed and treated with
chemicals to make them last longer on the store shelves and on yours. 4. Check your
personal care products, perfumes and cosmetics for their chemical content. These industries are unregulated – they can
put anything in them without having to be tested by the FDA. If any of the ingredients listed are on the
“toxin” list, do not use them especially when you are pregnant, nursing or
trying to get pregnant. 5. Drink a lot of
water. As our chiropractor says, “If you
stink, you need to drink.” You can
eliminate the use of perfumes and scented lotions if you drink a lot of water
and use a good organic deodorant. 6. Make your own baby
food. If you dedicate one day to
steaming and baking vegetables and fruits, then puree them and freeze them in
phthalate-free ice cube trays, you can make enough food for a month’s worth of
meals. Store the food cubes in your
freezer and defrost as needed. 7. You can use cloth
diapers instead of disposable diapers.
The substance that makes liquids gel is a chemical… What kind of things have you done in an effort to limit your
chemical exposure? LINK LIST Baking Soda Solutions March of Dimes Cosmetic Safety Database Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides Ranked List of Foods from Highest to Lowest Pesticide
Residues WebMD list of Pregnancy and Toxins Disclaimer: The material included
on this site is for informational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult her or his healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation. This blog contains information about our classes available in Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is not the official website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained on this blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®. REFERENCES |